Subway Shirts: The Latest Worrying TikTok Style Trend
With the weather getting warmer in London this week, I travelled on the train wearing a mini-skirt and no tights. This was the first time in a while that I’d used public transport whilst wearing something so summery in the middle of the day. It was just after rush hour, but the carriage felt dominated by men in suits. Suddenly, I became very conscious of my bare legs and began to worry about the length of my skirt as if I were at school again. The clothes that I’d been excited to put on this morning now became a source of worry. Was that man staring at my legs? Was this man thinking I look too slutty? What if one of them tried to harass me? I suddenly began to remember the reality of the summer season for women on public transport.
TikTok’s latest viral trend shows that women across the world are feeling the same way. Recently, ‘subway shirts’ have gone viral, referring to oversized, loose t-shirts that are worn on top of an outfit during one’s commute, resonating with women internationally as we collectively shed our winter layers. Women are posting videos of themselves altering their outfits using ‘subway shirts’ (or ‘tube outfits’ for those in London), covering up with baggy tops or oversized jackets, and swapping knee-high boots for trainers, all so as to avoid unwanted attention from men whilst travelling in public. The ‘subway shirt’ hashtag now has over 10 million views on TikTok.
In the caption of her video, which compares her actual outfits to their altered tube versions, Sophie Milner (@itssophiemilner) writes: “I didn’t realise everyone else did this too. It’s a huge problem in London. There’s so many outfits I’ve just never worn out, or had to change so much, just because I knew people would make me feel uncomfortable for wearing it - be it catcalling or stares.” In the comments, women are echoing Milner’s sentiment, with one adding “Don’t forget the cycle shorts under the dress to stop hands.”
In New York City, a study has shown that women are three times as likely as men to be concerned about their safety in transit, and subsequently, more women are avoiding the city’s public transport if they can help it. Meanwhile, in London, there were 2,361 sexual harassment offences on TFL’s network between October 2021 and September 2022, and these are only the ones that were reported to the police.
Whilst the ‘subway shirt’ TikTok trend brings a strange comfort in knowing that I am not alone in fearing unwanted attention on public transport, it goes without saying that none of us should feel like this. No matter what we are wearing, we deserve to feel safe. Whilst subway shirts can help in making us feel less vulnerable, it should never be a requirement to cover up in public, and no woman should be slut-shamed for her clothing choices (or for anything else).
Hopefully, the trend will help to raise awareness of the issue, getting men to recognise how scary it can be to live everyday life as a woman, in a body which brings unwanted attention merely by existing. These issues are sadly deeply rooted in our society, and in my own life: a man once told me with utter sincerity that it was not possible for a woman to wear a skirt for any reason other than because she wanted attention from men; many of us have internally slut-shamed ourselves for wearing something more revealing than usual. All of my female friends have experienced some form of sexual harassment on public transport, including myself.
Ultimately, we know that what we wear isn’t the problem. The problem is those who think they have the right to abuse and harass us. We can only hope that the ‘subway shirt’ videos will succeed in making a difference at the patriarchal root of the issue, because essentially, a ‘subway shirt’ is not just a cute, girly TikTok trend, but a reflection of the real difficulties that women face each day as we risk our lives against the patriarchy.
‘Subway shirts’ are another thing to add to the endless list that every woman has internalised: hold your keys in your hand; call a friend while you’re walking; share your location with your family; tie your hair back so you look less attractive to predators; don’t tie your hair back because someone could grab your ponytail. These steps all place the burden on women to protect themselves, when actually, women should be free to use public transport without fear and without a safety checklist echoing in their minds. Though unsurprising, it is sad that women internationally can relate to the ‘subway shirt’ trend and the fear of dressing how we want to dress; in the end, a woman’s clothes should never be used to slut-shame or victim-blame her, whatever she chooses to wear.
