"After Class, Skimpy Equality"

When we were first presented with this article from the New York Times I almost laughed out loud remembering only a few days ago when my dad made me sit down and read this exact same article.  Reading it again, and actually being in college now I see how truly accurate Lisa Belkin is.  She explains the differences between dress between men and women: "When the guys go to the Street they are laid-back, casual, like they are going to class.  But the women come in, in short cocktail dresses, makeup, high heels" (2). She continues by explaining, "sometimes it can be like if you’re a girl and you don’t dress up, there’s a social expectation that you should dress up and you should appear sexually available” (2).  This section of the article is what struck me the most just because of how extremely accurate it is.  As a girl, there is definitely some expectation to go the extra mile to dress up and as Belkin describes, "appear sexually available."  What I have noticed so far from my six-day experience in the college atmosphere that it may be a more direct competition between girls rather than between girls and boys.  Even still, this dynamic isn't much better because it creates unhealthy and unnecessary competition among girls.  It is definitely hard to find the right balance but I think it is worth to strive for.