# That trend's over, hon. Please find a new way to look skanky. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 8, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026 "2005-02-08T17:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/61 "2005-02-08T21:32:51Z")
I agree that the skank trend has seen its day. I also hope that one day soon young men again wear trousers that don’t hang below their hips. Not because I want to admire a 16 year old kid’s ass, but because I think it looks trashy to walk around with ill fitting clothes be they too small or too big. Oh, and it’s called underwear for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/62 "2005-02-08T21:50:11Z")
I’m trying to control my fury. Let me get this straight. When confronted with an inordinate amount of butt-skin, men should enjoy the view and women should shut up to leave the men to enjoy the view in peace? Oh, and don’t forget that women dress only to impress men. Goddamn, this is about the most sexist attitude I’ve heard in a long time. I am critical of guys who dress sleazily and women who dress like skanks. Not men who dress nicely or women who dress sexily (in the proper context). I dress for no one but myself, as is evidenced by the fact that 99% of the time you can find me in jeans or sweats and my boyfriend’s XXL sweatshirts. So no. I might be jealous of another woman’s body, but I can be cognizant of what I’m feeling. I do not get jealous upon seeing someone dressed ridiculously. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/63 "2005-02-08T22:11:53Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > I want to buy another pair, because mine are getting sort of worn, and my bunny has nibbled the bottoms of them, so I can no longer wear them to my office. I had to go over that a couple times before I was able to reassure myself that “bunny” was a reference to a pet animal with long ears and not yet another euphemism for some part of female anatomy. For the topic of thongs, low jeans and decoration on the backside, I’ll offer up a song by [MooNiE the Magnif’Cent:](http://www.philipearl.com/who2.htm) How far down your butt does your tattoo go? How far down your butt does your tattoo go? How far down your butt does your tattoo go? I don’t wanna see it - I just wanna know! ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/64 "2005-02-08T22:13:39Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > I had to go over that a couple times before I was able to reassure myself that “bunny” was a reference to a pet animal with long ears and not yet another euphemism for some part of female anatomy. Yes, bunny, as in small fury animal. Cute. Big floppy ears. Twitchy nose. He’s a cutie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/65 "2005-02-08T22:15:01Z")
We got a new one at work that dresses this way. I wondered who she was, at first, with the big roll of stretch-mark stomach hanging out of her low-rise jeans and her thong pulled way up over that tattoo on her backside. Blouse on with only one button done up, jewelry drippin off and enough make-up on to supply a week long Broadway show. She’s forever walking around the halls on her cell phone yapping about how she can’t bring her kids in here (she was even complaining about this to the janitor an hour ago before she left the building in a huff.) while supposedly she is employed here. Found out who she was earlier today though. She’s the cleaning person. She’s supposed to do things like dust the furniture and clean off the whiteboards and tidy up the ladies rooms in between janitor-sweeps. She’s just a bundle of joy, from the skankiness to the not doing any work to the bitching about not being able to have her kids here with her. I wonder who exactly would _watch_ those kids while she’s talking loudly on her cell phone about heading for the bar straight away from work. Yeah, what a skank. She’s not getting any attention of the positive kind, and I’m quite sure I have no jealousy for the kind of attention she is getting. Just last week a student asked me if she was a hooker! ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/66 "2005-02-08T22:51:18Z")
> [@Jaade](#): > > Re: jeans that fit? In 1999, I got a pair of size 12 Mudd jeans. LERVED them! Wore them all the time…still do. About a year later I wanted another pair so I went to the dept store and looked for Mudd jeans. Size 12? Ha! Universal Law of Purchasing Jeans # 5: Pick the size off the rack that you tell people (and yourself) you wear. Try on. If they fit, you **must** buy them, because the chances of such an occurrence happening are 1 in 1000. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/67 "2005-02-08T22:59:52Z")
> [@LaurAnge](#): > > I’m trying to control my fury. > > Let me get this straight. When confronted with an inordinate amount of butt-skin, men should enjoy the view and women should shut up to leave the men to enjoy the view in peace? Oh, and don’t forget that women dress only to impress men. Goddamn, this is about the most sexist attitude I’ve heard in a long time. > > I am critical of guys who dress sleazily and women who dress like skanks. Not men who dress nicely or women who dress sexily (in the proper context). I dress for no one but myself, as is evidenced by the fact that 99% of the time you can find me in jeans or sweats and my boyfriend’s XXL sweatshirts. > > So no. I might be jealous of another woman’s body, but I can be cognizant of what I’m feeling. I do not get jealous upon seeing someone dressed ridiculously. Simple question, then. If you don’t care, why do you feel the need to comment upon it? What would compel you to call someone a “skank”? You don’t see anything particularly wrong with that? ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/68 "2005-02-08T23:04:58Z")
I don’t think you got her post. She _does_ care, she’s being critical of it–as is her right. It may not be the nicest happiest sentiment in the world to think someone’s a skank, but it’s a person’s right to express it. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/69 "2005-02-08T23:09:26Z")
Don’t like the look… Part of me when I see a girl carrying a few extra pounds in low riders thinks “You go girl!” Its nice to see girls comfortable enough with less than perfect bodies. But the greater part of me thinks if you are skinny enough to pull off the look, you are too damn skinny. A very few girls who have really nice abs pull it off - and usually only as long as they are standing or walking with good posture - even Lindsey Lohan has love handles if she slouches. Women are much harsher on other women’s weight (and their own) than men are, though. But, if it gives the guys pause (gross generalization here), women seem to want other women to dress appropriately for them. Guys seem to be ready to slam “fat women” regardless of their appeal. I’ve been wearing the same Levi’s for 20 years, well, the same style - I’ve gone through a few pairs and a size or two since I was 18. Last time it took three stores to find Levis 550s in a size ten. Finally found them at Sears. Every year in the Spring I buy two pairs of khaki Dockers, in the fall, two pairs of black Dockers. Every year I have to try on all the styles as they change each year. As for skanky, in my experience women who go for the skanky look aren’t trying to attract men - they ususally have a boyfriend and are confused why all these guys hit on them. Its a style choice, as much as the jeans and sweatshirt look is, as much as the conservative look is, as much as Goth is. I dress to be warm and comfortable. At work I dress to be taken relatively seriously. I’m happily married and if I go dancing with my girlfriends I dress to look good to myself and have fun. And I wear thongs (on rare occations) to either hide panty lines or give Brainiac4 a treat. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/70 "2005-02-08T23:11:17Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > Simple question, then. > > If you don’t care, why do you feel the need to comment upon it? What would compel you to call someone a “skank”? You don’t see anything particularly wrong with that? I don’t really care how people perceive how I dress. I’m perfectly okay being thought a slob. That’s the decision I make when dressing, as does everyone else, including people who dress skankily. Why would I feel that there’s anything wrong with me thinking that? I don’t often call a person a skank based on what they’re dressed, but I’d sure feel comfortable calling them skankily dressed. I’m not judging her sexuality or anything else, just her bad taste and judgment in clothes. ---
**Author:** ![blackhobyah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blackhobyah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackhobyah)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/71 "2005-02-08T23:14:16Z")
> [@the Lady](#): > > It’s different for women - honestly. > I have a perfectly “normal” body. Normal weight, normal height, normal proportions. > Do you think I can find pants that fit? Not a chance. Women’s styles change. A lot. I could find all sorts of super-low rise jeans that might fit a 90 pound 12 year old who likes showing some serious ass crack. I could find all sorts of super-high rise jeans that might fit a 90 pound 60 year old who likes having their pants up near their collarbone. > I can’t find anything in the middle. Men’s Levi 501s with the button fly. Slight hipster fit and a boot leg which is flattering without being extreme. I’m a woman and they fit me just fine … once I worked that out I never bothered buying anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/72 "2005-02-08T23:14:36Z")
And by the same token it’s my right to call someone an asshole for calling someone a skank. That is about one of the rudest things I can imagine, and I can’t fathom what makes people think that they can call other women skanks just because they don’t like their style. I want to know what motivates people to do this. Is it rage? Is it jealousy? Disgust? If it’s disgust, what’s so disgusting about it? If you want to tell me I’m wrong, you need to set me straight, not just accuse me of sexism and mysogyny and all the other names. ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/73 "2005-02-08T23:15:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Airman** : > Don’t mistake your style for anything but ornamentation that tells people what you’re about > \ > I wear Levi’s 560 in 42/30 and have for the last 113 [sic] years. If I get fat they fit great. If I lose weight I put on a belt and they fit great. That means you wear a 42" waist, 30" inseam, yeah? And you see your Levis as ‘ornamentation’ of what? :dubious: Look, bud, most of my boyfriends, male friends and gay male friends (what, gay men aren’t “average guys”?) value style and class - wear what flatters you. I can dress to look sexy, to look romantic, to look like I’ve had two hours of sleep after a marathon paper-writing session, to look studious, to look professional, etc… Clothing has different functions, sexiness/ sexual attractiveness is only _one_ of them. And duh, clothes have utility - as a born-and-bred Midwesterner, let me give you a list of clothing items I have that are _purely_ utilitarian (although their probably is a fetish site somewhere…) Long underwear Thick knit socks Thick mittens, scarf and hat Snow boots Ski jacket aurelian wears a 30/35, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/74 "2005-02-08T23:23:18Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > And by the same token it’s my right to call someone an asshole for calling someone a skank. That is about one of the rudest things I can imagine, and I can’t fathom what makes people think that they can call other women skanks just because they don’t like their style. I want to know what motivates people to do this. Is it rage? Is it jealousy? Disgust? If it’s disgust, what’s so disgusting about it? > > If you want to tell me I’m wrong, you need to set me straight, not just accuse me of sexism and mysogyny and all the other names. Why do you think it’s so rude? It’s not jealousy or disgust. Why would YOU call someone badly dressed? Is it motivated by jealousy or disgust? When people, male or female, dress to attract attention and succeed only in making themselves look ridiculous, I feel perfectly justified in calling them skankily dressed. I don’t hate them, I don’t invest myself emotionally, but I’m aware they look stupid. Oh, and as we’ve gone over every fucking time anyone has a conversation on this board, of course you have the right to call me an asshole, wrong though you may be. And as to the sexism, I call it like I see it. Women do have other thoughts in their heads than men, shocking to you as it may be. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/75 "2005-02-08T23:46:31Z")
I just think it’s going to be funny fifty years from now when there are all these little old ladies drinking tea and playing bingo, and cooing over great-grandchildren - they’ll all be covered in tattoos. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/76 "2005-02-08T23:55:47Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I agree that the Courtney Love picture is gross and that the Angelina Jolie picture is hot but woudn’t a lot of women still say the AJ outfit is “skanky?” I think, many times, it’s the context of the outfit. Angelina Joile does indeed look sexy in that outfit. She’s on a beach or some such equally sun drenched location. Now, wearing that same outfit to the mall on Thursday afternoon? :rolleyes: Low slung jeans, thong, and a halter top at the frat party on Saturday night? Potentially sexy. Same outfit at the church’s youth picnic? :rolleyes: White crocheted mesh top over a purple bra and leather pants at the club? Potentially sexy. The same outfit at the corporate dinner party? :rolleyes: In summation (and my opinion), _skanky_ is the inability to dress appropriately for an occasion and the knack of looking like a low paid prostitute in any situation despite the amount of breeding or class you claim to have. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/77 "2005-02-09T00:25:33Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > Isn’t that why you dress? It’s the equivalent of peacock plumage. You dress to show people who you are, what you are, or what you want. There is no other reason. Don’t tell me why I dress. I dress to prevent sunburn and saggy boobs. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/78 "2005-02-09T00:28:45Z")
**AD:** \* I can’t fathom what makes people think that they can call other women skanks just because they don’t like their style. I want to know what motivates people to do this. Is it rage? Is it jealousy? Disgust? If it’s disgust, what’s so disgusting about it?\* The OP did not call the woman a skank: she complained that her passe and tasteless clothing style made her **look** like a skank. In other words, the OP thinks that particular **fashion** looks skanky. This is simply a taste call, dude—why are you reacting so strongly to it, as though it were some kind of horrible personal insult that must have been motivated by some deep negative emotion like rage, jealousy, or disgust? The idea that criticizing another woman’s clothes must mean you’re jealous of the other woman is dumb. The idea that the only acceptable responses to unattractive clothing styles on other women are “compete or be quiet” is **eye-rollingly dumb**. As **Cervaise** and **Sauron** commented, you’re embarrassing the guys with a clue. Imagining that women’s opinions on fashion are **solely** about sexual competition comes across as not only sexist, but pathetic and needy. It gives the impression that you’re clinging to the idea that nothing really matters to women except attracting male attention. Yes dear, of course it’s all about you. Everything is always all about you. Now run away and play, and let the grownups have their rant about clothing styles, 'mkay? :rolleyes: C’mon **Airman** , you really don’t seem like a pathetic-sexist type of person, so why would you want to come across that way in this thread? Me personally, I am not a big fan of uncovered underpants or butt-cracks as public attire for males **or** females (and I know a lot of guys who agree with me). I don’t know that I’d call it “skanky”, but I do think it’s kind of repellent. I don’t care how young and gorgeous you are, I don’t really want you rubbing your fecal bacteria all over the chairs that other people have to sit in, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/79 "2005-02-09T00:29:31Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > No, you bombastic fucktard, that is NOT why most women dress. Women dress because–big fucking shocker!–they like the way they look or feel in certain clothes. > > And which is it? Are women dressing to impress men, or are we dressing to express who we are and what we want? And if someone’s outfit expesses that she’s a skanky ho, what the fuck is wrong with calling them skanky? You’d have no problem with calling someone in a suit professional, or someone wearing stained sweats slobby, right? So what’s the big hairy fucking deal? Are you really so terrifically insecure that someon disagreeing with you about the attractiveness or appropriateness of letting your **under** pants and asscrack hang out is causing all this shrill horseshit? This was exactly what I wanted to say, only you said it much better. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/80 "2005-02-09T00:45:20Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > Well, obviously, it’s not illegal to go about with your thong hanging out of your pants. And it’s evident that quite a few people don’t think it should be hidden. [And some think it should…](http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-51961sy0jan24,0,5249569.story?coll=dp-news-local-final) :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026.md?page=5)