[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A story was revealed in which a study cafe owner warned a teenage male student not to come dressed in leggings.
On the 22nd, a post titled "They said not to come to the study cafe wearing leggings because there are teenage male students" was uploaded on an online community.
The author, A, who introduced herself as a 20-year-old woman preparing for a retake exam, explained, "Most of the time, I exercise and go to the study cafe while preparing for the exam, so in the morning I wear leggings with a hoodie T-shirt or a hooded zip-up, or a long sweatshirt that covers my hips, study at the study cafe, then go straight to the gym to work out and come home."
She continued, "Of course, since I go to the study cafe first, I’m too lazy to change clothes, and because of COVID-19, the gym doesn’t provide rental clothes (so I wear leggings)." However, she lamented that she was warned by the study cafe owner for wearing leggings.
A said, "Today, the owner, a woman in her early 60s who manages the study cafe, suddenly called me over and said, 'Your clothes are too embarrassing, so wear something else.' I said I cover myself well with a long T-shirt so it’s not embarrassing, but she said, 'It’s still embarrassing. There are teenage boys coming and going, what do you think they’ll think when they see a young lady? Be a little careful.'"
She added, "I was so outraged that we had a big fight," and shared messages exchanged with the study cafe owner, asking, "Leggings aren’t even provocative clothes, and I cover myself well, so am I the strange one?"
In the captured messages, A told the study cafe owner, "If what you say is true, do you treat students who shorten their school uniform skirts as strange people too? I don’t see what leggings have to do with teenage boys."
Netizens who read the post commented, "Are teenage boys being called potential sex offenders?", "She said she covered herself well, so I don’t see the problem," "Those who feel embarrassed or have strange thoughts despite proper conduct, can they live normal lives?", "What does it matter what clothes you wear to a study cafe?"
On the other hand, some netizens responded, "Isn’t it a bit problematic to wear that to a study cafe?", "Sometimes it looks a bit embarrassing," "Why not just wear sweatpants?"
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