'Marked' in School

In Deborah Tannen’s “There Is No Unmarked Woman”, one quote in particular stood out to me; “… a woman whose hair has no particular style is perceived as not caring about how she looks, which can disqualify her from many positions…” In my mind this is true because when I think of a businesswoman I always think of someone with her hair up or curled. This is just one of the many ways women have to change their appearance to be taken seriously in a work setting. 

 However, this quote not only applies to the business setting, but also to school. In my experience, I almost always leave my hair plain and even my own friends have asked me why I never do anything with it. They weren’t meaning any harm, but it made me think about something, even other women criticize women for not ‘looking their best’. This shows that it is not only men perpetuating this stereotype, but women as well. I've also noticed that girls who wear sweatpants and hoodies are often pointed out as 'not caring' and when asked why they are wearing that, they are 'just tired'. A few of my friends have even said to me that they are uncomfortable wearing sweatpants or lounge wear because they feel like they look 'trashy'. Social media doesn't help either; when you look up 'girls back to school outfits' and scroll through the endless options of videos like the one down below, a majority don't feature sweatpants or baggy sweatshirts. 

But, guys wear these things every day and it is seen as 'normal'. If a guy at school were to wear a outfit that didn't involve sweatpants or a random t-shirt, they would automatically become 'marked'. They are often praised for it too. So if it is socially acceptable for men to be 'unmarked' or 'marked', why can't it be the same for women?