I’ve been asked to give a talk to a group of teen girls next week. The topic: modest dress. While it remains to be seen how well this talk will go over with the young ladies, it struck me that it is important to remind women of all ages to always leave a little bit to the imagination. Great personal style always involves an air of mystery.
A good friend of mine recently said, “A little mystery goes a long way.” I could not agree with him more. Confession: when he and I see someone who is exposing a lot of skin, our response is always the same, “Oh, that poor thing.” Do you know why we say that? Because showing too much skin is a sign of low self esteem. Those who are secure in themselves don’t have to put it all out there to get attention.
Please note, I am not saying you should not flaunt what you have sometimes. What I am saying is to keep it balanced. If you are showing off ‘the girls,’ make sure your hemline is to your knee. When wearing a short skirt, on the other hand, wear more coverage on top. If your top is voluminous, your bottom half should be more fitted and vice versa. These ‘rules’ fall into what I like to call the Well-Balanced Outfit.
Always consider the occasion and add more or less mystery as needed. But always leave us guessing a little bit. For you single gals, remember there is a difference between the girl the guys look at and the girl the guys take home to meet mom. Which do you want to be?
You are not an object. Make sure the world doesn’t treat you like one by dressing in a way that demonstrates a high level of self-respect and self-confidence.
