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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Tracy Brabin should be able to wear what she wants ?

309 replies

Clawdy · 05/02/2020 13:59

She's been the subject of criticism and vitriol all day about her dress, which she apparently wore to an earlier social event. She's a bright, lively and committed MP, who cares what she wears?

OP posts:
Mrsjayy · 06/02/2020 11:07

Some people are talking as if Tracy has let "the side down" because her dress slipped down a bit, men as pointed out behave a lot worse and are let off because well they are men
Tracy must try harder remember a jacket keep dignified don't let the sisterhood down all wrapped up in she was unprofessional so what if she was does it really matter?

Sakura7 · 06/02/2020 11:07

She must have known she was going to end up at the HC.

Maybe she didn't though.

Couldn’t she have put a light jacket of some kind in a bag. It wasn’t professional. That is the point.

Presumably she wore a coat over her dress when going out, so there would be no need to bring a jacket as well. It would have looked equally as odd for her to keep her coat on in the HOC.

Mrsjayy · 06/02/2020 11:13

Presumably she wore a coat over her dress when going out, so there would be no need to bring a jacket as well. It would have looked equally as odd for her to keep her coat on in the HOC.

Can you imagine the news is Tracy in a rush to leave

Alsohuman · 06/02/2020 11:29

Can you imagine the news is Tracy in a rush to leave

Exactly that.

Arseaboutdarkly · 06/02/2020 12:45

Such a shame that everyone is discussing this and not the extremely important point she was trying to raise about the attitude of No.10 to journalists

JosefKeller · 06/02/2020 12:56

Such a shame that everyone is discussing this and not the extremely important point she was trying to raise about the attitude of No.10 to journalists

and this is exactly why she should have been dressed appropriately.

Arseaboutdarkly · 06/02/2020 13:51

Or, people could forget about a trivial matter of how she was dressed, appropriately or not, and focus on the serious issues instead. How about that?

GinnyStrupac · 07/02/2020 04:44

Shouldergate update (and they stole my line): Tracy is auctioning the dress off for charity. The Girl Guides no less, to encourage girls into leadership roles. Good on you, Tracy!

GinnyStrupac · 07/02/2020 05:11

It is on eBay, currently on a fantastic 60 bids and up to £920. Tracy has posted a photo of herself and the dress, which also shows her leg in pot. She also includes a photo of her tweet, calling out the misogynist trolls. If you are interested in bidding, or more likely just want a nosey, go to eBay and search Tracy Brabin MP - the auction is listed in Dresses. Her postal charges are a modest £3.48.

What a woman. Handling this with her head held high.

Gilead · 07/02/2020 05:52

Just heard this on the radio, brilliant!

sashh · 07/02/2020 06:04

Shew should have a jacket or a shawl / scarf in her office. Not just for being called in like this but for if she spills coffee on her.

There is a dress code and I have seen other MPs told to adhere to it.

TheFastandTheCurious · 07/02/2020 06:07

Remember her in Coronation Street, back in the good ole days...

jeanne16 · 07/02/2020 06:34

Actually what I now find annoying is that she is now using this incident to further her career. I suspect most people hadn’t even heard of her before this.

GinnyStrupac · 07/02/2020 07:29

70 bids, £1220 and rising...

redcarbluecar · 07/02/2020 08:25

I think the issues are separate here. Was her outfit appropriate for that work context? Well arguably it was a bit odd, but it was a one off, a very small issue in the scheme of things and she's explained (if she needed to) why it happened.
Does a person deserve abuse and vitriol in this type of scenario? No, not under any circumstances, and that's what we should be calling out. It's a bit depressing to read the posts on this thread (generally the ones with 'but...'' in them) implying that TB was partly to blame for the horrible online behaviour of others, or that by confronting it she's somehow attention seeking.

Alisaslisa · 07/02/2020 08:31

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Arseaboutdarkly · 07/02/2020 08:45

Actually what I now find annoying is that she is now using this incident to further her career. I suspect most people hadn’t even heard of her before this.

A huge number of people knew her from her acting days and at least 22,000 people in her constituency seem to be aware of her existence, since they voted for her.

Excellent tactic for her to use humour to shame malicious dim-wits.

Bakedbrie · 07/02/2020 09:44

I don’t think TB should have bared shoulder in Parliament, no! The dress code is clear to her. I don’t care about the circumstances of her proceeding day. She’s a grown woman, if she got thrown into the chamber short notice she could have bought a scarf just one street away! I’m not sexist. I would be saying EXACTLY the same thing if a male entered open shirted baring his chest or entered wearing a collarless shirt, its inappropriate for the role they’ve taken on and the rules they williingly decided to enter into. I wont defend her. I know nothing of her politics. I don’t want to see her shoulders. I wouldn’t want to see a mans chest either. Why cant she show humility and just apologise and get it right next time?

JosefKeller · 07/02/2020 09:56

She is an attention seeker of course, why do you think she wore that dress in the first place? There's no shame on liking being in the limelight, but let's not pretend otherwise. Her entire life is about being know and in the media.

It's all about publicity, and it works, she is in the news. She'll find something else next year.

GinnyStrupac · 07/02/2020 09:58

£1,705 and 82 bids - brilliant! - and still going.

Alsohuman · 07/02/2020 09:59

Why cant she show humility and just apologise and get it right next time?

Because she has nothing to apologise for. Her response is brilliant in calling out sexism and misogyny, my respect for her has gone through the ceiling for the way she’s handled this.

EmeraldShamrock · 07/02/2020 10:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EmeraldShamrock · 07/02/2020 10:08

Apologising I asked for my above post to be removed.
The dress was completely inappropriate for her position it diverted from her view.
The trolling is awful, though I imagine if a man wore a vest to parliament it would be similar response.
It was not professional attire.

JosefKeller · 07/02/2020 10:40

Her response is brilliant in calling out sexism and misogyny, my respect for her has gone through the ceiling for the way she’s handled this.

calling the "sexism" and "misogyny" card when you have blatantly decided to wear inappropriate clothes for a formal professional setting is doing us so much disfavour. She should be ashamed of making a joke of the real problems we are facing. The woman is an embarrassment.

Gilead · 07/02/2020 10:45

I despair, I really do. So many women, and I suspect many so much younger than me (61) rattling on about inappropriate clothing. It doesn't matter. It really doesn't. You are the people missing the very important point she was making. You are the people doing the damage to another woman.
And no I won't fuck off.