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| Dress code for women | ||
| Written by Rachel | ||
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In class, women have to follow more or less the same
dress code guidelines as men.
However, I have sneaked in a couple of
differences... Tights and a boob shield (martial students only).
Monday night
uniform for women (taijiquan)
White
cotton crew-neck T-shirt
Black
cotton
martial arts trousers
School
badge sewn onto the T-shirt
Flat footwear; preferably not
training/sports shoes
Thin tights
Boob shield
(optional)
No jewellery
Workshop/boot camp
uniform for women (taijiquan)
Cotton crew-neck T-shirt
Black
cotton
martial arts trousers
Thin tights
Boob shield (optional)
No jewellery
Please note that 'leggings', yoga attire and T-shirts with pockets are not appropriate
attire for workshops.
Ballet
If you were studying classical ballet, you'd be required to wear tights.
There'd be no discussion. Think of tai chi as being along the same lines.
They are an Asian aesthetic.
Asian aesthetics
If you're wondering why women studying an Asian martial art are being asked
to adopt Asian aesthetic standards, surely
the question answers itself?
Would somebody in a football team expect to play football wearing long
trousers? No. They'd adhere to the aesthetics associated with the game;
which would be short trousers...
History
When it comes to the dress code, you might want to bear in mind that Rachel
has designed the uniform with the purpose of encouraging specific
Asian attributes in women.
Rachel has studied clothing, style, hair, lingerie, hosiery, martial arts
and Asian culture extensively. She likes to read about the history of
clothing and the reasons behind specific fashions and styles.
5 excellences
Tai chi is considered to be highly refined; alongside painting, classical
literature, calligraphy & medicine.
Dress like a girl and you will
fight like a girl
The absolute worst thing that a woman can do in combat is to emulate how a
man operates. Our muscle mass/fat distribution is different, and we're not
prey to testosterone and aggression.
You need to feel and function as a woman - hence
tights - a physical reminder that you're not a
man?
Why wear tights?
Asian women adopted the practice of wearing thin tights/stockings centuries ago.
How come?
Modesty,
leg health, protection, improved circulation and aesthetics.
Tights to serve to accentuate your femaleness...
Modesty
In Asia the saying is "Only a monkey shows it's feet". This means that a
'lady' does not reveal her bare legs and feet. You will see this with
most Asian women you encounter, even girls in shorts.
They usually wear hosiery; even in warm climates.
I remember when Rachel explained that a
womans strength is in her legs, it made complete sense but Id actually
never even thought of this before, this is where the muscle mass is, so
anything that makes you conscious of your legs can only be good, and like
you said, hosiery gives you great feedback on that muscle mass.
(Karen)
Boob shield
Female taijiquan students are encouraged to purchase a 'boob shield' when
they start the taijiquan syllabus.
Students can be clumsy.
They will think twice about
punching your shield.
Are you sexist?
A lot of women nowadays are quite sexist about dress codes...
Picture this: a man in a suit wearing smart shoes? If he wears thin
socks in navy, grey or black they will probably look smart. Thick hiking
socks would look stupid. Red socks... Oh dear. White socks? No.
Bare feet? Uh, no. If a man had bare feet with smart shoes and suit
trousers, he'd probably be sent out to buy some socks.
Double standards
Now consider a woman at work. She is wearing a smart skirt and dress shoes.
Is she wearing hosiery? Often not. So, consider the male example.
What is the difference? Why is there a double standard?
Thick tights can look as bad as no tights and jazzy/patterned tights often
look inappropriate for work.
Asian equality
In Asia, men and women adhere to the same dress code standards; which
is why Asian women are widely known to be the best dressed female professionals
on the planet.
If a man is required to wear thin navy, grey or black socks, then a female
worker must also follow an equivalent code. Usually it is low
denier hosiery; either natural, light tan or black.
The denier is never above 15. The hosiery is never patterned.
A lady of tai chi
I seek to encourage tai chi ladies
to follow the dress code outlined above and look as smart as the male
students. Please make an effort.
Personal expression?
If you're looking for personal expression, you might
want to consider a yoga group rather than a martial arts class. Traditional
martial arts aren't a forum for vanity and
showing-off.
Martial arts are about quashing the ego. We focus upon the attacker,
not upon our own 'image' or appearance. Egotism just gets in the way...
Further reading
Dress code
Dress code & ego
Female feet
Hosiery
Female martial artist
Girl's
Night
Women in martial arts
Women's self defence
More...
Page created 26 November 2007
Last updated
14 March 2020