Opinion: Professional women shouldn't be asked fashion questions

For many women, fashion is truly their biggest passion. We’ve all seen those girls on campus with designer bags and matching shoes, wondering how they do it every day.

But Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin) would like to make it clear she’s not one of those women.

Last September, the human rights lawyer and activist married Hollywood star George Clooney. 

Now, instead of her newfound celebrity status bringing attention to the various cases and causes she supports, Clooney is receiving the question that professional women dread the most: 

“So, what are you wearing?”

This was the case Friday, when Clooney was at the European Court of Human Rights challenging the appeal of a Turkish politician who straight-up denied Turkey was responsible for the Armenian Genocide. 

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And while I’m sure some reporters weren’t so simple-minded, one daring “journalist” made a crack about how she was expected to show up to court wearing Versace. 

Quick to retort, Clooney simply said, “I’m wearing Ede and Ravenscroft,” which is the company that makes the traditional court attire for those working in the legal system in England. 

Clooney is not alone in this professional women’s struggle. Female politicians like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former U.S. Secretary of State  Hillary Clinton have both been persecuted by the press for the fashion choices. 

Arguably the most powerful woman in Europe, Merkel has topped Forbes’ list of most powerful women in the world no less than eight times. And yet, the same publication released a slideshow, entitled “How Women Politicians Use Fashion,” where they said Merkel had a “frumpy style.”

Yes, the de facto leader of the entire European Union was singled out as being “frumpy.” 

Clinton has had her share of fashion controversies as well. The Drudge Report infamously published a photo of Clinton wearing no makeup and glasses at a news conference in Bangladesh with the heading, “Hillary Au Naturale.” 

Clinton, who is no doubt a fan of the scrunchie, has received a lot of scrutiny for her hairstyle choices as well. The former First Lady even joked about calling her book, “The Scrunchie Chronicles.” 

Clooney, Merkel, Clinton and all other professional women shouldn’t face this type of intense and biased inspection of their fashion choices. This is sexism through and through. 

George Clooney, the actual celebrity half of the Clooney couple, doesn’t even get this many “What are you wearing?” questions. The male counterparts to Merkel and Clinton aren’t made fun of for their ill-fitting suits or unflattering doofus haircuts. 

This is not only a sign of the decline of journalism — since when is it a story that someone wore clothes to an event — this is just another reminder that women are objects to be looked at, rather than professional, working women. 

Some might argue that because Clooney married into a Hollywood relationship, she was bound to be bombarded with silly fashion questions. 

But what about the countless male nobodies that female celebrities marry? 

You don’t see Jessica Alba’s nobody husband being asked what he’s wearing. 

Above all, Clooney should be receiving attention for the cases she’s working, not the clothes she’s wearing. These “journalists” should save the fashion questions for her husband next time.