The Labour shadow Culture Secretary - wearing this in the HoC?

I think what speaks volumes, ananimous is that you haven't bothered to read the thread and don't seem to have any idea why she was wearing that dress.

It speaks even more volumes if you do know but still need to bitch about it....

MaizieD*you haven't bothered to read the thread and don't seem to have any idea why she was wearing that dress.*

I don't care what you think. I don't care what she said.

I've got eyes in my head, and a fully operational bllsht filter...

Some people shop in PJs and slippers - Nowt so strange as folk...

ananimous has got a point. The picture says it all and that is what the thread is about. You don't need to know anything else to give an opinion on the picture.

It doesn’t say it all though.

If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it usually is a duck.

I wouldn't mind, but she isn't even good at ACTING like an MP

It’s not a duck - it’s a shoulder.

"Old biddies" . Not really acceptable language. Why do you assume only older people think the top doesn't look good. I know lots of young ladies who wouldn't be caught dead in this top.

No I don't think only old folk think the top doesn't look too good, but perhaps young folk are too busy living their lives to get obsessed by this. The amount of knicker twisting and pearl twitching is ridiculous. Women in public life have a hard enough job being taken seriously without other women ripping them apart as well for a minor fashion faux pas.

‘dressgate’ is being discussed on ‘The Pledge’ at the moment.

I recall similar sorts of remarks being made about Theresa May's summer holiday dress.

Why is it that people focus on such trivialities when there are so many serious issues to discuss?

Magsymoo Women in public life have a hard enough job being taken seriously..........
Well that's exactly the reason she shouldn't be wearing this.

Eloethan I recall similar sorts of remarks being made about Theresa May's summer holiday dress.
What someone wears on holiday is totally irrelevant. It has nothing to do with their work clothing.

She’s auctioning it for the girl guides - seems a good end to a storm in a teacup. news.sky.com/story/mp-tracy-brabin-auctions-shouldergate-dress-after-social-media-storm-11928007

Perhaps she read my post asking if she had been a Girl Guide

Be prepared!!

Doesn't it seem a bit unbelievable that a 50 something woman who has spent time as an actress and politician, both jobs that require lots of time spent in the public eye, doesn't understand the attention a dress like this would garner?

I find it hard to accept, that with her background, she was oblivious of how her image would be perceived.

Therefore it was a choice of hers.

IMV it was worn to draw attention. To herself and her career or the point she was making.
I for one wasn't aware of her before.

If she was a conservative, I might have thought it was to draw attention away from some of the topical problems of the day.

I do think that women are always judged by their appearance, often unfairly.
But this propensity by society can be used as a calculated tool too.
It happens every day in the press. Careers are built and dashed on it.

Well done!

The amount of knicker twisting and pearl twitching is ridiculous.

I think most of us just calmly gave our views on the top, I don't think that qualifies as "ripping apart".

I assume you're an old biddy as you're not too busy living your life........

Namsnanny Have you actually read why she was wearing that dress, what she'd been doing during the day and why she was in the HoC?

annep1 Normally, I'd agree with you, but I honestly do think that some posters have been doing a very realistic job of impersonating a stereotypical judgmental old biddy who doesn't listen to anybody else.

Well the dress has now sold out on ASOS so some people liked it. Plus she’s auctioning it for charity so all’s we’ll that ends well.

Well done her - both for fundraising and for calling out the judgemental, sexist (and worse) keyboard warriors. I hope that this sort of narrow mindedness doesn’t put women off entering politics in case they [gasp] wear the ‘wrong’ top.

“ I do think that women are always judged by their appearance, often unfairly. But this propensity by society can be used as a calculated tool too. It happens every day in the press. Careers are built and dashed on it.”

It is not just women, stop being sexist!. In reality it is women that are the harshest critics of other women.

Everyone is judged by how they appear, if a man dressed inappropriately he would attract exactly the same criticism, that is why most of us take care how we present ourselves. If I meet my MP or any Professional - male or female I do not expect them to be wearing jeans and a tee shirt.
My main criticism of Ms Brabin is that she tried to justify the dress by saying “ I should be able to wear what I want”, if you accept the job you accept the dress code.

Of course I'm an 'old biddy' or I wouldn't be on this site but primarily I'm a woman and a feminist so I will call out sexist views wherever I meet them. But it is particularly galling to hear them from women.