Katherine’s photo series shows what people were wearing when they were sexually assaulted. (Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

‘What were you wearing?’

It’s ridiculous that this is one of the first questions people are asked when they share their experience of rape or sexual assault.

But it’s still being asked all the time. Because people STILL think, on some level, that victims of sexual assault are in some way to blame for the actions of someone else.

That’s what photographer Katherine Cambareri wants to take down with her new photo series – the idea that what someone is wearing in any way causes sexual assault.


‘Well, What Were You Wearing?’ shares the items of clothing people were wearing when they were assaulted.

(Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

The series began as Katherine’s senior thesis, but she now plans to continue the project after she graduates from Arcadia University next month.



‘Over the summer I read Missoula written by Jon Krakauer, which really got me heated about how unfairly sexual assault cases are handled,’ Katherine told metro.co.uk.

(Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

‘This book really opened my eyes to victim blaming and the questions victims are asked, such as if they were drinking and what they were wearing at the time the assault occurred.

‘Questions like this are asked to protect the perpetrator rather than the victim. I find it asinine that survivors are sometimes blamed before they even have the chance to tell their stories.

(Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

‘I wanted to do something to prove how unnecessary these victim-blaming type questions are.’

And so Katherine posted statuses on Facebook, asking survivors of sexual assault to let her borrow their clothing for the photo series. She wanted the work to firmly disprove the assumed idea that those who are raped and assaulted must have been wearing revealing clothing.

(Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

While Katherine asked for both male and female students to participate in the project, only female students responded.

The resulting photographs prove once again that outfit choices in no way ‘ask’ for unwanted sexual attention. They show a wide variety of clothing types, showing that what a woman wears really makes no difference to the actions of a rapist.

(Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

‘I really, really hope to make people uncomfortable looking at these images,’ explains Katherine.

‘I want people to think about victim-blaming and how asking “What were you wearing?,” is not a valid question because victims never “ask” to be assaulted.

‘Sexual assault occurs because a person decided to assault another person, and for no other reason.

(Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

‘A person’s choice of clothing is never a reason to sexually assault someone, and the stereotype that victims are always wearing revealing clothing at the time of their assault is not true.

‘I am trying to challenge society’s assumptions that victims are always in revealing clothing, and I am trying to show the variation in clothing worn – there is no correlation between what victims wear and their attacks, because sexual assault only occurs people a person decides to assault another person.

(Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

Katherine told us that while some people think she’s chosen to only show modest clothing to make a point, she made sure to photograph every piece of clothing she was sent by survivors.



‘I have included all articles of clothing that I’ve received for this project, ranging from shorts to sweaters.’

(Picture: Katherine Cambareri)

The response to the photo series has been overwhelmingly positive. Survivors of sexual assault have reached out to Katherine to thank her for sharing her photographs, and those featured in the project say they found it ’empowering’ to be able to turn their experience into something positive, after ‘being told so many times to stay quiet about what happened.’

‘The fact that I can give people a voice is amazing,’ says Katherine.

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