We have all seen them but the effect has no doubt been varied. Some crane their necks, some drop their jaws in awe and some shake their heads in utter disgust. Just as the effects have been varied, so has the hardware on display differred. They are in all shapes and sizes. Some luscious, some dark, some brown and some have not been too palatable. Just how short is too short for a mini-skirt?
“I have great legs and I have a right to flaunt them,” says Kate, a 3rd year University student. “I put them on display with every chance I get.”
Her statement may not augur well with a section of the male population. Mini-skirts have been labeled distracting and more often than not indicative of the character of the owner. Concentration lapses, gawking and staring have been attributed to them.
“Ladies who come to class or walk around campus in very tiny skirts are very unfair,” protests Tony, a final year student. “I personally get easily distracted and I would advocate for a more rigid dress code.”
There has been heated debate concerning this issue in many institutions of higher learning across the country. Attempts to impose a stricter dress code has been met by stiff resistance in many universities. In some instances the protests by students have turned violent. Save for a few Institutions which have managed to instill strict dressing guidelines like Strathmore Uni, most have failed to grapple with the ‘menace.’
“Young people have a heightened sense of self-independence and expression, ” states Lucy Kimani a counsellor. “This perhaps explains why they dress the way they do. For ladies especially, this has led to them wearing skirts and tops which ten years ago would be considered outrageous.”
There seems to be no clear consensus on the issue. A host of students say that people are entitled to express themselves as they wish as long as they dont go around walking naked.
“There is no problem whatsoever with ladies wearing short skirts. School is boring and sometimes we need some ‘motivation’ just to sit in class,” contributes a rather cheeky Otieno. “Those complaining should just sit back, relax and enjoy the optical nutrition.”
Some ladies are however adamant that those who wear very short skirts are a disgrace to the female gender. They reckon that ladies should present themselves with dignity and honour. This, the argue, can’t be achieved when only the bare necessities are covered by cloth.
“I feel disgusted when I see ladies dress skimpily! They should cover most of their body instead of dressing in a way that suggests that they are auctioning their bodies,” vents a visibly agitated Doreen.
How short a skirt should be is a clearly divisive issue with no conclusive solution in sight. Should they be knee length, below the knee, above the knee and if so by how many inches? What is your opinion?
