"What Were You Wearing" is a Survivor Art Installation aiming to end victim-blaming by addressing the myth that sexual assaults can be attributed to a person’s choice of clothing.

The installation allows survivors of all genders and ages to anonymously share their stories, empowering other survivors, while also encouraging others to reconsider what may be their own long-held beliefs about sexual assault that are, in reality, myths and stereotypes that can aid perpetrators of crime in avoiding accountability for their choices.

"What Was I Wearing?"

The following poem by Mary Simmerling inspired the first exhibition at the University of Arkansas in 2013.

What I was wearing
was this:
from the top
a white t-shirt
cotton
short-sleeved
and round at the neck

this was tucked into
a jean skirt
(also cotton)
ending just above the knees
and belted at the top

underneath all this
was a white cotton bra
and white underpants
(though probably not a set)

on my feet
white tennis shoes
the kind one plays tennis in
and then finally
silver earrings, and lip gloss.

this is what i was wearing
that day
that night
that fourth of july
in 1987.

you may be wondering
why this matters
or even how i remember
every item
in such detail

you see
i have been asked this question
many times
it has been called to my mind
many times

this question
this answer
these details.

but my answer
much awaited
much anticipated
seems flat somehow
given the rest of the details
of that night
during which
at some point
i was raped.

and i wonder
what answer
what details
would give comfort
could give comfort
to you
my questioners

seeking comfort where
there is
alas
no comfort
to be found.

if only it were so simple
if only we could
end rape
by simply changing clothes

i remember also
what he was wearing
that night
even though
it’s true
that no one
has ever asked.
​
by Mary Simmerling