If you're a fan of all-day-everyday leggings-for starters, join the club. And secondly, get ready for an eye roll: A mom in South Bend, Indiana just wrote a scathing critique of women wearing leggings.
In her letter to the Notre Dame University student newspaper, Maryann White voiced concerns after observing a group of women in her Catholic Mass wearing "snug-fitting leggings and all wearing short-waisted tops." Her opinion: They don't belong in church, or anywhere, for that matter.
"Im not trying to insult anyone or infringe upon anyones rights," White wrote. "Im just a Catholic mother of four sons with a problem that only girls can solve: leggings." Oy.
She continued to rant about why she doesn't understand the appeal of leggings, "Ive heard women say that they like leggings because theyre 'comfortable.' So are pajamas. So is nakedness." White also voiced how leggings are "so naked, so form fitting, so exposing." She then concluded her letter with: "You have every right to wear them. But you have every right to choose not to."
What probably comes as no surprise: People promptly freaked out about this mom's letter. A number of women responded to her out on Twitter, calling out her ridiculous issues with a piece of activewear. Many also pointed out that White's statements perpetuate rape culture and the idea that women's clothing choices are responsible for men's thoughts.
holy jezabels! leggings AND a cropped @Irish4RepHealth tee?! #leggingsdayND #neveraninvitation pic.twitter.com/tLpIHBvwqS - Dani Green (@danigreen41) March 26, 2019
a Catholic mom published an opinion in NDs newspaper that leggings Lead Men Into Sin so were protesting our right to not be responsible for men and to not be constantly policed by morals or femininity #LeggingsDayND pic.twitter.com/bN7oTNheIc - anne-marie (@anniejarr) March 26, 2019
maryann, im so sorry that leggings have made it so difficult for you to teach your sons that women are people before they are bodies. maybe you need to be lectured on proper parenting instead of lecturing us about our clothing choices. #LeggingsDayND https://t.co/Vkv9PFayQE - Sofia Lombardi (@sofialombardi17) March 28, 2019
If you raise boys that can only treat women as people when they are dressed a certain way, something has gone terribly wrong. This reminds me of the if youre wearing a skirt youre asking to be raped mentality. Not cool. #leggingsdayND - Meghan W Wallace (@Meghanwitt1) March 28, 2019
Morally supporting #LeggingsDayND from @mcgillu in Montreal. I will die in my leggings before letting some catholic mom shame me into taking them off. They're comfortable, cheap, functional & I LIKE THEM. If people can't stop staring at my ass that sounds like a them problem pic.twitter.com/HWgK0kkPIS - Ada Marie McVean BSc. (@AdaMcVean) March 28, 2019
I'm sorry if my leggings are making men ogle me. Maybe they should have some restraint and the brainpower to realize I'm more than a body part. #leggingsdayND @Irish4RepHealth https://t.co/oKq0PdfGfk - Megan Wrappe (@MeganWrappe) March 28, 2019
And while, in her letter, White urged Notre Dame girls to "be the first to turn their backs(ides) on leggings" and "consider choosing jeans instead," her pleas had quite the opposite effect. A number of Notre Dame students decided to respond to the letter by hosting "Leggings Day" on campus, reports the Washington Post . More than 1,000 students at the Catholic university shared on social media that they planned to wear leggings to class this week in protest.
Notre Dame students protested Maryann White's op-ed in The Observer by wearing leggings today for #leggingsdayND . Here's why Nicole Waddick showed up: pic.twitter.com/t9DCX4aFRc - The Observer (@NDSMCObserver) March 26, 2019
They even named Tuesday, March 26th Love Your Leggings Day." In the newly founded holiday's Facebook event , it encourages the Notre Dame community to "join in our legging wearing hedonism!" Adding: "Or not because what you wear is completely your own choice!"
Sorry White, but it doesn't look like leggings are going anywhere, any time soon.
Want to stand up for your right to wear leggings? Check out one of these cute pairs: