This is the third year that the Haven Project and the Fashion Merchandising program are partnering together to set up the What Were You Wearing Exhibit at IUP, which brings awareness to the issue of victim blaming and helps to dismantle the myths about sexual violence occurring due to what a person was wearing when the assault occurred. This exhibit is to show support for victims and survivors of sexual assault. It is not uncommon for survivors to feel alone and isolated. For many, hearing and sharing stories can play a vital role in their recovery from trauma.
Submitted stories should be short, saying what the person was wearing and a little description of what transpired before the assault. When submitting a story, please do not share names. All stories will remain anonymous.
We will gather clothing similar to the description of clothing that was provided in the stories. No actual clothing will be collected.
The purpose of this exhibit is for the IUP community to visually see the clothing, read the stories, and help stop victim-blaming around sexual assault. This is a difficult topic to vocalize, so we want to provide resources if anyone would need to reach out.
Resources and Services
- The Alice Paul House (24/7 hotline) - 724-349-4444
- Center for Health and Well-Being
- The Haven Project - 724-357-3947
- Suites on Maple East G-2, haven-project@iup.edu
- The Counseling Center - 724-357-2621
- University Police - 724-357-2141
- The Office of Student Support and Community Standards - 724-357-1264
- Title IX Coordinator - 724-357-3402
- LGBTQIA Support - 724-357-2598
This display will be set up the week of April 12-April 16 in the Stapleton Library near Java City. We encourage everyone to visit the display, as April is Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
Please visit one of the links below for a sample of the exhibit displayed at IUP and exhibits by other universities.
To submit a story, please pick one of the options below:
- If you would like to submit it anonymously, please use this .
- Please email haven-project@iup.edu.
If you have any questions, please contact the Haven Project at 724-357-3947. For more information about the Haven Project, please visit the Haven Project website.