Woman asked to 'cover up' by security guard calls out double standards after man walks by wearing 'tank top'
Joey was asked to show her ID, when the security directed her to 'not take off the jacket'.
Moral policing of women for their choice of clothing is not a new issue; women across the globe have faced it, but when it continues to happen in 2025, it is nothing short of baffling. This was the same reaction 39-year-old Joey Hespe had when she was questioned for her choice of clothing, as reported by The Australian Femicide Watch Organisation on September 11.
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The incident that took place at Pyrmont Bridge Hotel in Sydney happened when Hespe decided to have a few drinks with her friends at the bar. She went on to reveal that after she was asked to show her ID, the security directed her to 'not take off the jacket'. The comment from the security about covering up shocked Joey Hespe, who asked him to repeat himself, when he went ahead to state that her V-neck, ruffled gown with polka dot design was 'see-through'. "Aside from the fact that my dress was not see-through (only on the legs), that feeling of being simultaneously objectified and suppressed in the same moment was horrible," Hespe revealed.
The 39-year-old mother was 'frozen' by the comment and was angered to watch another man in a Bonds singlet (tank top) who was not monitored by the security. "It left me humiliated, confused, and angry; that was a mix of objectification and control that women know all too well", Hespe exclaimed. Calling out the double standards, Hespe went on to state that she was asked to cover up so that men at the bar could "control themselves."
Joey's ordeal at the bar echoes the findings made by Rituparna Bhattacharyya in her 2021 study on 'Dress Code' Controversy: 'A Victim of Misogynistic Mindset or Something', where a young woman was denied entry into the exam hall and humiliated for the choice of clothing on 'modesty' grounds. Battacharyya argues in her study that the imposition of dress code is not about academic discipline but rather about patriarchal control over women's bodies. By publicly humiliating their choice of clothing, society creates a hostile environment for women, while men are rarely questioned for the same. Hespe, who was monitored by the security, was stripped of dignity, while the reinforcement of 'controlling women's clothing' to 'not be a distraction' to men is brought forward.
Soon after the post by the organization on Instagram received traction, many women came forward to address their thoughts. @eclecticdreams60, who was appalled by Joey's experience, commented, "Excuse me.. what year is this..?? And why are we still telling women what to wear? This says far more about the security guard than it does about her." According to Bored Panda, the manager of the hotel described the incident as "unexpected" and said it does not go with the values of inclusivity upheld by them. However, the hotel also clarified that the guard "did not make any derogatory remarks" about Hespe's clothing.
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