The unwritten dress rule for church and primary educational institutions are skirts should be at least below the knee or fingertip length. Although young women abide by the rules inside these facilities, once they leave, these rules no longer apply.
Because of the influential exposure that the media displays of pop culture, the word dressing appropriately has been redefined. Young girls see tight skirts, low cut shirts, midriffs, and cut off shorts being associated with beauty on a daily basis. It has reached the all time low of the latest trends coming in smaller sizes that targets little girls.
True enough, during your teenage years you have room to explore and express yourself through your clothing, but young ladies have to remember that there is a balance. Young girls evolving into young women need to have women in their lives that set a great example, starting with how to present oneself in public.
For young ladies on the verge of becoming a woman, wearing a low cut blouse should automatically mean that the preferred bottoms are not too short. Or if she wants to show a little leg, then try not to reveal too much up top. The chest, arms, legs, and lower back area are all a woman’s attractive points on her body; therefore, attracting the attention of the opposite sex. But remember all attention is not good attention.
Young ladies are being led to believe that by showing more makes them more attractive; however, they do not realize that by showing too much cleavage, or leg puts them in a category of being treated exactly how they dress. Ironically, in most cases, girls do not have the same perspective of themselves as other people do when dressed in certain outfits that show an excessive amount of skin. When women expose too much, men tend to treat them like objects, or may address them by anything but their name, and assume that they are willing to expose more than what they are already have.
Yes, men should respect women at all times; however, how can they respect women who do not exude lady-like qualities. One’s appearance is the first thing that people use to make judgments about one another; therefore it is extremely important to always, always make a great impression the first time. It may be cliché, but it is true that people can never make a first impression the second time around. The way a person dresses, especially women, shows a lot about one’s character.
On the contrary, clothing manufactures who make little girls’ clothing that strongly resemble the same clothing that you would see in junior sizes do not help the younger generation dress age appropriate. Destroyed jeans or low cut blouses should not be able to fit little girls, because too much is being revealed and young girls are being socialized to think that dressing in such a manner is okay.
We need women, whether celebrities, stay at home mothers, or working women to be positive role models that influence young girls to dress modestly. Because without these women, young girls will continue to attract the wrong attention from men, be ignorant of terms such as business causal and business formal, and be clueless about how to be sexy and classy at the same time. Youth is a time period where people are exceptionally impressionable, so it is our responsibility to teach girls that it is okay to leave something to the imagination, because girls grow into women; however, they have to be taught how to be a lady.
About Yasmin Harrell:
Yasmin Harrell attends Valdosta State University as a graduating senior. After college she plans to attend Graduate School to obtain a Master’s Degree in African-American Studies. Through higher education and giving back, she plans to inspire anyone within her reach.
Photo credit: brechotoshine.blogspot.com
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