One of the benefits of living on your own is that you can wear what you want and not worry about what other people are thinking. However, one mum thought what her daughter was wearing was inappropriate because the neighbours might see her.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old daughter in question was furious because her mum was basically "shaming her" for not wearing a bra, bizarrely insinuating she it could, worst-case, lead to her getting "assaulted".
Taking to Reddit, where many forum users share their gripes and annoyances, the anonymous woman explained that she had just moved into a new apartment and had invited her mum and sister over for coffee.
When they arrived, earlier than expected, they saw her walking up the hall doing her laundry wearing a "pink crop top with shorts and no bra".
In the forum post, the woman explained: "Of course you could see the shape of my nipples but a) I didn't met anybody in the hall as expected and b) I think It's generally okay for me to walk around whatever the f**k I feel like."
However, her mum wasn't pleased with what she had seen, and had proceeded to "shame" her and that there was a "young man living right across the hall" who might "hit on her" or "sexually assault her".
The "furious" woman more or less "kicked them out" of the apartment. After posting her story, the woman was inundated with comments of support, with many condemning the mum's bizarre comment.
One person wrote: "Women are not responsible for how men respond to how you look" and another added: "I am so sick of the narrative of a woman getting sexually assaulted because of what she’s wearing."
However, the woman was encouraged because it seemed like many of the girls in the comment section, like her, had "the courage to walk around how they're comfortable".
She added: "I, also, think that bras are not comfortable at all but I usually wear them going out just because I was raised not stepping out without underwear."
While condemning her mum's comments, many agreed that her intentions for her were probably good. One person explained: "I think your mother is just doing a bad job of explaining her worry for you. She went about it all wrong but I think it's possible if not probable it came from a good place."
The anonymous woman, agreed, saying she "loves" and shares a "deep bond" with her mum. She added: "Some of you suspected she expressed her genuine concerns about my wellbeing just poorly, which I fully agree on.
"I think if the world were the dream world in where girls could walk around naked in public without worrying about getting sexually assaulted, she would've been more okay with me walking down the hall braless."
If you have been affected: NHS advice on help after sexual assault; find a sexual assault referral centre; for support contact Victim Support or other organisations.
