Hot Pants: trendy or indecent?

Most wearers of such a fashion item are young girls and reading what one of them said appalled me."I know they encourage us not to wear...but you don't have to listen." It smacks of wilfulness on her part. I hope that she is the exception.

Seeing young pre-teenagers wearing it is still acceptable in my eyes, as I am giving them the benefit of the doubt in assuming that they have no intent to use it to flaunt their sexuality. However, knowing that a 34-year-old woman wears it to work is simply flabbergasting. She is a retail assistant and that is somewhat of a professional job. How can she be so nonchalant when she is asked about it?! It is one thing to see it as practical but it is another thing to wear it to work. It certainly degrades her professionalism and casts an adverse effect on her retail outlet. She is not a part-time worker at this age, I reckon.

Another equally shocking knowledge is the fact that VCH and the Esplanade are rather lenient with dress codes. I have performed in VCH a few times and I would not want any member of the audience to wear such an outrageously unsuitable item to my performance! As a member of the audience at Esplanade, I make sure I wear something decently presentable like pants or a dress as a form of respect to the performers. The theatrical operators may not seem to mind but this is merely proper theatrical etiquette to me.

I know that it is a vastly different situation in London because watching musicals is a common activity among Londoners. A man was wearing a singlet to the performance of Sister Act and he was not stopped at the entrance. It is not a common activity but a form of luxury for we Singaporeans though.

I am heartened to note that Les Amis does not approve of such dressing. Kudos to their discreet yet effective measure of providing appropriate outfits to counter this.

It is strange how some wearers are aware of the unwanted attention they get on their bodies when they wear hot pants, but they still do not opt out of wearing it. Though not every guy gives them lecherous looks when they wear it, the looks do make them feel uneasy. What harm is there then in wearing a more decent fashion item? Should they continue to wear it, the lechers may mistakenly think that they really are sexually easy to prey on. When that happens, it would be too late to harbour any regrets.