Claire Henrick decided to hang out on a friend’s roof. She slipped into a vintage baby blue tank top and camouflage miniskirt for the occasion. But before she left for the day, she grabbed an extra-large white T-shirt to cover it all up. It’s a trick the 24-year-old content creator learned from TikTok: use a dumpy “subway shirt” to conceal the actual outfit you plan to wear out. It will keep creeps from staring during the commute.

Did she ever consider not dressing like a whore? Amazing how women have managed for years before simply by not showing as much skin as humanly possible.

“It’s a way to protect my safety getting from point A to point B,” Henrick said. “I don’t want to become a target, as weird as that sounds.”

“I don’t want Random guys I don’t find attractive to see me in the outfit that I want attractive guys to see me in.”

Such a dilemma for the young whores these days

New Yorkers love to shed their winter layers as soon as the first signs of spring hit the city. But for women who take advantage of sundress season, the much-anticipated warm weather can also bring unwanted attention. Not that it should. There is little evidence that harassment or assault is motivated by what a victim wears, and clothing is never a justification for cat-calling. Still, anyone who does not want to risk it may utilize the subway shirt, which is also known colloquially as an “outfit dampener”.

If there’s no evidence that assault is motivated by what a victim wears then why are women wearing “subway shirts”…

Ajana Grove, who is 19, moved to New York from Nebraska. “I learned quickly that I can walk around and do what I want to as long as I’m covered up,” she said. “Every time I forget my subway shirt, I instantly regret it and think about turning around.” Grove has a few dedicated shirts she tries to keep in her bag, and she encourages her friends to do the same. “I’ve noticed it since I moved here – the male gaze is a physical feeling,” she said. “Even if I’m not paying attention, if someone’s staring at me, I feel it.”

How is this not parody?

Leora Tanenbaum is the author of I Am Not a Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of the Internet. She also documents racist and sexist school dress codes on her Instagram account. “I think it’s fantastic these TikToks are raising awareness of the harm caused by sexual harassment and assault in public spaces,” Tanenbaum said. “Hopefully, more people now will recognize how scary it can be to simply go about your day, including taking the subway, when you present as feminine.”

“Present as feminine”….