Real World Harm

[Stu]

A female acquaintance of my wife has been trying to manage a condition called "atopic eczema" for some years. This flares up especially in very warm or very cold weather and it involves a crusty rash from her midriff to her thighs. She has been told to apply an ointment twice daily when it occurs and to avoid anything with a waistband, belt or buttons if possible. Her dermatologist says loose dresses are the best choice.and, following this advice, she is able to control the condition. Lucky she is a female and has this option.

My daughter is a paediatric consultant and she says this condition tends to run in families and children are affected as much if not more than adults. If a girl gets it, her parents can buy her dresses. But that option is not available for boys. If a boy is a younger sibling, he may suffer with the same condition as his older sister/s, but the loose cotton dresses that were so beneficial for them cannot be passed down to him. They must be thrown away and new, less efficacious garments will have to be bought by parents who may struggle to afford them. This is a nonsense. It's a classic example of illogical dress taboos causing real world harm.

[GoSkirtGo]

At least in the US, speaking from a legal perspective, if males wearing dresses would normally be against workplace/school/etc. policy, it looks like one would have grounds for a medical accommodation here.

[Modoc]

Stu, you are correct this incident does point out the ridiculousness of clothing restrictions. Mine happens to a family that struggles with this very condition. The ointments have come a long way since my sister dealt with the issue more than 60 years ago. I've had some problems with it myself, but mine were not nearly as severe as hers. I've seen generations of my family struggle with it ever since. Oddly enough, outside of myself, it seems to afflict only females in my family with any degree of severity. I still tend to get a minor flare-up due to the elastic waist of my underwear and socks. or where any garment rubs in a particular spot.
I agree that a dress or long loose t-shirts or something on the order would be a great option for males dealing with this. One might be able to make an argument for it that would gain traction, but honestly, It's not something I would have considered going out 60 years ago when I was 10.

[Modoc]

At least in the US, speaking from a legal perspective, if males wearing dresses would normally be against workplace/school/etc. policy, it looks like one would have grounds for a medical accommodation here.

If those policies were based on safety regulations, the issue would become a lot murkier.

[GoSkirtGo]

At least in the US, speaking from a legal perspective, if males wearing dresses would normally be against workplace/school/etc. policy, it looks like one would have grounds for a medical accommodation here.

If those policies were based on safety regulations, the issue would become a lot murkier.

Good point, but I was referring to when females (but not males) are normally allowed to wear such garments because of social norms (and not safety issues, which would usually apply regardless of gender).