( CNN ) -- While the world watched the historic landing of a space probe on a comet 310 million miles from Earth , many were distracted by what was happening closer to home . Rosetta Project scientist Matt Taylor caused a firestorm with his choice of fashion during the European Space Agency 's live stream of Wednesday 's Philae landing . Taylor initially sported a shirt featuring women in lingerie , possibly not the wisest choice of attire given all of the discussion surrounding the challenges for women in the tech and science fields . `` The fact that a scientist of any gender , but especially a man , would think it 's a good idea to wear a shirt covered in naked women while representing a major space agency and a significant research project is appalling ; and clearly , he had no idea that he was engaging in exactly the kind of casual sexism that drives women away from STEM , '' S.E . Smith wrote in an article on XOJane . STEM is the acronym for science , technology , engineering and mathematics , and women in those disciplines have long complained of sexism and other difficulties in their male-dominated fields . The shirt quickly spawned its own hashtag on Twitter -- # shirtstorm -- as both sexes took Taylor to task . `` No no women are toooootally welcome in our community , just ask the dude in this shirt , '' tweeted The Atlantic tech writer Rose Eveleth . `` I do n't care what scientists wear . But a shirt featuring women in lingerie is n't appropriate for a broadcast if you care about women in STEM , '' tweeted astrophysicist Katie Mack . `` You think a shirt like this makes women feel welcome ? I do n't , '' Mack added when another Twitter user questioned whether she was going too far . Smith wrote that the shirt was sexist and that `` The people who were upset by it were n't just those silly oversensitive feminists who ca n't take a joke . Scientists from all perspectives were unimpressed with the shirt , both on professional grounds and gendered ones. `` Taylor has been one of the most public faces of the mission and is known as an unconventional scientist . He sports tattoos all over his arms and , in honor of the Rosetta mission , got some new ink in January : a drawing of the space probe landing on the comet . During a recent Wall Street Journal Facebook Q & A , Taylor was asked about whether tattooed men can achieve greatness and said , `` The people I work with do n't judge me by my looks but only by the work I have done and can do . Simple . '' Taylor reportedly changed out of the shirt during the live stream . On Friday , he made an emotional apology during another live stream about the mission . `` The shirt I wore this week , I made a big mistake , and I 've offended many people , and I am very sorry about this , '' Taylor said before wiping his eyes . We can land on a comet , but we ca n't ...
NEW : Scientist Matt Taylor apologizes for shirt . Score: 6 Some say the shirt is sexist ; he changed clothes during live stream . The tattooed Taylor is known for being unconventional .