A young woman was booted out of a shopping mall for her "illegal" outfit that showed off her midriff.
As reported by News.com.au, a 20-year-old named Madison Green was at Dalby Shoppingworld in south-east Queensland to buy groceries for her grandmother.
However, her shopping trip was cut short after she was confronted by a female security guard who ordered her to leave because of the black crop top she was sporting.
Footage of the confrontation (obtained by Nine News) showed Green asked the woman: "'What's your issue?" to which the security guard fired back: "I can see your stomach."
Green demanded answers so she pointed out: "How come there's a store in here that sells clothing like this but I can't wear it in here?" but the guard replied by noting that she needed to cover her stomach.
When a male individual off camera asked why there was a problem with Green's outfit, the woman said: "Because that's the law."
It was at this point that another woman walked by wearing a sports top that exposed her torso, so a confused Green exclaimed: "She's not wearing a top."
However, the guard claimed that she saw Green first which is why she is escorting her out of the shopping mall. She then called her a "smart a**" and demanded that she leave.
The video then shows the security guard following Green in and out of a Woolworths supermarket. "Leave me alone, stop following me!" the young woman called out. "That’s my job," the guard said and kept following.
Speaking to Nine News about the ordeal, the young woman said: "I know for a fact that I'm allowed to wear these things, it's 2024, I don't see any issue with it whatsoever."
Many dress codes at work do not allow an exposed belly, but there is no rule forbidding one from wearing clothing items such as crop tops in public spaces.
A spokesperson for Dalby Shoppingworld confirmed that Green was not in breach of any clothing rules as they shared a statement that read: "Centre management has apologized to the patron and has been in discussion with the contracted security company and requested that they review their procedures to make sure their staff have appropriate training.
"This particular security officer involved won't be assigned to Dalby Shoppingworld in the future," they added.
