Theresa may's awful awful red dress

[BananaMilkshake13]

AIBU?
I think she looked absolutely ridiculous in that red dress when she greeted Trump at Blenheim palace.

She looked out of place and was perhaps trying to compete with melania trump...obviously a formal event but that dress was a bad choice and didn't suit her AT ALL.
The slit....🙈

Hi Arthuritis,

I do agree that body language is important. I agree too that I wish TM wouldn't hold Trump's hand (or indeed meet him or invite him to the UK). I just worry that much of the body language associated with power and confidence is gendered as male. It can be very difficult for women to replicate that and when they try they might not be rewarded for doing so. They may even be criticised for stepping outside feminine norms. It's often a no win situation. The key word is in fact BODY. Overall, men are still taken as the neutral, disembodied norm, whereas women in public life and elsewhere cannot escape their embodied identity. Merkel does her best with her uniform of neutral pants suits as does Hilary C. - but still, their bodies are considered relevant in a way that men's rarely are. Remember that Daily Mail picture comparing May and Sturgeon's legs? Almost impossible to imagine something similar for two men.

I don't know about her giving in. The fact is Trump often 'gives in', he calls it the art of the deal. Start with a ridiculous proposition and then compromise on it. I think we might be gendering this behaviour too. From what I can see, TM is letting the blustering, ridiculous men blow themselves out and then quietly getting on with the pragmatic option.

But finally, I don't think anything TM does in terms of her dress or body language will do her much good with Trump. He seems to like what he perceives to be strong men - men being the operative word.

Angela Merkel pulls it off i always think. I think to compete with the men youve got to blend in in a like them. you get too much flak for "standing out" otherwise. Sad in a way.

Lyingwitch Women make those rules it seems. When Meghan got married to Harry, all eyes were on her, her dress, hair etc. Same for Kate, Diana, it's always been that way. I bet hardly any men were remotely interested. It doesn't surprise me. Perhaps it could just be one of those things where men differ from women.....shock, horror It might annoy you but it's not going to change. Frankly stuff like that doesn't bother me, i have more important stuff to worry about.

... although ive just read it was a black tie dinner event, she could hardly wear a suit!! What else was she supposed to wear.

And this attitude is why gender equality is so hard to achieve. YABU

You can't compare the PM with the Royal clothes horses.

The only point of the Royals is to look glitzy and draw attention to themselves/any cause they can shoe horn themselves into.

There are designers killing themselves to have a royal woman or child wear their stuff.

Not the same for the men generally of course.

Theresa May has and actual job, and it isn't playing dress up.

She looked nice.

I look forward to the day when women can just wear what the fuck they want without people feeling entitled to snipe.

Gosh, what a nasty misogynist thread to start. Whatever one thinks of her (and I think she is pretty vile), she is Prime Minister, which I would suggest makes her rather higher achieving than the sniping and catty commenters here, who seem to think that women should only be judged as items of decor. Hold her to the same standards of critique as male politicians, instead of making life harder for intelligent and successful women by behaving like a stereotype with a frock obsession.

And lyingwitch Fwiw i'm far more critical of what men wear than women. I hate some of the stuff men wear, scruffy trackies, jeans hanging down their arse....it's absolute BS when people suggest men don't get criticised, i think people just WANT to feel aggrieved and just trot out the same old unjustified line because that's what they WANT to believe.

She has worn it before, it's supposed to be a favourite of hers.

I like that she picks something that she likes and feels good in, rather than being dressed.

It's interesting that the gutter press haven't jumped on how much leg she was showing when she turned on the steps. They might be finally getting that there are more important issues.

Melania might have wanted to look like a medieval Princess and why shouldn't she. You don't get many occasions to wear a dress like that and it must get boring, when you have the money to buy anything, but have to follow a certain style.

LighthouseSouth so people with learning Difficulties shouldn't get a vote? There is a difference between being stupid/ignorant/not capable of critical thinking and having a low I.Q.

I thought she looked great. I also think this is a terrible thread to start. Judging another woman on what she's wearing and how she looks, not on her ability. What century are we living in?

Frankly, she's got the shittiest job in the country, trying to arrange a Brexit that 50% of the population don't want, and that she didn't want, and that the EU doesn't want. Who do you think would do it better??? I can't think of anyone.

Why are women such judgemental bitches towards other women? In the past I have worked in a job that was 95% male dominated. It was the best job I ever had and as a woman it pains me to say that.

Theresa May has and actual job, and it isn't playing dress up.
On the contrary, i think she loves dressing up.Nothing up with that, but let's not pretend clothes aren't irrelevant to her. Compare her to Thatcher.

She may well love dressing up, but that isn't the point of a PM.

Melania and Trump showed up dressed as Beauty and the Beast.

oh christ OP - you've set yourself up here haven't you. Of COURSE her dress is the important thing we should notice. No one ever touches the men suits, do they? Forget she's the PM, lets talk about her dress. Could you be any more shallow?!

Melania and Trump showed up dressed as Beauty and the Beast.

Well, I liked it but I’m a bit peeved you are commenting on the way she looked rather than the job she is doing tbh. How about Trump’s suit or ridiculous hairstyle? Any comment on those?

Melania and Trump showed up dressed as Beauty and the Beast.

She has worn it before

I suppose that could be seen as discreet statement in relation to Trump's visit. Not important enough to warrant a new dress.

Melania wore what she always wears - a facial expression that says "I wish I was somewhere else"

coolncalm, no 'trotting out' here, I'm not that jaded, wouldn't be bothering to post if I were.

This is a heavily female site, not much chat about motorbike engines, for example. There is though a lot of interference and comment about what women do and what women wear - from other women. Your comment that you find what men where is a bit disingenuous, I think. For every one token comment about what a man wears (and it is a token sort of 'talisman' to ward off censure), there are 100+ comments of what a woman is wearing and how wrongly she's doing it.

It doesn't irritate me, it absolutely sickens me. Just so we're clear. I'm ashamed to be a woman sometimes.

Fucking hell, shame on you OP.

I can’t stand the woman and I thought she looked fabulous.

Why are women such judgemental bitches towards other women? In the past I have worked in a job that was 95% male dominated. It was the best job I ever had and as a woman it pains me to say that.

You have your eyes firmly closed to misogyny if you truly believe it’s only women who ever judge other women. I work in a role that’s probably about 90% women, and have never worked in such a supportive and friendly environment. Don’t accuse women of judging others when you’re doing exactly the same.