‘I thought I was following girl code’: California woman pulls girl aside during workout class after noticing her wardrobe malfunction. It backfires
There are few social gambles riskier than invoking “girl code” in the wild, especially in a room full of mirrors and Lycra. One woman learned that the hard way after quietly pulling a fellow gym-goer aside to flag a see-through leggings situation—an act she thought was helpful, discreet, and universally appreciated.
Instead? It earned her a sharp clapback about her own outfit. Now she’s realized that not everyone wants a heads-up… even when they probably need one.
What Happened at this Gym?
A recent experience has left Becca (@flexxwithbex) asking the internet for advice. In a two-minute clip, Becca shares a recent encounter at the gym that has her questioning the logistics of girl code. The video currently has over 157,000 viewers and 700 comments.
She begins by explaining that she went to a fitness class at her gym. Naturally, she’s friendly with the women in the class, and she notices one of them is wearing a pair of leggings that look see-through. Being mindful, Becca pulls her aside and quietly alerts her of the issue.
Her response? “OK? There’s nothing I can do about it now.”
Becca Feels Awkward
Becca shares that she knew the woman was immediately upset and that she ignored Becca for the entirety of the class. After it ends, Becca goes to the woman again and apologizes for offending her. She explains that if it were her, she would want to know, hence why she told her.
The woman replies that it was “not helpful.” Then she makes a “jab” at Becca, saying, “Well, there’s some girls that come to the gym with their leggings all the way up to their butt.”
Becca moves farther away from the camera to show her outfit, which is a simple workout set, with “glute contouring” leggings. Becca mentions that she uses them to boost her confidence about her body, so the woman’s comment hurt her feelings and made her want to cry.
As the story comes to a close, Becca mentions that she feels embarrassed now about what the woman had said. She asks if she should text the woman and apologize again.
“This gym is my home. I go there six days a week. I really don’t want it to be tension or awkward,” she says. The last thing she mentions is that she never wanted to hurt the woman’s feelings.
Should She Have Told Her?
It seems the part that bothers Becca the most is whether she did something wrong or not. Girl code is always brought up, and a similar question was asked on the subreddit r/TheGirlSurvivalGuide. The Redditor’s story is similar to Becca’s: she saw a woman at the gym with see-through leggings on.
However, when she asked the women in her life what to do, they all advised her not to mention it. She explains that to her, “[I] usually tell them if it can be fixed in five minutes – something stuck in your teeth, your shirt buttoned wrong, fly open, etc.”
But she didn’t know if this could be fixed or not, which is why she asked the question on the subreddit. The most upvoted reply said, “I’ve been the person with see-through pants. I wish someone had said something before I walked all over campus, not after!!!”
@flexxwithbex Update: bc I have some comments abt the set I’m wearing, it’s from @Paragon Fitwear ♬ original sound – flexxwithbex
Viewers Have Her Back
Becca’s comment section has a similar tone to the Redditor’s. One viewer says, “Babe… your intent was to help, her intent was to hurt. It’s different. Don’t text her, just give her space… you broke no code. You apologised already. And also, you’re allowed to cry.” Another says, “I would want to know. You did nothing wrong.”
Some even tap into the reason the woman responded that way. A viewer with over 5,200 likes says, “She was embarrassed and can’t regulate her emotions well.” Similarly, another viewer shared, “She was embarrassed and deflected on. You did nothing wrong!”
Finally, many advise Becca not to text the woman any other apologies. One viewer with over 1,300 likes says, “Don’t text her, you didn’t break girl code. Go back to the gym like nothing happened. Perhaps she likes to wear see through leggings.”
The Mary Sue reached out to the creator via Instagram direct message.
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