‘The What Were You Wearing’ is an art installation featured on campus that aims to disparage the assumptions around sexual assault victims.
With two days of showing in the Colorado Mesa University Center Meyer Ballroom, the exhibit is meant to start the conversation about sexual assault with a display of outfits from sexual assault survivors.
The gallery features 40 or so outfits relating to a personal experience by a sexual assault survivor. Each outfit had been described by an anonymous Colorado Mesa University (CMU) student and each piece of clothing was paired with a confessional detailing the students own experience with sexual assault.
Brett Serrano for The Criterion 
Brett Serrano for The Criterion
The confessionals are emotionally charged and can be clearly distressing to some viewers. Caution was advised at the door.
Moving through the gallery, it was easy to spot the central theme the clothing provided. Tackling the “they were asking for it” myth persistent in our culture, the outfits ranged from pajamas to cargo shorts to old T-shirts.
Several outfits belonged to men and unfortunately, children. The curators wanted to provide real examples of survivors of sexual assault.
It is not the prevalent party story that we so often here on the news. Most of the experiences were from students simply minding their own business.
‘What Were You Wearing’ provided viewers with a brief but powerful glance into the reality of a survivor. For many, this was the first time students had been face-to-face with the actuality of sexual assault.
The exhibit was meant to spark emotion with the viewers. Sometimes the truth is difficult to accept but is nonetheless important. The message and the conversation will hopefully be carried on by students long after the gallery has ended.
