Why are all the pretty young girls freezing their bits off?

K says:

10:01am | 19/07/10

Oh Jolanda, what makes you think she doesnt…. its not hard to change your top in the back of a car or at a friends house! And those teeny weeny tops pack up nicely in a small handbag!

Girls do this for exactly the same reason many of their mothers did… because young skin is “sexy” and girls are still establishing their sexual identity at this age. Plus to take a jacket, means you then have to look after it for the night… Australia needs to get with the program and get coat check rooms!

Chinaski says:

01:00pm | 19/07/10

K, I’m not sure where your regular hangouts are but many (if not all) of the clubs and bars I frequent have cloakrooms.

Of course, should you indulge in one or two (or five) too many drinks, then remembering you have a coat or jacket waiting for you sometimes becomes difficult.

Lee says:

02:45pm | 19/07/10

Not many cloak rooms in Adelaide when I was there, aside from the odd one or two! I never took a jacket out when I lived there a couple of years ago, I always had to brave the cold. Difference is I always wore jeans rather than some tiny skirt. The right jeans will still show off your legs and definitely your bum (better that a mini skirt) and I always had a glamourous sparkly top ready to go, so as far as I’m concerned there is no reason for tiny skirts or tiny dresses. Jeans, fab top and gorgeous heels and you’re set!

Jolanda says:

05:21pm | 19/07/10

K.  Not every child is the same.  I can assure you that my daughter doesn’t get changed in the back of the car.  She has morals and high standards and she doesn’t need to wear next to nothing to feel good about herself.

You have to wonder why children bother doing the right thing when nobody is going to believe them anyway.

And I have used the cloackroom angle with my kids and apparently in nightclubs, if they do have a cloackroom,  the cloak room cannot be trusted, and the venue takes no responsbility, they chuck all the jackets together and they make it more than clear that you leave clothes there at your own risk.

Dan says:

03:44am | 20/07/10

Jolanda, how is ‘getting changed in the back of the car’ a moral issue?

Mary says:

09:57am | 20/07/10

ha ha my mother would have said exactly the same thing as you Jolanda - ” I can assure you that my daughter doesn’t get changed in the back of the car.  She has morals and high standards and she doesn’t need to wear next to nothing to feel good about herself.” but I can assure you, I was getting changed in the back of a car!!

Jolanda says:

01:44pm | 20/07/10

You are not my daughter Mary and I can assure you my daughter doesn’t change her clothes in the back of a car.  Why are people so untrusting of ALL young people.  Do you really think that your mother believed you100%?  Mothers are not that stupid.

Sarahbella says:

01:34pm | 10/08/10

My mother was, and is, a strikingly intelligent and astute woman. She also believed and strenuously maintained to all that I had high morals. Meanwhile I was sneaking out of the house to go meet my friends and my boyfriend. My parents were speechless when, 20 years later, I told them. Mothers ARE that stupid I’m afraid. Going through labor doesn’t give you xray vision and an extra set of eyes. And a mother’s “wisdom” is almost no match for the ferocity of teenage hormones. Or have you forgotten?

BSwanny says:

03:54pm | 19/07/10

Yeah, my girlfriends and I use this as a pick up line from guys all the time.

Aren’t you freezing?
Yes I am actually, I forgot my jacket :(
Oh you poor thing, here let me warm you up with my big strong arms

TwistedEar says:

11:22am | 19/07/10

Wrong, 90% of venues I have ventured to over the past decade have all had coat check rooms - however, most people won’t pay the (nominal) fee to place it in there. And I’m talking about a $1 or $2 charge.

Maybe its because I preferred the underground (literally) pubs and clubs that dot through the laneways rather than go to the ones up on the main roads which are flavour of the week then become a fashion tragic venue. Though this might just be the older venues in Melbourne, can’t say I had much time to go out to clubs when I’ve been to Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide.

Mel says:

01:46pm | 19/07/10

I agree.  I may now be too old to be heading out to nightclubs etc, but Australian restaurants, clubs, bars, etc don’t have anywhere to put coats & hats.  In fact, most of them haven’t had them since about the 60s. And yes, I have been to a number of “underground” places as well, half of them didn’t even have lighting much less somewhere to leave your coat!
Shopping centres are the same though. Come in from the cold & within minutes you’re often having to remove jackets & juggle them with everything else because the shopping centres are so warm inside.
There have been some medical studies done that say that Australians don’t dress warmly enough & subject themselves to too much cold which can help weaken their systems, but if there’s nowhere to hang coats, then people won’t wear them.

Grant says:

10:44am | 19/07/10

feminist?  no no no, you mean you are a Conservative.

It is their personal choice to wear whatever they like in their personal time, and the fact they can dress how they choose whether or not other people approve means we have come forward in the equality stakes.

redvixen says:

01:48pm | 19/07/10

Oh spare me!!  Doesn’t the freedom that women have include them being allowed to wear what they want?  And why shouldn’t they ‘present’ themselves if they’re looking for Mr Right?  He’s not going to know you’ve got mental attractiveness when he’s looking at you from across the room.  He’s only going to work that out once you’ve caught his attention and he talks to you.

I frequented clubs in the 80’s and all of us dressed similarly to these girls.  (Of course, I’ve always abhorred being cold so wore a cropped jacket.  Open….so you could see my midriff.  And tights under my micro-mini.)

BK says:

03:28pm | 19/07/10

Grant and Redvixen, you have no idea.
Every choice has a context and is made in response to a range of external influences. No-one would choose to wear these clothes out on a freezing night if they were only worried about themselves. Women who dress like this are conforming to fashion, just the same as they are conforming when they claim that others don’t tell them what to do. These women dress this way because of the expectations of their friends and would never have the courage to be truly non-conformist.

Markus says:

04:58pm | 19/07/10

BK
Does that mean we should be criticising them for not conforming to non-conformism?

Gary Cox says:

01:00pm | 19/07/10

@ Adelaidegirl and Eleanor Miller. Not sure that using Adelaide as a template for fashion is all that wise.

Viv says:

09:30pm | 19/07/10

Yeah, I guess you’d need to go speak to the young indie girls too, see what they’re wearing.

Jesse says:

11:40am | 19/07/10

Ok I think that alot of you are looking at this intirely the wrong way. I’m 22 and I go out every weekend and no I do not take a jacket granted I dont live in Melbourne or Adelaide I live in Sydney so Im not dealing with nights quite as cold but I when you are only outside when running from your front door to the cab, waiting 10 minutes outside the club to get in, then waiting maybe another 10 minutes in the line for a cab to go home whats the point in a jacket its 20mins out of a 4-6 hour night that a jacket is necessary.  DJ I dont know where to begin with your comment ‘hooker wear’ its not quite hooker wear its fashion just like in every generation its not going to be the same as in the 80’s or 90’s and I have seen what was in fashion back then and just because I dont understand it or like it Im not going to insult a whole generation of young girls who like to look good(for themselves not anyone else) and the fashion industry by labeling it ‘desperate’ and ‘hooker wear’ dont be so close minded. Were not desperate we like to dance and have fun just as young girls did in the 80’s and 90’s if i were to wear jeans and a jacket I would be gets far to hot dancing for hours on a crowed heated dance floor. despite what the male population may think we dress how we dress not because we are ‘DESPERATE’ but because we are confident and proud of how we look we spend hours in a gym, running or playing sports as well as working full time or studying to have a body we are confident in and proud of, we are the best we will ever look so what is wrong with being cold for 30 minutes once a week.

DJ says:

12:03pm | 19/07/10

Oh no Jesse I think ‘Hooker wear’ is entirely appropriate, we are talking about ‘dresses’ that should be tops that only reach just under butt cheeks and no tights or anything else so praying these girls don’t bend over, the dress that Julia Roberts wore in pretty woman as a hooker? yeah seen that, tops that barely cover the nipples? yeah hooker wear. I don’t care what you wear but be sensible, I know you should be able to wear what you want but that’s just asking for trouble, there are a lot of twisted people out there and wearing the clothes I have mentioned I am sorry but to me that seems to be asking for it.

And large girls PLEASE stop wearing clothes designed for a size 6 person, they are the only ones who can pull it off and no one wants to see your fat rolls or muffin top while you ‘empower’ yourself to wear a midriff top, do you own a mirror?

snowy says:

12:30pm | 19/07/10

DJ - I agree with you - Girls seem to be in a contest to wear the least amount of fabric possible.
Jesse -  I see your point about going out at night, but what about during the day?  I see a lot of girls on my way to work wearing cut-off shorts, tank tops and summer dresses, when the temp is heading toward single figures.  I’m from Brisbane so it’s not like we’re acclimatised or anything.  It may be cool to bare flesh, but baring purple is uncool.

Georginorx says:

01:04pm | 19/07/10

I agree that a minority do take it too far, and some girls are in fact looking to hook up with a guy, and some girls don’t wear clothes appropriate for their weight. You may disagree with a lot of current trends. But it is offensive to say that any girl is “looking for trouble”. There are so many factors that lead to these wardrobe choices, but “looking for trouble” is NOT one of them.

KH says:

03:30pm | 19/07/10

Jesse - it is hooker wear.  that is the fashion - to look like a cheap hooker.  Thanks to the ubiquitous online media world,  porn has been gradually mainstreamed and encourages 16 year olds to dress like prostitutes, because it looks ‘hot’.  You can delude yourself into thinking it is, but it just looks cheap and tacky.
And what city do you live in that the wait for a taxi is 10 minutes? A country town or something?!

DJ - oh yeah, I’m with you!  Nothing worse than a size 16 wearing a size 8 outfit - be size 16 but wear something appropriate for your size. I think all this ‘empowerment’ crap is just that - crap.  Like many in our world these days, you are in denial about your size. Really, it doesn’t make you look like a size 8.  You are kidding yourself if you really think this. If anything, it makes you look more overweight as it looks like you haven’t got clothes that fit you.

Heidi says:

08:21pm | 19/07/10

totally agree, gone are the days where barbie dolls used to be dressed covered up, now its barbie the skank. less is more but for the price of potentially getting sleezed on in the freezing cold

I mean the men surely dress appropriately for the weather and i’m sure they’re drinking as well to keep them warm, but they don’t roll out in the clubs in singlets or wafer thin shirts

The ladies just do it for the attention.

James1 says:

05:18pm | 19/07/10

I would go a step further.  There is nothing worse than going into a hot stinking crowded nightclub.

And if you find it so hard to dance carrying a couple of items in your hands, do you find it easier to do so wearing ridiculous heals, like in the picture?  The amount of drunk girls I see falling over because of their silly choice of shoes would lead me to think not.

Kate says:

04:52pm | 20/07/10

Exactly James! I don’t get the uncomfortable shoes thing, well, not for a night out dancing anyway.

I get the jacket thing though. When I was younger, I also used to deal with the cold because I hated lugging a jacket around all night, or a handbag. My friends and I would take little purses that just fit our ID and money, and we’d safety-pin it inside our clothing, unless you had a boyfriend who could keep your stuff in his waller Most places in Sydney that I used to go didn’t have cloak rooms (except the Jet Club and Berry Street Tavern - both closed now).

Shorty says:

01:07pm | 19/07/10

Thumbs up to this comment. Absolutely agree!

JK says:

12:44pm | 19/07/10

Brett; I think you could solve the Asylum Seeker debate.  Who would want to try and sneak into Aust if thats all they had to look forward too?!

Robyn Foster says:

11:34am | 19/07/10

Always love your Articles Eleanor, they are so much fun and get me going!

Fiona says:

01:11pm | 19/07/10

I agree Jen. As a blonde with fair skin, and a family history of skin cancer, the thought of spending that much time in the sun makes me shudder. I’d want to cover up completely but know I’d be a sweaty mess by the end of the day.

DJ says:

12:45pm | 19/07/10

I don’t think 29 is old, size 8 and really not ugly, I can pull off a lot of the outfits but I choose not to.

It doesn’t matter who you dress for, you will be judged and wearing less clothes than i have seen actual hookers wear you are just looking easy, eventually someone will be too drunk to remember no means no, you are advertising to all the weirdo’s and losers, not to mention cab drivers who have been charged with raping their drunk young charges in the past, why would you put yourself at risk? why not have a friend who is designated driver so you don’t have to wait for a cab, because not everyone can be trusted. The world we live in is not safe, especially for young women where you have certain groups who think that they deserve what they get for wearing what they do, i just don’t see why someone would put themselves in that position. I am not having a go or critising I am merely expressing concern for a generation of possible victims

Georginorx says:

01:40pm | 19/07/10

How a person dresses is not an excuse for rape. A short skirt is not “asking for it”. It is not my fault if someone is too dopey to realise that a low-cut top doesn’t actually reduce me to a set of boobs - this perception reflects more harshly on the person doing the judging.
And I know that clubbing can be dangerous.
I only go to places that have plenty of bouncers, I always go with friends I trust, we have a designated driver. Nobody is left by themselves, we look after our drinks, we have other friends and family we can call if there’s trouble. If one of us is feeling uncomfortable, we take it seriously and do something about it. There are more factors than clothing that put people “in that position”. I remember one night going out I dressed down in jeans, nice tee and flats - that night I was persistently approached by a very randy guy. I told him to go away, but he kept on coming back to the point that one of my friends told him where to go and we all looked pointedly at the bouncer. He got the message.
I understand your concern for the young and stupid, but we can’t pretend that clothes are the only factor contributing to sexual abuse etc. in these environments.
It is a mistake to criticise people who dress revealingly, assuming that they are putting themselves at risk. I would rather worry about those who go out and get drunk on their own (no matter what they wear) - very dangerous!
It is ok to criticise people that embrace indecent exposure though! That’s kind of against the law!

DJ says:

02:11pm | 19/07/10

Oh I know it’s more than how you dress and there are losers everywhere, I was at teh club a couple of weeks ago and no idea how it happened as I went to the bar myself and never left my drink alone but my drink was spiked, went to the hospital for monitoring, luckily it was my first drink and my friends and I realised I shouldn’t be feeling this way so they took me.

As long as you are sensible and don’t leave drinks unattended then I have no problem with what you wear as long as you can pull it off, fatties beware, it seems like you have it all together and I applaud you and your friends.

My issue is yes with ones that barely scrape the public decency laws and the ones that make no effort whatsoever to be careful and safe, you see so many girls, young and my age just ehad out to the dance floor and leave their drinks on the table where anyone can get to them, that go out alone or off alone in a taxi or with some random guy they have just met.

Keep up the good work

Georginorx says:

03:25pm | 19/07/10

Wow, we just reached an agreement in a forum by talking about our ideas. This is historically unheard of! :o
Thanks for talking about it some more, I love a good discussion!

DJ says:

05:48pm | 19/07/10

I know! it is unprecedented in the history of online blogging! WOW!

No problem, if I didn’t need to go home would discuss some more, I quite enjoy this

BK says:

09:43pm | 19/07/10

Georginorx

Statistically, friends are the main offenders for drink spiking. Mainly, they do it as a prank, although I’d gladly slip a sleeping pill into your drink to stop you big noting about what a valuable commodity you are.

Georginorx says:

01:13pm | 21/07/10

BK, I’m sad for you about that one time your friends thought it was hilarious to slip you a roofie and abandon you in Heaven. Judgement is an important factor when it comes to knowing who you can trust, and my long history of experiences with my friends means that I have absolute trust in them.
And are you trying to pretend that young single women are not valued in a nightclub environment? Have you never seen a gaggle of ladies be invited by the bouncer to walk right on in, while the long line of guys wait for up to 2 hours so they can pay the $10 entry fee? Seriously, you sound delusional.
Maybe you think that since I’m not desperate to hook up with all the boys, I come off as egotistical? Or maybe you’re offended that I take advantage of a situation in which I have an opportunity to feel good about how I look. Are you jealous?
PS I don’t appreicate being threatened. I’m not sure why the moderators let your comment though, but I sure as heck won’t stand for it. This was a pleasant discussion until you showed up.

Jesse says:

06:22pm | 19/07/10

lorraine ur welcome of oppose my opinion.. I tend to agree with u with the heals the idea of wearing high heals and drinking and dancing to be honest with u i find it scary i dont know how some girls do it but if they can pull it off good on them. I personally wear flats but yes i do wear short dresses and on those stupidly cold night i wear stockings. My simple point in this is that you cant label a generation as desperate or dressing like hookers i do aknoweledge that yes some people to take it a bit to far but that isnt all of us. I do not and will not take a jacket out when i go out nor will i stop wearing what i want because some narrow minded people think a short dress = desperate. I am always careful on a night out i always make sure i have my good friends we never leave each other alone and never ever let our drinks out of our sites and my boyfriend is never far from me. In my opinion you should be able to wear what ever you want i like to dance and it gets hot in night clubs i work my ass off in a gym 6 days a week so i can wear the dress’s i want to wear.

DJ says:

09:46am | 20/07/10

Jesse - it depends on how short these dresses are, if they are so short that they just come below your butt cheeks and when you bend over HELLO, it’s a bit much really, I don’t mind short dresses, in summer I am usually in short skirts that come a few cm under my but and it is very hard to remember to squat down rather than bend if I don’t want people to see my undies, by all means show off the body that you work so hard at, I personally don’t go to the gym as I don’t have time and don’t really need to. I wasn’t labeling the generation as hookers just SOME of the outfits that they wear and you have to admit that some of the girls you admit to taking it too far do look like they belong in Kings Cross or in a window in Amsterdam

Shifter says:

02:26pm | 20/07/10

You dress like that for your girlfriends? And that concludes it folks, all the pretty young girls have gone mad.

Lorraine says:

02:17pm | 19/07/10

I’m with you Shelley, born in England & live in SE Qld & I hate the cold, always cover up the arms & legs. Whimps rejoice!!!!

Kazza says:

02:23pm | 19/07/10

I agree with Heather. I’m 51 and I well remember wearing next to nothing when I went out, mini skirts, midriff tops, killer platform shoes, no coat…  in Canberra where it can be a little chilly at 3 am.  Wear what you want, do what you want (providing it doesn’t hurt anyone) - have fun.  Life’s too short.

James1 says:

05:21pm | 19/07/10

However, some men actually find dignity attractive…

BK says:

07:36am | 20/07/10

Its not the drinks that were being bought…

Lorraine says:

04:24pm | 19/07/10

The photo was supplied by a mother of a 13 yo who went to a birthday party as quoted in the article…did you read the story or just look at the pictures, Young girls are very physically mature at a younger age these days!

Georginorx says:

05:26pm | 19/07/10

How do you know this photo was supplied by the mother in the artilce? If you read the article you san see that the mother did not actually attend the party either - she looked at photos on facebook. And please read the comments on that article about how it is misleading regarding the ages of the girls in the photographs.
Young girls mature physically at the same rate people did 100 years ago. They use fake tan these days though.

DD Ball says:

12:00pm | 20/07/10

High heels are better than the shoes Chinese women used to fit their feet into .. shudder .. Women do extraordinary things to each other for fashion.

Isaac says:

08:53am | 20/07/10

Ah but as men chivalry dictates that we should offer our jackets to the hottest women in the room  

It’s usually greatly appreciated.  Plus it gives an easy opening line, personally I don’t care what women wear or when as long as they look fantastic, are confident and as long as they look like they’re having a great time.  I tend to find the better the company, the less you notice the external influences like cold.

Mel says:

12:46pm | 20/07/10

agreed!

“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, and of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.”
— Betsey Johnson

Karen says:

06:57pm | 20/07/10

I agree, if my friends look pretty, I want to look pretty too Besides, it’s fun dressing up, it makes you feel good when you look nice. I’m in my late 20’s and hardly go out, but still, when I do, I like to wear a nice dress (but these days with warm boots and a jacket). Am I vain, no, I certainly don’t think so, and I’m certainly not into fashions, but I like to make an effort to look good because it makes me feel good, and it’s a bonus when you get compliments on how you look.