Flannel pajamas. Basketball shorts. Army fatigues. A child’s sundress. A sari.
“What were you wearing?” is sadly and inappropriately often asked of survivors of sexual assault, as though they were somehow inviting rape by their choice of clothing. To show that garment choice is unrelated to sexual violence, and to allow people to see themselves reflected in the experience of these survivors and their everyday outfits, Siena’s Title IX Office is presenting the online photo exhibit “What Were You Wearing.”
The exhibit features 10 different commonplace outfits that any female – or male – could wear on any given day, along with recorded words about the assault. The outfits are similar to those worn by an actual victim during an assault. Please note: the photo gallery may be triggering for some viewers.
Social work majors Mackenzi Flynn ’21 and Diana Procopis ’21 assisted with the development of the exhibit as part of their field education placement.
“I’m very passionate about advocating on behalf of victims of sexual assault,” said Flynn. “A lot of people assume that wearing a provocative outfit is an invitation and it’s not.”
"Working on the photo exhibit allowed me to familiarize myself with sexual assault awareness content, while also being able to be a change agent,” said Procopis. “Sexual assault can unfortunately happen suddenly and to any person, and it is our duty as active bystanders to make a difference."
Flynn and Procopis read the original words of the victims in the accompanying recordings. Far from being provocative, the clothing items shown are things many of us wear every day, dispelling the myth that what you wear can increase the chances of an assault.
The exhibit was originally set to debut in person last spring, before the pandemic shut down the campus. The Title IX Office believed the message is important enough that it should be shown this academic year, there are plans to recreate it next year in person.
“The goal here is to take the blame away from the victim,” said Lois Goland, Siena’s Title IX coordinator and EEO Specialist. “Some people think the victim was somehow ‘asking for it’ because of what they were wearing. Clothing is not to blame for assault.”
Danielle Joyce, Title IX associate, said “These commonplace outfits reflect back on the exhibit viewer. They are all thing we have in our closets.”
“Sadly, victims of assault often blame themselves for what happened. Being questioned about what they were wearing only contributes to self-blame, which adds to an already sizeable burden of trauma.”
Most of the outfits are those that could be worn any day by anyone, such as jeans and a T-shirt, athletic wear, or jammies. And yes, there is a flirty minidress in the exhibit, and no, revealing outfits do not “ask” for assault. And perhaps most hauntingly, one of the outfits belongs to a child.
The famous poem “what i was wearing” by Dr. Mary Simmerling is also featured in the exhibit, along with a comprehensive listing of resources for support and education on this issue.
“What Were You Wearing” is based on an original art installation concept at the University of Arkansas. Since its first exhibit in 2013, it has been reproduced on college campuses nationwide.