Making campus look nicer, one dress shirt at a time

Since women are such a minority at Tech, one might think that most men on campus appreciate them.

However, fourth-year Industrial Design majors John Chin and Andrew Mosby would disagree with you.

Chin and Mosby thought that they could show their appreciation a little more visibly. So they decided to create a holiday of sorts: Skirt Appreciation Day.

During the second semester of sophomore year, Chin and Mosby had physics together and "realized that we wanted to dress up, maybe once a week," Mosby, known to friends as "Mohs," said.

"We noticed that a) girls dressed up more. Or they dress up, [while] guys don't. And b) that girls seem like they're unappreciated at Tech, and they get the 'TBS' crap," Mosby said.

"We don't really believe in TBS...Girls get this reputation that if they go to a technical school, especially majoring in engineering, that they're a bitch," he said. "We don't think that. We think everyone has their own personality."

"And they just need to be appreciated, you know?" Chin said. So to in an attempt to do this, they created Skirt Appreciation Day.

Despite the name, the day is not about wearing skirts. "It's really like women's appreciation day, [but]...we didn't like 'Women's Appreciation Day' as a title," Chin said. "We thought Skirt Appreciation Day would be humorous."

Mosby, Chin and friends "observe" Skirt Appreciation Day every Monday. Men are encouraged to dress up in a shirt and tie, although the definition of "dressed up" is generally left as a matter of personal preference.

Chin and Mosby say they just wanted to make Tech a happier place, because they feel there are just too many students walking around with their heads down.

They have also noticed some women dressing up on Skirt Appreciation Day, which they feel makes more men dress up, which makes "a big circle of love," Chin said.

Although it is now on Mondays, Skirt Appreciation Day was originally on Thursday-or "Th-her-sday," as they call it. To spread the word about the day that first year, Chin and Mosby, both peer leaders at the time, started by telling their residents about it. In addition, people would ask them why they were dressing up, and that helped spread the word also.

Now in its third year, Skirt Appreciation Day has a small but loyal following, which is evident in T-shirt sales: last year, Chin and Mosby sold 171 shirts, which they designed themselves and sold at Brittain and around campus. This year, with a new design, they are expecting to sell between 200 and 300 this year. The shirts are not being sold for profit. After all, Mosby said, "It's more about the actual day instead of revenue."

They also have a Facebook group, where fans of Skirt Appreciation Day can post testimonials, ask about T-shirts or find out more general information. At the time this paper was published, the Skirt Appreciation Day Facebook group had 381 members-even including a Tech staff member or two.

Participants in Skirt Appreciation Day have various reasons for taking the time out to dress nicely. Rafael Corrales, a second-year International Affairs and Spanish major, said he participates "because I understand the preparation a girl sometimes goes through in looking just right for a guy," he said.

Skirt Appreciation Day "is a good way to show the girls at Tech how much we appreciate them wearing skirts, and we reciprocate by dressing up too," said Vineet Chhangani, a third-year Mechanical Engineering major.

"A more fun reason would be because I love hearing compliments when I dress up," Corrales said.

It also makes for a charming response when girls ask why they are dressed up. "You can say, 'It's for you. We're appreciating you,'" Mosby said.

However, some people have responded negatively to Skirt Appreciation Day. For instance, they were once informed that "skirt" was a derogatory name for females many decades ago. In addition, some people feel they are promoting the idea of dressing revealingly.

Naysayers are a little more open to the idea when Chin and Mosby reassure them that the point is not intended to be sexist.

"It's...really about female appreciation and not all about showing your legs," Chin said. "You can even wear a long skirt!"

Skirt Appreciation Day is also spreading to other campuses as well, thanks to the two's relentless publicity efforts.

For example, Mosby attended a bible class in Texas that brought in people from around the nation. He received shirt orders from Indiana, Virginia, Florida and Seattle.

In addition, both Chin and Mosby have siblings in high school, whom they've recruited to spread the word. Their siblings have sold shirts to friends, and those that have graduated have carried them to UGA, Clemson and other schools.

Increasing participation at Tech, however, is still a long-term goal. Chin has two more years before graduation, and Mosby has one. The two hope to pass down leadership to "the next generation of Skirt Appreciators," Chin said.

They hope to turn Skirt Appreciation into a Tech tradition. After all, as Chin put it, "Everyone looks better dressed up."