A Queensland woman’s viral rant about women wearing tight activewear in public places has triggered a fierce online debate.
Filmed inside a Townsville supermarket, the TikToker questioned why some shoppers are becoming increasingly comfortable wearing short shorts or leggings that leave far too little to the imagination in public.
Her comments sparked over a million views and thousands of comments that quickly spiraled into a wider conversation about body confidence, public decency, and Australia’s evolving athleisure culture.
The Queensland woman’s rant about activewear in public lit up social media
Image credits: popmalaka
The clip, recorded mid-errand inside a Townsville supermarket, showed TikToker Poppy sounding off about a trend she insisted had gone too far.
She began by acknowledging that many women looked great in activewear, saying, “Those women who wear that activewear, those short shorts, I think it’s great, you’re confident, you have a great figure.”
Image credits: wayhome.studio/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
But her tone shifted fast. Poppy argued that tight leggings and micro-shorts revealed more than most people realized, or wanted to see, for that matter, according to the New York Post.
“But do you realize when you walk, we can actually see the shape of your f**king v**?” she continued. She even pre-empted the criticism she knew was coming: “Don’t come at me and say ‘Why did you look?’ How could you not look? It’s right there, and you’re walking towards me?”
Image credits: popmalaka
The rant didn’t stop there. Poppy also compared the trend to men wearing ultra-tight tights. “It’s like hello, can you see the shape of my (privates)? I can’t avoid it. It’s like a guy walking around in those tights and you can see their (privates).”
Within hours, commenters flooded her video, torn between calling her bold and calling her judgmental.
Image credits: popmalaka
Some viewers argued she was voicing what many people quietly thought, while others accused her of projecting insecurity or being unnecessarily harsh toward women who felt comfortable in their bodies.
Social media users’ comments struck a nerve, revealing a much bigger divide in the activewear issue
While Poppy’s rant was raw, blunt, and borderline comedic in tone, it clearly tapped into something bigger. As it turns out, there is a cultural tug-of-war between comfort, confidence, and public expectations around modesty going on today.
Supporters showed up quickly. One viewer wrote: “She’s got a point. There’s such a thing as decency in public.” Another chimed in: “Amen, finally someone said it.”
A third took it even further, declaring: “I hate this new trend, activewear belongs in the gym.” A handful even labeled the whole trend “gross,” insisting that stores, sidewalks, and public places shouldn’t feel like an extension of the gym.
But the pushback was just as strong. Critics argued that Poppy’s rant policed women’s bodies and was tantamount to “internalized misogyny.”
Image credits: Unsplash+ Community (Not the actual photo)
One user clapped back with humor, writing, “Nothing wrong with seeing the shape … we all came from one.” Another urged her to mind her business. “Just look away, let me mind my own business. I’m not changing clothes, and I work hard for this body,” the commenter wrote.
Then there were those who simply didn’t see the big deal at all. “It really ain’t that deep. We feel hot and confident, so why not?” a commenter wrote.
Others pointed out that people often stop at the shops after a workout. “What if we have to run to the shops after a gym sesh? Should we go home and change? Some girls are just busy and need to get groceries after working out,” one user noted.
Some commenters also highlighted how easily criticism like this can chip away at women’s self-esteem. “Girls are already self-conscious walking around in activewear, so calling them out doesn’t make it better,” one netizen stated.
Activewear has quietly become Australia’s unofficial uniform, for better or worse
Regardless of which side people took, Poppy’s rant ended up opening a broader conversation about how Australians dress today, and why activewear has cemented itself as everyday attire.
After all, the rise of athleisure didn’t happen overnight. With lifestyles shifting and hybrid work becoming normal, more and more people are preferring clothes that could transition seamlessly from a Zoom meeting to a school run to a quick supermarket trip.
Image credits: Kzenon/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
According to a CBRE report, the trend reflects significant changes in day-to-day habits surrounding work, wellness, and convenience, and Australians have fully embraced it.
A national Chobani-commissioned survey found that 82% of Aussies under 60 wear activewear either for exercise, at home, or as casual wear, with nearly 40% admitting they wear it most days, or even every day.
This suggests that, whether critics approve or not, activewear in public is steadily becoming the norm.
Netizens shared their thoughts about Poppy’s rant about activewear on social media
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