Once again, many American women are unhappy with US president Donald Trump.
In a story published yesterday, the website Axios quoted an anonymous source who worked for the Trump campaign as saying that Trump likes female employees “to dress like women.” Today, women of the internet are showing Trump what it means to “dress like a woman” in the 21st century.
Doctors, ministers, police officers, soldiers, and plenty of others are sharing pictures of themselves in the clothes they wear to do their jobs, with the hashtag #DressLikeAWoman. One woman, an army veteran and police officer in Boston, told the BBC she felt the remarks were “misogynistic and unpresidential.”
“I’ll start dressing like a woman when he starts acting like a president,” she said. “Each morning when I wake up, I dress myself in pride, honour, duty and freedom.”
In a statement to Quartz, the White House said all staff is expected to look professional. “There is no formal or official dress code, however it is an honor to work at the White House and the staff dresses accordingly,” a spokesperson said.
Trump reportedly cares a great deal about how his staff looks—the former reality-TV star has referred to drafting his political cabinet from “central casting“—and his style preferences aren’t restricted to women.
Axios also reported that Trump is critical of his male staff’s appearance: Trump prefers men to wear sharp suits and a tie, preferably a wider, traditional style like the type he routinely wears (and leaves far too long when tying). He was supposedly displeased with press secretary Sean Spicer’s sloppy suit in his first briefing-room appearance.
However, the president’s edicts don’t extend to Steve Bannon. Trump’s chief strategist is often noticeably slovenly, even in the Oval Office. But since his is the guiding ideology that underpins much of Trump’s decision-making, he appears to get a pass.
It doesn’t appear any of the women around Trump receive similar leeway.
This story has been updated with a statement from the White House.