I believe Kirby Johnson’s strongly written letter to the editor concerning the lack of pants at The University of Alabama comes off as a bit misguided, and in some parts, just plain wrong.

As I read through her column as she intricately described all the wardrobe possibilities and alternatives for ladies of the Capstone, I instantly realized that I wasn’t wearing “pants,” as she likes to call them. Does that make me a disrespectful, lazy student who just rolled out of bed? Absolutely not.

This is such a silly thing to be concerned over. There have to be more pertinent issues on campus besides the length of one’s Nike shorts, or how baggy their T-shirt may be. Maybe we should shift our focus toward improving the community, or perhaps the novel idea of focusing on academia. When I walk over to campus for class, I am not concerned about the contour of my T-shirt. I’m more concerned with completing all assignments and being prepared for that day’s discussion.

Kirby mentions in her letter, “If you dress for success then you will succeed.” I have trouble believing that this is the source of success. You have to put in hard work and effort, and especially in the modern world, you’ve got to be clever and persistent in order to achieve success. Just because you may look the part, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the part.

By this same logic, Mark Zuckerburg shouldn’t be successful because he chose the effortless look of his hoodie in the early days of the creation of Facebook. Many work environments have shifted toward a more casual dress, such as Google. The company may have a relaxed dress code, but clearly they’re doing something right.

The letter also cited that she understands getting dressed can be the most difficult part of one’s day, and that it can be a chore. I’ve had corrective lenses since age 2, but I’m pretty sure my eyes don’t deceive me – we aren’t attending a nudist university. Additionally, if getting dressed is the most difficult part of any reader’s day then clearly our generation has other looming issues.

Since I first became a student at The University of Alabama in 2007, I noticed that many of my peers looked remarkably nicer than others heading to class. I haven’t seen anyone so far walking into a lecture hall with printed pajama pants on, though. I respect the decision of others to meticulously plan their attire each morning, but I’m just not one of them. It doesn’t make me any less of an adult than anyone else on campus.

As for the leggings issue, there isn’t much I can say to refute that. Women should know by this point what items in their closet are too revealing and inappropriate to wear in public.

Thank you for the kind suggestion to welcome spring with bright, fun, coordinated outfits. Instead, I’ll continue to rock my super-comfy T-shirts, paired perfectly with Nike shorts and leggings. Maybe I’ll even throw on some tennis shoes and run circles around you, as you pass by with judging looks.

So when you see ladies in leggings and oversized shirts, take a moment to think that they aren’t nearly as lazy or disrespectful as you may think. Rushing from class, to meetings with peers, jobs to get to, heading to the library or Rec – these ladies are on the go.

This trend isn’t exclusive to our campus; it’s happening at college campuses all over the country. It’s evident that young women our age are more active than in the past, and that’s something we should embrace.

As women, we don’t need to rely on our clothes or accessories in order to get noticed in this world. It may sound cliché, but didn’t your mother ever teach you not to judge a book by its cover?

Elizabeth Lowder is a graduate student studying advertising and public relations. She is also the assistant community manager of The Crimson White.