‘What were you wearing?’ display aims to dispel misconceptions about attire and sexual assault
Apr 13, 2025, 7:00 AM
Amber Paaso, the victim assistance center director at YCC Family Crisis Center, stands in front of a "What were you wearing?" exhibit at the Monarch in Ogden on Thursday. (Tim Vandenack, KSL.com)
(Tim Vandenack, KSL.com)
OGDEN — The clothing on display is nothing out of the ordinary.
There’s a school uniform consisting of tan pants and a dark blue shirt, a hospital gown, a modest dress apt for an Easter Sunday service.
The common denominator among the varied clothing combos, though, is anything but ordinary. The clothing represents the outfits worn by sexual assault survivors when they were attacked. The idea that the clothing might not otherwise draw a second glance is the point of the exhibit at the Monarch, in Ogden, that’s tied to Sexual Assault Awareness Month,
The aim “is to challenge the idea that what someone wears or how they look can cause sexual assault,” said Keicha Christiansen, development director for YCC Family Crisis Center in Ogden. “It works to break down the harmful belief that victims are to blame, showing that sexual assault is never the survivor’s fault, no matter what they were wearing.”
The sexual assault team at YCC, which assists people impacted by domestic and sexual violence, served 337 sexual assault survivors in fiscal year 2024. The center is helping host a Take Back the Night event on Friday, April 11, in Ogden and an “empowerment night” on Thursday, April 17, when YCC leaders and advocates will provide information on resources and statistics related to sexual assaults.
A message pinned to a sweater that’s part of the YCC Family Crisis Center’s “What were you wearing?” exhibit at the Monarch in Ogden on Thursday. (Photo: Tim Vandenack, KSL.com)
Meanwhile, the exhibit at the Monarch, 455 25th Street, puts a spotlight on misconceptions about the role of clothing in assaults. Utah Tech University in St. George is hosting a similar exhibit for part of April and advocates for sexual assault survivors elsewhere around the country have also sponsored “What were you wearing?” showings over the years.
“Historically within the community, friends and family members have asked survivors, ‘What were you wearing?’ — inferring that if they had been dressed modestly, it wouldn’t have happened,” said Melanie Thomas, YCC’s sexual assault advocate and crisis response team coordinator.
“This exhibit proves that this is not the case.”
Amber Paaso, victim assistance center director at YCC, echoed that. “I hope it breaks some of the myths and stereotypes surrounding the victim-blaming that can happen to sexual assault survivors,” she said.
Messages are pinned to the clothing at the Monarch that offer glimpses into the varied assaults. According to Paaso, the outfits, to be on display through April, were recreated based on the stories of YCC clients.
“It took me so long to understand that it wasn’t my fault and know that it wasn’t something I should be ashamed of,” reads the message on a outfit consisting of a gray turtleneck sweater and jeans. The 17-year-old girl had been assaulted by a man introduced to her by a friend.
Some of the clothing on display at the YCC Family Crisis Center’s “What were you wearing?” exhibit at the Monarch in Ogden on Thursday. (Photo: Tim Vandenack, KSL.com)
Other messages are more bare bones and basic.
“I was wearing an Easter Sunday dress when I was assaulted,” reads another.
“I was wearing a hospital gown,” reads another message from a 32-year-old woman, assaulted by her doctor.
More broadly, the exhibit and Sexual Assault Awareness Month activities are meant to empower survivors. “The goal is to highlight survivors and let them know that they are not alone and that there are people out there who support them,” Christiansen said.
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