Kentucky councilwoman fires back at critics who slammed her for wearing leggings to work, insisting they simply can't handle a woman being 'curvy and intelligent at the same time'
A councilwoman was shamed by her constituents for wearing leggings on a city hall tour — but she has since responded to the haters by standing up for her outfit choice.
Emily LaDouceur, a councilwoman from Berea, Kentucky, wore a pair of black leggings earlier this month when giving elementary school students a tour of the town's city hall.
Seemingly-innocent photos from the tour were shared on City of Berea, KY Government Facebook page, however they quickly faced a barrage of criticism from people who thought LaDouceur's outfit was inappropriate.
Facing critics: Emily LaDouceur, a councilwoman from Berea, Kentucky, was criticized for her outfit choice when giving a tour to elementary students
Inappropriate? Pictures were shared on the city's Facebook page and sparked outrage by critics who thought the leggings were not professional
Staying positive: People commented against both LaDouceur's outfit and body size, and this forced the councilwoman to address the critics online
Commenters not only criticized the woman's outfit for the day, but they also made cruel comments about her size.
One commenter wrote: 'Leggings are NOT ProfessionalBusiness attire. This is Not Body Shaming. I wear leggings when appropriate. Standing in front of young people, I set an example and Dress for success.'
Another person said LaDouceur presented herself 'like it was just a trip to Walmart' based on her attire.
Instead of acting out in anger over the comments, LaDouceur decided to fire back at the criticism on her own Facebook page by sharing the pants she wore in case anyone else wanted to buy them.
'There seems to be quite a bit of interest in the leggings I wear, so I figured I’d share the brand and where I buy them in case anyone else would like to add some to their professional wardrobe,' she wrote at the time.
'Yes, they’re a bit pricey, but as a faithful consumer of this brand of legging, they are worth it. They are not see-through and they’re versatile, dress them up or down.'
She continued: 'Hesitant to wear something comfortable that fits your body because others can’t handle you being intelligent and curvy at the same time?
'Nevermind those haters... you’ve got a curvy City Councilwoman who tries to set an example daily that it is OK to love the skin you’re in.'
Included with the post was a link to the leggings ($88) available on Amazon.
Standing up: Comments poured with people expressing their opinions about the outfit choice. LaDouceur was unafraid, though, to kindly respond back
Proud: She called the pants 'professional leggings' to critics who decided to call them out
Get the look: LaDouceur later hilariously shared the leggings on her page in case anyone wanted to get the same pair for their own wardrobe
Supportive: This backlash started a conversation about body positivity. Many women stood up for the woman and sent in their own leggings picture with the hashtag #BereaWearsLeggings
Her response quickly went viral as people praised the woman for standing up for herself in the face of critics, with many frustrated everyone was focused on LaDouceur's clothing instead of her platform.
On Friday, the councilwoman commented on the national conversation surrounding her outfit after the story went viral.
'Never did I imagine that my body and my leggings would make national news as opposed to the great ideas and work I put forth in my community, but I’m choosing to absorb this moment because it has introduced people to my platform...a platform of inclusion and equity,' she wrote.
LaDouceur went on to say she has only been in her position for four months, and she was already starting to understand the difficulties of working for the government.
But she hoped the conversation surrounding her outfits could promote a positive discussion about body positivity and standing up for oneself.
'We can teach children that bullying and body shaming is not OK...The high road doesn’t have to look like toxic positivity....it looks like engaging here bridges can be built and removing ourselves from spaces and people who are not able to manage their pain enough to see us,' LaDouceur continued.
The controversy sparked support in LaDouceur's community with women deciding to share pictures of themselves wearing leggings while using the hashtag #BereaWearsLeggings.
'Whenever somebody gets knocked down, we turn it around and make it positive,' LaDouceur told LEX18.
