As the weather slowly begins to warm, many of us are excited to finally strip off our bulky winter layers, but we also know all too well the unfortunate reality of summer dressing: unwanted attention.

Whether we’re walking down the street or travelling into work, women are still subjected to unsolicited comments and unwelcome stares while simply existing in our bodies. And it’s not getting better. Between October 2021 and September 2022, more than 2,361 sexual harassment offences on London’s TfL network were disclosed to the police, with countless more likely going unreported.

While a national campaign launched earlier this year encouraged people to look out for sexual harassment and support others on public transport, the truth is that it’s now so rife, women are resorting to oversized ‘Tube outfits’ in an attempt to avoid it.

In a video posted to TikTok, user Sophie Milner (@itssophiemilner) showcased a number of her outfits, a series of mini dresses and cropped tops versus the outfits she wears on the Tube so she doesn’t “get harassed by creeps”. The latter included baggy T-shirts, full-length trousers and long coats for covering up.

“I didn’t realise everyone else did this too,” she captioned the video. “It’s a huge problem in London. There are so many outfits I’ve just never worn out or had to change so much, just because I knew people would make me feel uncomfortable wearing it – be it catcalling or stares.”

The comments only illuminated this as a universal experience. “It’s horrible. I do the same,” agreed one user. “Don’t forget the cycle shorts under the dress to stop hands,” shared another.

But it’s not just a UK problem. Across the pond, a number of TikTokkers in New York City have also been sharing videos of their ‘Subway shirts’, described as the baggy, shapeless T-shirts that conceal the actual outfit you plan to wear out. 

It goes without saying that clothing is never a justification for catcalling, but like never walking alone at night and always sharing your location with friends, it’s just another behaviour women are conditioned to follow to ‘keep themselves safe’. But the problem is, of course, that it does nothing to tackle the root of the problem: the men perpetrating it.

In 2019, the UK government finally recognised street harassment as a form of gender-based violence in its refreshed national strategy to end violence against women and girls, encompassing actions such as intrusive staring, being followed and being shouted at in the street.

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s director of security, policing and enforcement, also insists that it operates a “zero-tolerance approach to all forms of sexual harassment on London’s public transport network and are absolutely committed to ensuring that women and girls are, and feel, safe”. But when 71% of women of all ages say they have experienced sexual harassment in a public space, there’s clearly so much more to be done. The impact is even greater for trans and gender-diverse individuals, as well as women of colour who experience not only higher rates of public sexual harassment but more targeted and damaging abuse. 

Whether we choose to remain defiant in our sundresses or dressed down in a baggy shirt, the most important thing is that we should never be shamed for either decision. Let’s just hope that a world where we feel safe enough to do and dress as we like isn’t too much to ask for. 

Images: Getty