A video of a TikToker claiming that Planet Fitness employees told her that her gym attire broke dress code has gone viral.
“Time to find a new gym,” the video’s caption reads.
Alana (who asked that her last name be withheld) on TikTok, said employees told her that her cropped, red Rutgers University shirt was too short and that her leggings should be pulled up more.
The video has garnered more than 109,000 views since being posted on June 29. She has since deleted the post.
Planet Fitness told the Daily Dot in a statement that the incident was an error and that the company is working with the local franchise owner to reeducate its staff on current policies.
“We sincerely apologize for the unfortunate incident that took place at our Fairfield, NJ location,” the statement reads. “We have also contacted this member directly to personally apologize and look forward to welcoming her back into our clubs.”
According to Planet Fitness’ dress code, any clothing that “may be perceived as intimidating, revealing, or offensive” is not allowed in the gym. But the definition of “revealing” sparked a debate in the comments over the disparities between how men and women are dress-coded and the disproportionate policing of women’s bodies.
“@planetfitness but guys in tank tops are okay??” one user commented.
One man shared that he goes into Planet Fitness half naked while using weights, and nobody has ever said anything to him. Other women said they didn’t even know a dress code existed and that they go into the gym wearing just a sports bra and shorts all the time.
“You’re literally just trying to work out,” one user commented. “What you wear shouldn’t matter!”
A research thesis analyzing gender in high school dress code policies explored that dress codes aim to “reduce disruption” but actively sexualize female bodies by placing the burden on girls to not be a distraction.
Some joked about the apparent irony of Planet Fitness being a self-proclaimed “judgment-free zone.”
“I saw a guy in literally khakis the other day,” one user commented. In response, Gomez-Solis assumed the guy didn’t get a warning for it.
In the comments, Alana tagged Planet Fitness in response to a user’s comment that said: “They need to change their code because I know damn well they are losing clientele over this bs.”
Gomez-Solis did not respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.
This article has been updated to withhold identifying details about the TikTok user.
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