Elissa Silverman’s article “Model Behavior” (8/11) misrepresents both the intention and the reality of the Aug. 5 NOW Love Your Body Day Fashion Show. One need look no further than the accompanying photos to refute Silverman’s erroneous claims that the fashion show: first, depicted rather than refuted the unfair standards for a woman’s appearance and, second, reinforced the notion that the women’s movement is dominated by white, well-educated women. Few would consider buzz cuts and tattoos stereotypically feminine, while most anthropologists would consider peoples of Asian and African descent (not to mention the male models) as non-Caucasian women. These are the people who took part in the Dupont Circle protest and are pictured in the Washington City Paper, not 5-foot-10, 110-pound white women.

Women should feel comfortable wearing whatever they want, whenever they want, without having to endure catcalls or derogatory comments from men or other women. If Silverman spent more time listening to the MC, who was reading the models’ own words, instead of thinking up less than clever ways to make fun of shirtless men, she might have realized that the message was sent loud and clear.

Capitol Hill