In honor of Pi Day–no, not “Pie Day”–female broadcast meteorologists across the country wore “the dress” to inspire young women to join STEM fields.
“The dress” became popular in November when it was discovered that many women in television news wear the same dress.
An Imgur user took screengrabs of weather reporters from across the country. The viral image has a caption, “This is what happens when you post a link to a $23 dress on Amazon that flatters everyone to a female meteorologist Facebook group.”
The private Facebook group has become a place where female meteorologists share fashion advice, in addition to career guidance and advice, and when someone in the group posted a picture of a “cheap” sheath dress available on Amazon that costs only $22.99, it was quickly bought by tons of members, including FOX 61’s own Rachel Frank and Audrey Kuchen.
Last week, a member in the group posted a reminder for members to wear “the dress” on Monday, March 14, which is Pi Day because the date–3/14–mimics the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi, which is 3.14.
The mathematically-inspired day was chosen to represent the need for more women to enter STEM fields. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and represents educations and jobs in those various,but related, fields.
According to research by the Department of Commerce, as of 2009 only 24 percent of employees in STEM jobs are women. And while a pay gap still exists between women and men in STEM jobs, women in STEM jobs versus women who are in other jobs make an average of $11.95 per hour more.
