I’ll bet that you think, after reading this article’s title, that I’m going to speak about the moral and modesty issues surrounding girls and clothing. I approach things from a psychology perspective. Wearing skimpy clothing is often more of an emotional health issue. We’ve all probably heard the plaint that ‘girls today wear such low-cut shirts! with those low rise jeans they’re just exposing themselves’. We’ve heard low cut blouses, short skirts and low rise jeans decried as ‘revealing’ ‘immodest’ ‘sexual’, etc.
And the point is well-taken that fashions for girls, teens and women do reveal more flesh. Teaching in junior high and high school, I’ve seen all sorts of girls sporting a good six inches of cleavage. Is this immoral? I’m not going to comment on that. Can wearing skimpy clothing be sign of psychological disorder or emotional issues? Yes.
I’m not referring to psycho-sexual disorders such a nymphomania. What I am speaking of is nothing like nymphomania, if there even is such a condition, which my research has led me to doubt.
The wearing of overly tight or low-cut necklines which show a significant portion of the breasts, low rise jeans which show the upper portion of the buttocks, and extra shorts skirts and shorts and bikinis, is a psychological concern reflecting possible self-esteem issues. The female anatomy, especially the breasts, have become a status symbol. Larger breasts usually gain attention and admiration for girls, from men and women alike. Girls with smaller breasts covet the larger breasts as a sign of sexual attraction, power and prowess. Girls equate larger breasts with male conquest. Many girls believe that the only way that they can be attractive to men is to have (or acquire) larger breasts. Hence the crowds of women seeking breast implants.
I’m concerned psychologically, for girls who are taught to use their bodies as tools. I worry about women who are not able to see their own worth, outside of being objects of sexual attraction. I’m in no way saying that we as humans shouldn’t seek to make ourselves attractive. I’m only concerned about the motivation emotional issues behind it. I don’t like to think of women who see themselves only in terms of a sexual object. I fear for girls who dress provocatively because they believe that it’s the only way to get their emotional needs fulfilled. And I’m not for one moment suggesting that ‘men’ are responsible for this belief. We women are just as responsible for communicating any fallacies to each other. Fashions come and go. In my utopia where everyone is psychologically healthy and emotionally stable, we are the masters of fashion, not a slave to it.
For more of my ramblings on emotional health, stop by and see me at www.emotionalhealthhelp.blogspot.com. For more on healthy sexuality, visit me at www.onintimacy.blogspot.com.
