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