Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart wore same suit for 15 months and nobody noticed

[rpannier]

He said he wore a "plain, off-the-rack, boring, dark blue suit" to all public events and council meetings for 15 months in a row to highlight double standards women in politics face when it comes to appearance.

snip

"I had heard so many of the comments that sometimes happen during elections. I read an article about a journalist in Australia who'd taken a similar action," he told CBC's On The Coast guest host Chris Brown.

"Nobody noticed … It became evident to me that nobody was going to notice, that this was not simply something that we remark upon when it comes to male politicians."

Stewart managed to keep his secret from his colleagues, staff, constituents and even his own family.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/coquitlam-richard-stewart-suit-1.3459469

[KT2000]

1. good for him! nt

[rpannier]

2. I thought so

It's a good subtle way of hammering the message to all

[Ino]

3. I don't get the point...

1. If he drastically changed up his outfit every day -- bright yellow suit one day, flowered tie another, bright red shoes the next, an ascot with a smoking jacket, etc. -- people would be talking about his clothes just as much as a woman's! They'd be looking forward to seeing what he wore next, commenting on whether they liked it or not, etc.

2. Conversely, if women always essentially wore the exact same thing every day -- just in subtly different but always conservative colors -- no one would be talking about their clothes either.

That no one noticed he wore the same thing every day just illustrates #2. If he wanted to draw a real comparison, he should try #1 and see if anyone notices/comments.

People notice and comment on what is different, no matter who is wearing it.

[whatthehey]

4. Unfortunately 2 is incorrect

Expectations are key. Women are expected to wear different outfits all the time. Consider this hardly unusual report that mentions a woman wearing the same thing as shew did months earlier.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3319704/Princess-Mary-steps-Summer-outfit-wore-August-attends-latest-women-s-rights-campaign.html

[Ino]

6. That's why I said "IF women ALWAYS wore the exact same thing every day"

because SOMETIMES wearing the exact same thing is novel in itself.

I do see your point though. There is definitely pressure on women to change up their outfit all the time. If ONE woman in the news tried to do #2, someone would probably start a website with a clock showing how many days she has worn the same thing, or articles would constantly refer to her "signature suit."

But if ALL women politicians did #2 ALL the time (as men do), it would get too boring to talk about after a while. Why don't they agree among themselves to do that... in the interest of fighting sexism, and/or relieving themselves of the burden of changing outfits/buying clothes, etc.?

And if men changed up their outfits as often & as drastically as women do, it would be remarked upon as well. So... how much of it is a sexist thing, how much is a novelty thing, how much is a fashion thing?

Disclaimer: I am a female who often buys several of the exact same clothes because I hate shopping & just don't give a shit.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. "I ... several of the exact same clothes"

Ok, we believe you actually made it home last night.

(kidding!!!)

[hfojvt]

8. so I searched for Al Gore earth tones

and found this http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1438840

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. "exact same" and "subtly different" do not mean the same thing

so I don't get your point.

[Ino]

7. Errr...

exact same thing -- pants, suit coat, tie, shirt, shoes

subtly different but always conservative colors --
suit: navy blue, navy blue with pinstripe, dark brown, charcoal, black
shirt: white, off white, light blue
shoes: black, brown, mahogany

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. So what would that have to do with this? He wore the same suit, so no change in colour

and he never got comments like " you wear that too much, why don't you wear something else".

[Ino]

10. OK, let me rephrase then...

2. Conversely, if women always wore the exact same thing every day no one would be talking about their clothes either.

Better?

Note I said "women" not "a woman," and "always" not "sometimes," and "every day" not "once in a while."

[whatthehey]

11. Any basis for this supposition?

So somehow women who are mocked for wearing the same things weeks apart would magically not be mocked if they wore the same thing every day? Why?

[Ino]

14. Because it would be boring...

once the novelty of them always wearing the same thing wears off.

Please understand I'm talking about WOMEN as a GROUP wearing the same thing EVERY DAY.

Like it's so boring that men wear the same thing every day, that no one talks about it. But if one of them started dressing in bright colors, wearing a Nehru jacket one day, a leisure suit the next, etc., people would start talking about his clothes. Would that be sexist? Novelty? Fashion?

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. OK, but that's a different reality

In this reality, plenty of women get adverse comments for wearing the same thing too often.