Women protest after man says they should not wear yoga pants in public

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Women protest after man says they should not wear yoga pants in public

Associated Press in Barrington, Rhode Island
Sunday 23 October 2016 18.57 BST

A Rhode Island man who wrote to a newspaper complaining about women wearing yoga pants said on Saturday his letter was meant to be humorous and he did not have an issue with yoga pants – and even owned a pair.

Alan Sorrentino’s explanation came too late, however, to stop a march through his neighborhood on Sunday afternoon, by women dressed in yoga pants and protesting misogyny and men dictating how women should dress.

Alan Sorrentino told WPRO-AM he had hoped the letter, which was published on 19 October in the Barrington Times, would be enjoyed as a break from the heated rhetoric of the US presidential election.

In the letter, he wrote: “The absolute worst thing to ever happen in women [sic] fashion is the recent development of yoga pants as daily wear outside the yoga studio.

“Not since the mini-skirt has there been something worn by so many women who should never have it on in the first place.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/23/yoga-pants-women-protest-fashion-rhode-island-letter

[Foggyhill]

1. Not the worse thing, but not that great either. I'm a women and yeah, I own some too.

The reaction seems a bit strong for that kind of opinion piece.

[Warpy]

9. I'm a woman and I don't own any

yoga pans or Jeggings or anything of the sort. I just don't make the rules for anybody else and I can't say that I give a damn about what even the lumpiest woman of my own vintage feels comfortable in. FWIW, I'm tastelessly dressed in LL Bean jeans, a black t shirt with nothing printed on it, and a black cardigan.

This guy seems to be pulling a Limbaugh, "I'm just an entertainer" once the shit hit the fan.

One reply pointed out that he didn't choose the best time to criticize women's appearance. He's going to have to live this one down for some time.

[gollygee]

2. What an ass

I'm always asking random men what they think of the clothing I wear, because I care so very much. /sarcasm

[AngryAmish]

3. There is an ugly stereotype that women are touchy and fashion obsessed

An ugly stereotype.

[Nay]

5. His letter sure doesn't read as if it were written in a humorous vein -- I'd expect some

gross exaggerations, etc., to indicate it was all in good fun.

[NashuaDW]

7. The guy is a Genius ...

Two sayings come to mind:

Only one percent of women wearing yoga pants go to yoga and 99% of men don't care
and
Yoga pants - because sometimes imagination isn't enough

[Warpy]

10. You mean like some Christian sects?

You should have heard the nuns talking dress codes when I survived Catholic school.

And don't get me started on the Mormons.

[davidn3600]

12. I dont like what those religions do either

But Christians and Mormons are not putting women in jail, or worse, for not wearing those religious clothes.

For the record, I'm agnostic. I don't have a horse in the race. But I see pretty clearly which religion is worse on this issue. If you choose to ignore it, then you are letting cultural relativism override feminism. That's your choice, of course.

[dhol82]

28. Nah, in the orthodox sects they just shunned.

Do you think that is benign?

Just as an FYI - all religions have a weird thing about women.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

18. No, it isn't. And since we don't live in Iran

We get to protest such things.

[Bok_Tukalo]

11. You sir, are worse than Hitler

<OPE>

[awoke_in_2003]

44. That's more stretch

than yoga pants

[TygrBright]

13. What ARE yoga pants, and how do they differ from leggings?

Or other lower-half garments?

I have some loose cotton drawstring trousis, I wear them mostly for comfort around the house but they're perfectly respectable for running to the store or the post office.

I have some cotton leggings I wear sometimes, too.

And regular jeans, both narrow at the ankles and looser at the ankles.

And cotton twill and wool straight-leg trousis.

And some wide-leg rayon/cotton trousis.

Most of them have a little spandex in the mix- hard to find trousis without that these days. I've worn pretty much all of them except (I think?) the wool dress trousis when I do my yoga and/or my joint mobility exercises.

So which ones are the "yoga pants" and why shouldn't I wear them?

confusedly,
Bright

[duffyduff]

17. A LOT of these types of clothing are practical

if you are a runner or you bicycle. Practicality is a lot more important there than how one looks to others, especially men.

[malaise]

19. I love both yoga pants and leggings

Clearly I wouldn't wear them to a meeting, but no one can stop me wearing them.

[athena]

43. If you read the misogynist's original letter,

you will see that it's not just yoga pants he has a problem with. In fact, he doesn't have a problem with yoga pants as long as they're worn by a young woman under the age of 20. He thinks all women over 20 should avoid yoga pants and short skirts.

http://eastbayri.com/stories/letter-please-women-put-away-the-yoga-pants,27761?

He actually tells women exactly what to wear to look pleasing to him:

A nice pair of tailored slacks, jeans, or anything else would be better than those stinky, tacky, ridiculous looking yoga pants. They do nothing to compliment a women over 20 years old. In fact, the look is bad. Do yourself a favor, grow up and stop wearing them in public.

In other words, when he sees a pair of shapely legs, he doesn't want to have to look up and find that they belong to a 40-year-old. Clearly, he wants those of us over 20 to make ourselves invisible so that he can freely enjoy the view of the young legs of teenagers.

[smirkymonkey]

45. Actually, I agree that he is a misogynist, but I read in the Boston papers that he is a gay

man, so I don't think it's as much of a sexual thing for him. He's still disgusting.

I wonder if a woman had written a letter to the editor complaining about certain things that men wear who are over the age of 20 and not built like Ryan Lochte if the paper would have dared printed it. It's not just the writer that was misogynistic, but the editorial board that thought that this kind of crap deserve to be published.

[athena]

47. Interesting.

You make excellent points. I must say I'm stunned that he is a gay man. I guess sexism is not the sole domain of heterosexual men and women.

It is also very true that most heterosexual men over 20 or 30 don't make much effort at all to look pleasing to heterosexual women; but that never seems to be a topic anyone considers worth discussing.

[Rex]

14. I bet he wrote that letter in his underwear.

While wiping cheeto dust off his fingers.

[JanMichael]

31. Ha! nt

[stonecutter357]

15. I love yoga pants !

and i have a pair of this.

[pinboy3niner]

16. What's all this fuss about yogurt pants?

[HockeyMom]

20. We used to wear sweatpants

Morons complained about those. It's too hot in Florida for sweats anything.

I have NO bootie at 98 lbs. Sexy? Not unless one thinks a 10 year old is. Even though, I always make sure to wear long tops with both yoga pants and leggings. All three pants are very, very comfortable. More so than jeans.

[KentuckyWoman]

21. Well, for myself, he's right - but he's still an idiot.

Who in the blue ass hell does he think he is dictating what anyone else wears in public?

Personally I would not be caught dead in yoga pants anywhere on the planet. I'm not even sure they come in my size.... and if they do, I can't imagine those ladies look any better in them than I do.

[milestogo]

22. When men walk around with beer bellies that are not left to the imagination

do women write letters to the editor complaining about it?

And if they did would those letters even be published?

[Oneironaut]

23. Alan Sorrentino shrugs as the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme plays

[Warren DeMontague]

24. This and the fucking cargo shorts. Fashion cops and busybodies can go eff 'emselves.

[pinboy3niner]

25. Leisure Suit Man says what?

Once upon a time in the '70s I actually had two "leisure suits." And I actually wore them on Capitol Hill while doing an internship with a Dem Rep.

I'm not even sure what yoga pants are, but they surely can't be worse than some of the guy stuff I've worn in my day.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. I was a child in the early-mid 70s, lucky me.

So you can only imagine the sorts of ugly, corduroy nightmares I got dressed in. Don't even get me started on the haircuts.

Go to Whole Foods, you'll see more yoga pants than you can shake a 4 dollar celery stick at.

for the record, I'm pro-yoga pant

[JanMichael]

32. Wholly (see) shit that's funny! Gettin real in the parking lot....nt

[Warren DeMontague]

37. I'm actually familiar with that whole foods in question.

It's pretty spot on.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

26. I often see people out in public dressed in a way

that makes me go, "WTF?"

Beyond that, I'm not going to offer my opinion about what should and should be worn in public.

However, a word to the wise:

[JanMichael]

34. One of the best movies EVER!

Serial Mom...it so talks to me...

[sarae]

29. To Alan: No one cares about your boner.

[ismnotwasm]

33. Well Hell. I also wear leggings as pants if I want to

Got yoga pants on right now. Anything that allows freedom of movement, protection of skin and comfort is a good thing.

[pinboy3niner]

35. What's all this fuss about Yoda pants?

Well very different, that is.

[melman]

38. This is ridiculous

Protesting a letter - it's not even an op-ed, just a friggin' letter. And they protest at his house? Unbelievable.

[smirkymonkey]

40. My understanding from the Boston media is that this was not so much a protest against him

in particular, but against the misogyny and the fact that women are tired of men telling them how to dress in public. His letter was just a catalyst.

[Javaman]

39. I hate when morons back track by saying that something they wrote was actually "humorous"

when it was nothing of the sort.

[jcgoldie]

41. Where are these protesters?

Come to think of it, it offends me when women go naked in public. Let me know if anyone needs my address to teach me a lesson.

[athena]

42. That letter is so misogynistic.

Please read it if you haven't done so already.

http://eastbayri.com/stories/letter-please-women-put-away-the-yoga-pants,27761?

So many misogynistic and ageist tidbits in there. The whole underlying philosophy is that women are here mainly to please men, not to live their lives. That's why this person thinks he has the right to tell an entire population of women how they should dress.

[Warren DeMontague]

46. people who think they have the right to tell other people what to do can go fuck themselves.

Seriously.