Loosen Up, Ladies!
Tight clothing worn by Egyptian girls has become a source of frustration that reaches and touches many Egyptian boys’ lives, in addition to the already existent daily pressures of modern life. Even on the college campuses, the tighter and lower-strung the girls’ trousers get, the more unbearable and frustrating the situation becomes for these young men.
It’s for this reason that the Facebook group “Please loosen up your clothes a little, girl!” or “Law Samahti Was’i Hodoumik Shwayya” was established. Founded by a 20 year old engineering student from the University of Alexandria, this bright young spark immediately suggested the idea to his friend, a business student, and the Facebook group was born. The aim was to correct the misconceptions and incorrect images of girls on one hand, and to “push” the young ladies to cover up whether they are veiled or not. The idea actually worked, and within a few months, more than 5,800 members joined the group.
Dress to Impress, Yes, but Respectfully Does It…
The group advises girls to wear “proper” clothes and to let go of this blind imitation of Western fashion. It asks them to choose “wider” clothes to be more respectable so that nobody bothers them, flirts with them, says something unproper, or looks at them. But most of all, by following the advice, the group assert that a girl has every chance of marrying someone respectable as well.
The founder comments on an interview on the Lahonna or “For them (girls)” website that many strange fashion trends have spread in our society recently. One can see them everywhere among a large number of girls, especially the trend of lowering the jeans or trousers to below the waist. Egyptian college campuses have become a carnival of these provocative clothes for both veiled and unveiled girls.
The orchestrator of the Facebook group believes this is unacceptable as it distracts boys in a place where the main purpose should be education and extracurricular activities. A woman, in his opinion, is not so cheap that she should copy everything the West does. They are trying to convince every girl, through the Facebook group, that putting on sexy clothes makes men look at them in a negative way no matter how educated and well-mannered they are.
Girls Agree?
It is interesting to note that there is strong participation by girls as well as boys who are pro this idea. One peculiar comment made by a group member reads: “Let them wear something first before they decide to loosen up their clothes.” Nevertheless, positive and constructive discussions often arise in the group between both sexes equally. These include giving advice on what to wear, fashion, conversations on different matters, and other exchanges of opinions. Some girls have responded quite well to this campaign by changing the way they dress; however, the idea is to call out to parents, whose roles are more crucial and influential in the upbringing of their son or daughter.
Finally, the group founder confirms that they are regular boys and girls who do not belong to any party or political group. They have simply observed some innappropriate behaviour in their society, and they are responding. They are trying to change and fix things, nothing more, nothing less. His biggest hope for the Egyptian youth is that they only import the best from the West, which means aspects that benefit society and nothing else.
