Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Had the Perfect Response to a Reporter Shaming Her for Wearing a Suit

The Congressmember-Elect has already been subjected to sexist scrutiny.

Congressmember-Elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore a suit on her first day of work this week. Sounds pretty standard, right? Well, apparently not to one reporter in Washington who felt the need to post a photo of the Congress member calling out her outfit for looking — I hope you're sitting for this — nice. In a now deleted Twitter post, he writes, "Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I’ll tell you something: that jacket and coat don’t look like a girl who struggles."

Outside of the fact that there is a glaring double standard between what women and men in political office choose to wear and the scrutiny they receive for it, how could you possibly know someone's "struggles" based on a photo of them wearing work clothes to work? Responders on Twitter saw the absolute absurdity of the reporter's comment and posted their ideas of what he may have preferred she wear to better suit his narrative. One person shared, "their gotcha on her is that she doesn’t wear a potato sack to Congress." Another added, "sorry she wasn’t wearing a Dickensian coat made from burnt fabric scraps." And, in possibly the best response someone else chimed in with, "I, too, am disappointed Ocasio didn’t show up wearing only a wooden barrel held up by suspenders and carrying her few belongings in a bindle."

Even Alexandria weighed in after the tweet was deleted writing "Oh, does @eScarry think he can delete his misogyny without an apology? I don’t think so. You’re a journalist - readers should know your bias."

In the recent midterm elections, more women were elected to Congress than ever before. But as women gain more power in the political sphere, they must also contend with gender discrimination for everything from the way they dress to how they style their hair. This particular thread is yet another reminder of how women in the workplace and in public life are often subjected to sexist scrutiny of their attire, in a way that men are not.

Sure, clothing can be important and have meaning. Just look at some of the outfits that the First Ladies — especially Melania Trump, Michelle Obama, and Hilary Clinton — have worn that carried great social and political significance. But when it comes to the everyday work lives of our new female Congress-members, scrutinizing their every blazer, flat or hairstyle is not progressive or helpful. They are doing a job, so let's let them do it.

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