This post, aside from to share with you photos of my denim-clad self, is to direct your attention to Denim Day campaign.
I don't usually get too serious on my blog, so brace yourself for the info that's to come! I promise though, it'll be worth learning.
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It was only one day ago, through scrolling my Twitter feed, that I was made aware of the fact that there has been one Wednesday every April — the yearly Sexual Assault Awareness Month — for the past 19 years that is dedicated to a day of denim-wearing, but unfortunately the day isn't about celebrating what is one of the most popular materials in fashion.
Sadly, very far from it.
Here is an excerpt from the official site of Denim Day's 'About' page:
The campaign was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight heans she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it. Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault.
I was outraged to read about this despicable ruling decades ago. And then I thought: how has sexual assault scarily almost becoming a commonplace nowadays? When will we EVER learn from our history? Things have to start changing; it is now more important than ever for us to fight misconception against sexual violence.
If you never heard of the day just like I hadn't, I suggest you read up about the Denim Day campaign, run by Peace Over Violence, on its official info website http://denimdayinfo.org/about/; you can find out more about the case on the site as well as what you can do to help support the campaign.
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I know wearing denim on Denim Day might seem like a menial action to some, but a reminder: something is better than nothing.
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Even the subtlest action could have a big impact on one person, so never underestimate the power of your influence. (And never underestimate the power of statement-making fashion either!)
Plus, we're always wearing denim anyway, so why not do it for a good cause?
Aside from wearing denim on 25 April like I did, here is a tip for you if you're just learning about Denim Day like me: share about this day to one person. (Of course, more is better!) Hopefully, this will be the first step for you and me in contributing to this campaign this year and for the years to come.
Also: Check out a whole bunch of other things you could do as well.
Don't forget to spread the awareness of this day by sharing your outfit on social media with the hashtags #DENIMDAY and #POV18!
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I want to apologise for not sharing this info earlier on my blog, especially to Malaysians as it's already 26 April here (so sorry guys!) but to those whose timezone is a little later than ours, how about donning your best denim wears and participating in a good cause? It's practically effortless (who doesn't have denim in their closet?) and you never know, someone could actually benefit from the education you're imparting through your style.
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Wearing: Vintage Levi's oversized denim jacket | Zara jeans | Adidas t-shirt | Mango floral embroidered deni mules | Avan Lily denim bag
Thank you for this information about denim day(s); this is something I was unaware of. Sexual assault statistics are horrific and this type of assault is a problem cross culturally. It seems that women's issues just continue get shelved by governments everywhere.
ReplyDeleteYour outfit hits the mark in many ways Liyana. I like the way you stll bring a pop of color into the mules you chose to highlight. Do you have a scarf/ hijab that is a tiny gloral print? I think shoes and scarves would be fun to match up; especially with denim everywhere else.
I was only made aware of it recently too, so I'm just glad to be able to share it here on my blog. I hope there are plenty of my readers who don't comment that get to learn something from this little humble post of mine. Sexual assaults are indeed a horrific issue but it's good that in this #MeToo era, it is getting the conversations and awareness it deserves.
DeleteI actually picked a black scarf on purpose for this outfit for this day, but if it were any other day it would have been fun to match it with a floral print hijab, yes! Maybe with a little red in it, to match my tee and mules, right? =)
I felt deja vu when I stopped by to read this post as I thought I had read it and commented on it before. LOL. Love your denim look bee tee dubs. And how you made the outfit extra special with the mules. It's so effortless. I'm always in awe looking at you girl. That mindset about rape is super scary and to think that even today, there are people who still do subconsciously hold on to that victim-blaming mental pattern. It always starts with the family, IMHO. But then again, when parents are also children themselves, it is a challenge. Thanks for bringing the campaign into my radar, Liyana. I didn't know about it until I came here :) I would so wear this outfit btw =D
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said, especially about the victim-blaming issue. It's disheartening to read about how more often than not the blame shifts to the victim too quickly. I'm glad to share this info with you Shanaz.
DeleteAnd yes you would look so much cuter in this outfit than me, I'm positive of it!