As Women, We Over-Apologize—Well, This Is What We're Not Sorry For
During the month of March, the Who What Wear team set out to celebrate unapologetic women. We tapped influential industry voices to pen their letter to women everywhere in our series A Note to Women and vowed to break up with the small yet potent phrase “I’m sorry.”
The fact is women apologize more frequently than men do—alarmingly more often, as one study showed. These seemingly harmless daily apologies add up over time when we apologize for things that we don’t truly need to. By over-apologizing, we’re only hurting ourselves. When we say “I’m sorry” in insignificant moments, it leads others to doubt us and what we’re capable of in significant ones. Why, then, are we conditioned to apologize at every turn? Maybe it’s because we feel the pressure to minimize ourselves or to take up as little space as possible, a way of thinking that has been ingrained in us for too long.
Which is why we’re reversing the dialogue. Instead of saying sorry, we’re declaring what it is we’re not sorry for. By turning the conversation on its head, we’re championing the next generation of unapologetic women. Alongside us stand industry names like Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Francia Raisa, and Nina Dobrev. These are just a few of the fearless women who are standing with us and embracing every part of themselves. Watch the video below to see what we’re not sorry for, whether it’s wearing our heart on our sleeve or prioritizing ourselves over anyone else.
Opening Image: Collage Vintage
Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.
