I’d guess this is a double standard that favors men.
Perhaps it is out of practicality that it is acceptable for men and not women? It is just a lot easier for women to have athletic wear (that doesn’t restrict exercise) that doesn’t reveal anything down stairs.
I tend to agree with this and I don’t think it’s unusual to want to see musculature that you’ve worked to build.
Isn’t it somewhat cultural based on what’s common at the time and appropriate in the place?
Several decades ago it was improper for women to show their wrists or ankles. But in America, it’s now commonplace to reveal those and think nothing of it.
Wrists and ankles don’t seem to entice men the same way they might’ve at one point in time.
And if you’re on the beach or at a pool, nobody bats an eye when a woman wears far less than what most women wear to the gym.
So I kind of think the gym culture itself (which is different in every location) dictates what would cause someone to stand out as wearing something that’s too revealing.
But I could be wrong and I’m open to having my mind changed.
Is that socially acceptable? IDK.
Not for me, no. I’d get arrested for shoplifting produce.
Regarding men and appropriate gym wear:
Had a guy in our gym years ago that would wear very short, baggy-legged shorts. Ok, fine, it’s a runner thing. Nope, he’d very intentionally do “stretches” so women could see right up his shorts. Like, a woman would be on a treadmill and he’d park nearby and show her his goods. I think I saw him throw his leg up on the treadmill once!
This wasn’t flirtation, but what’s called “exhibitionistic disorder.” Basically, he was a flasher. Wouldn’t even talk to the women I don’t think, just got off on flashing unsuspecting people.
I think @Dani_Shugart called him Mr. Bubbly Legs or something because he apparently also had varicose veins.
I wouldn’t have given him a mean nickname if he’d made a couple honest no-biggie gaffes. But he did way more than what you listed. It was a regular occurrence and it felt predatory.
I don’t necessarily think there’s a difference. Could be several things : 1) they may really not know (or may only have realized it when they got to the gym in different lighting etc - lots of reviews I read for some white pants pointed out women didn’t realize it until they were already at the gym, 2) they may have noticed, but based on tolerance levels,had the same reaction I do to realizing that my sports bra is showing a bit. E.g. “Eh, so my sports bra is showing, so what, I like this shirt.” “Eh, so I have some cameltoe, so what, I like these pants/shorts.” 3) Thinking, "Damn, I look good in these and they make me feel good, I’m going to go crush it, 4) Damn, I look good in these, I’m going to go search for a mate.
There’s a variety of reasons a woman may dress a certain way. Not all of them (or even most of them) have to do with a focus on male or even external attention. Without additional cues, I wouldn’t personally assume that every woman with an obvious camel toe is looking for male attention.
100% agree. I think it’s both society and individual based. For example, by wearing a tanktop to the gym that probably shows part of my sports bra (straps, maybe some under my armpit), it is quite likely that there’s a population at my gym who think I’m looking for sexual attention and look down on me as a result. That’s partially an unfortunate cultural aspect of my job (military) that is slowly changing. At off-base gyms, I bet no one would give a second glance. I personally feel comfortable (and within my gym’s rules) with what I’m wearing, like wearing it, and recognize I can’t control what people think - I know I’m there to work out.
Individual and social norms are going to feed into assumptions about someone’s intent based on manner of dress, whether that’s baring a bra strap or wearing skin-tight leggings. I think the key is not to rely on those assumptions alone if you’re trying to gauge interest.
It’s really interesting to hear the female’s side, thank you both. I still feel that the comfort being described is something different from what I’m seeing though. I’m not saying it’s all or most girls, but some girls. I completely get the swimming wear argument, but at the same time we’ve always seen that as something different from general underwear be it right or wrong. Most women wouldn’t strip down to their underwear in the middle of a clothes shop to try stuff on - they’d go to the provided change rooms because anything else would be deemed inappropriate.
We all have a right to be comfortable, but girls wearing shorts showing half their buttcheeks and light gym tops wearing no training bra underneath leaving their areolas and nipples on display? Can I really buy that as being for comfort? It is however an important point about maybe them not realizing until under the bright lights of most gyms.
I really like the argument Dani made about the time of ankles or even knees not being displayed. Maybe things have changed so much so quickly that it makes me uncomfortable. A friend of mine has a 15-year-old that has talked about how boobs aren’t so much a thing anymore, and men are a little desensitized because it’s all so readily viewable and the girls are less restrictive with them. Cultures swings and changes all the time and is so different depending on where you are in the World.
I’ve mentioned before that I work out in a leisure center attached to a school, so sometimes I can see girls in their mid-teens bits on display. I sometimes almost feel like the staff need to wrap a big coat around them until them to go back and get dressed. Is this misogynist? Am I lacking understanding? Maybe it’s always been the way and because I didn’t join the gym until I was 27-ish I’m not quite desensitized to it myself yet.
I don’t think it’s misogynist - I’d feel a little weird seeing that too, and like you said, norms and tolerance levels may vary by population/age/a variety of factors. I just try not to make judgments about the individual if I can avoid it.
Re: The no bra comment. I recognize this is going to come off as pretty idiotic, but I didnt realize I needed to wear a bra under a white shirt until college. I thought the shirt was baggy enough (and I’m not top heavy by any means) that it wouldn’t matter. I was always a tomboy and tended to just wear my sports teams shirts or sweatshirts.
I was ten thousand percent mortified when I heard someone make a snide comment about it. It seems insane to think I didn’t realize it until then, but for whatever reason I really didn’t. I genuinely didn’t think my breasts were large enough for it to matter and had never really given them much consideration. One of my most embarassing memories now. I was clueless.
In my old gym, this one girl must be hitting on me for a long time. But dude I have a girlfriend, she try to get my attention many times. So I took my girlfriend with me to the gym 
I had the pleasure of sending a late teen back home from work because her crop top is not work approved.
She came ay me that if she was a boy, it would be ok. I asked her to show me one boy showing his mid section. Yep none.
We have very clear rules, signed in a contract, that most did not read. We send them home to change, both sex. Boy for jogging and pj, girls for crop top or too short short.
Would it be unreasonable to think that although the woman wearing such clothing thinks “so what, I have some ‘camel toe’, I like this,” that it would be inappropriate to have configuration of the genitalia exposed to others, a sort stipulation which goes for manners and conduct generally; that is, despite the desire to do something or appear in a certain way, it is repressed to avoid disturbing others.
I admit I might differ in this line of thinking in the current day, considering many men in the West, having been raised with porn and sexual imagery, reference, and acts plastered all over the place, think seeing women near nude in public is cute. After all, at 43 years old, I too was raised on such and grew up with some very perverted “boys”, and in my youthful ignorance thought such dress was fine. Being obsessed with the genitals is part of current American “culture”; hence I’m surprised people have told me, “Americans are uptight about sex,” with a straight face. (“Uptight” meaning any expectation of sexual regulation.)
I note you rightfully pointed out what is considered decent or indecent is a product of times. Perhaps we’re at a point in which any garments other than three small pieces of cloth covering nipples and genitalia is appropriate.
I agree that likely most women who dress like this are not interested in talking to stranger men.
That kind of changes things. I do find that kind of troublesome depending on the extent.
I’m a protective uncle of 7 nieces, and while all of them were pretty modest, I’ve never been too crazy about the idea of some 15-16 year old kid oogling them or behaving like some some kids are apt to, not to mention adults who may not have the best intentions.
This protectiveness also has a lot of carryover to the general public when some adults don’t recognize the age boundaries/differences.
If you respect yourself, you will have no need to show the outlines of your genitalia in public, male or female
Just my humble opinion
WHOA. I wouldn’t have expected that from a military gym. I guess gym cultures are like night and day.
At CrossFit I was pressured to take off my shirt by other women but never did. Then our gym after that was a smaller, mom and pop place with tons of elderly. I felt appropriate, and blended in by wearing tank tops and stretchy pants. (In Colorado, elderly women wear tight stuff all the time, and look fabulous, IMO.)
But when we started working out at 24 hour, I kind of felt like a prude again. Women wear sports bras, crop tops, itty bitty booty shorts, etc. I don’t go quite as far, but I also don’t usually wear baggy clothes either. For the record, some of the men at our gym also wear crop tops and microscopic booty shorts too!
I’m not sure if this is true for other women, but there are times during the month (ovulation maybe?) when I’m just feeling great about my body and enjoy wearing less. It’s not about turning men on. I’d feel this way at an all-female gym. And I feel this way pretty strongly when I’m alone in my house watering plants or whatever.
When a particular combination of hormones spike in our bodies, we tend to want to wear less, even if the dogs are the only ones to see it.
HAHA! I’ve gotta agree with this. 
I completely agree there’s a line that – once crossed – makes the general public feel uncomfortable no matter the setting. Yes, absolutely, that’s a big yikes.
Yeah, that’s pretty crazy. But I do it find it a little weird that some men seem hyper-critical of a woman showing some midriff or a bra strap when they’re wearing stringer tops with their puffy nipples on display. I know, I know… I sound like a green-haired feminist. Should I get a nostril or septum piercing?
I guess I’m falling on the side of supporting a woman feeling good about herself and her accomplishments instead of projecting malevolent intentions onto her choice of gym clothes.
I fully support this take
