What Were You Wearing?

In fashion, this question celebrates identity, creativity, and influence. But for survivors of sexual violence, it’s used to blame them for the violence that happened to them. There is never an excuse, justification, or invitation for sexual abuse of any form. Period.

Shelterhouse opened a What Were You Wearing exhibit in partnership with the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library in March 2025. This exhibit features stories from real survivors of sexual assault alongside the outfits they wore at the time of their assault to raise awareness about sexual violence and the fact that clothing does NOT equal consent. These stories are a combination of local Midland/Gladwin survivors and regional survivor stories shared through RISE's exhibit which can be viewed here.

TRIGGER WARNING: Some of these photos include explicit descriptions of sexual violence and rape, including of minors. If you are a survivor that may feel triggered by these descriptions, we recommend not viewing the images posted here.