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

[Clawdy]

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?

Someone either has not read the abusive, vile messages Tracy received, or does not actually know what the words sexism and misogyny mean.

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 Clothes really do matter, impressions last. I very much doubt an interviewee would get the job wearing that outfit in any professional interview.
Job interview, parent teacher meeting, doctor appointment, court appearance, clothes matter.

@Gilead, I’m a bit older than you and I find this thoroughly depressing. We spent our youth fighting to get this kind of nonsense put to bed and it seems our daughters’ and granddaughters’ generations are turning the clock back. It’s so disappointing.

If someone's clothes are deemed to be inappropriate for the workplace, they could be spoken to quietly by their employer and asked not to dress like that again. A one-off dubious choice, even in this televised context, is hardly a significant issue for the general public. I'm getting an underlying sense of 'if she didn't want insults and abuse she shouldn't have worn the outfit' from some of these comments. What sort of territory does that take us into? The suggestion that she should apologise is particularly bizarre.

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.

it does. that's the point, it does. Turning it into a gender issue is ridiculous, and it has nothing to do with the age of the posters. Showing a minimum of respect for your environment matters.

I would say it's pathetic that a grown-up needs to be told, but she clearly knew exactly what she was doing.

I am bored of these idiots who bring us backward yet again.

I'm getting an underlying sense of 'if she didn't want insults and abuse she shouldn't have worn the outfit' from some of these comments.

Insults and abuse are unnecessary, but nothing wrong with merely pointing out how utterly inappropriate she is. Which she knows, she just wanted some attention, she got it. Pathetic for her role.

I am bored of these idiots who bring us backward yet again.
Which is exactly what you are doing!

What the hell is showing respect for your environment? For a building and inanimate objects therein?

JosefKeller. Your constant posting going on about attention seeking is worrying. It's not attention seeking. Which bit haven't you read? She's an MP she doesn't need attention. She was dressed for something different and didn't expect to get called but she did. She is a woman and had something important to say and all you can do is focus on what she was wearing. Most odd.

Nice try to turn things around but it's not my posts and reaction the problem, and her behaviour in the first place.

If she wanted the focus on what she has to say, she would be dressed appropriately, I have a massive issue with the fact people like you and her are now playing the "misogyny" card.

I have a massive issue with the fact people like you and her are now playing the "misogyny" card

You certainly do have issues. If you can’t see the misogyny and sexism of this, there’s no hope for you.

@Gilead To me it isn't about her sex. People would notice if a male politician wore a sleeveless shirt with a few buttons undone.
Boris got slaughtered for his un-tucked shirt, unkempt hair, sloppy fitting jacket on his visit to Ireland. He looked like he arrived after an all nighter.

Man who does not always know when it is appropriate to keep his penis in his pants gets voted in as PM.

Woman who accidentally shows us a bit of her shoulder gets vilified.

I think that the abuse she has received is completely unacceptable - vile and misogynist. However, I don't think that what she was wearing was appropriate work wear for her job. I expect MPs to dress in smart office wear - and I would be equally critical of a male MP wearing a Hawaiian shirt, for example, or shorts.

It seems to me that some people can't differentiate between criticism and abuse. Anything goes as long as the person involved deserves(rightly or wrongly ) criticism. Trolling,name calling and abuse should not be tolerated,dismissed and minimised just because someone made a mistake or error in judgement.

I agree, @PanicAndRun - it is fine to think that her dress was not appropriate work wear for Parliament - but utterly unacceptable to subject her to sexist abuse for it.

Totally agree. However the title of this thread is ‘should TB be able to wear whatever she wants’ not ‘is trolling acceptable’.

Calling anyone who disagrees sexist and misogynistic is just lazy name calling and undermines genuine cases of both.

I think you have misread my posts, @Dorsetdays - I said that it was sexist and misogynistic to abuse Tracy for what she was wearing, not that it was sexist or misogynistic to disagree with people.

They should all wear party wear to work! Can't wait to see Boris in tanktop and open shirt and skinny jeans stood against Corbyn who is sporting sockless loafers, trousers and slim fit short sleeved shirt.

SDT. Apologies, I should have made my post clearer...my second point wasn’t directed at you, more generally at other posters who insist any criticism of her dress is sexist and/or misogynistic.

No worries, @Dorsetdays.

If a chap had rocked up in shorts with his shirt and jacket I’d have said that wasn’t appropriate clothing for where he was. This is the same principle. Fling a jacket over the top? Fine. It’s not a gender issue. She chose the wrong clothes for the place she was in, that’s all. In any other place of work someone would mention it and suggest she leave a jacket in her office in case she needs to shove it on before going into the chamber in future (my understanding is that she hadn’t been expecting to be in there that day so hadn’t dressed accordingly).

What is a gender issue is the reaction afterwards. A man in shorts wouldn’t have got the abuse that she did. He’d have been criticised, but no one would have accused him of being drunk, hungover, cast sexual slurs, or anything else.

Can't wait to see Boris in tanktop and open shirt and skinny jeans stood against Corbyn who is sporting sockless loafers, trousers and slim fit short sleeved shirt.

I can. For a life time! The world does not contain sufficient eye bleach.

Strange how so.many of you are complaining about sexism yet awful sexist, body shaming posts about men are met with hilarity.

So she got ‘caught out’ in her attire and hadn’t expected to be called into parliament. Right. So is she a public servant first and foremost or busy with other engagements. I’m sorry I don’t buy it. This is a grown woman not a kid. The stuff on ebay...fine - good to give to charity though the move seems to suggest a level of entitlement and superiority over her views. If these are her views she should ignore the protocol that she signed up for and rock up everyday wearing what ever she fancies. We will all stare hard at her face, try not to be distracted by any shoulders etc and listen hard to the important that her constituents have asked her to put across on their behalf.

listen hard to the important that her constituents have asked her to put across on their behalf

The point she was making wasn’t on her constituents’ behalf, it was in her role as Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media, Sport and Digital. The actual minister can’t even speak in the Commons because she’s not an MP. The event she went to before was also in that role.