Why girls/women wear sexy clothes

[dougie_monty]

This matter has become less clear to me than it was when I was a teenager. I first assumed the girls who wear sexy clothes do so to attract boys--and they turned my head often enough.
But in more recent years I heard another aspect of this: competition. One older woman, whose daughter was herself a classmate of mine (but dressed smartly rather than sexy), suggested that girls, and by extension, adult women, will wear something skimpy, tight, or sheer, as sort of an effort at "one-upmanship" against other girls. Is there much basis for this suggestion?

[voguevixen]

Interesting...A little of both, I assume. I mean, to turn the guy's head away from the other girls. I know if I had a little more going on in the body department I might be more inclined to show it off. Maybe it's a self-esteem thing; on the other hand, maybe some girls think the only way they can get a guy is by using their body. So maybe it's a LACK of self-esteem thing. I'm a bit more voluptuous (sp?) than is currently fashionable, so I tend to wear things that aren't so much skimpy (baby tees, micro-mini skirts, etc), but accent my curves, like a knit dress or something. Not that that seems to be attracting any fellows or irking the other ladies, hahaha.

[Rich Hall]

Why do women wear string/thong underwear? You can tell right through the clothes.Or is that the point?
Please don't mention the obese M L woman, any more than I had to already.

[Dirty Devil]

I'd like to know why women who dress in skimpy clothes get mad when you look at them. The other day I passed a woman at an outdoor restaurant who was wearing a very short skirt and had on a very low cut, skin-tight top, revealing a lot of (very nice) cleavage. As I walked by and looked at her chest, she snapped "What are you looking at?". What do you mean, what am I looking at? I'm looking at what you're showing off. I wasn't staring, I wasn't drooling, I wasn't shouting "hubba hubba". I just looked. If women are gonna get so upset when a guy looks at their body, why do they dress so provocatively? This was San Francisco, after all. So don't tell me she was dressed like that because the weather was too hot. She was showing off the goods, and then got mad when someone took a look.

[dougie_monty]

I think that if I did this and the woman snapped, "What are you looking at?" I would answer, "I'm looking at what you're showing off, that's what." This is a variation on, "If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen."

[voguevixen]

I agree, I don't know why they would showcase it like that if they didn't want you to look at it. Like I said, if I had anything I thought was worth looking at, I'd show it off a little.

[handy]

Here is the basic theory:

1. girls mature earlier than boys
2. to compete for that small amount of boys that mature early, girls compete with each other.
3. girls that don't get any of those boys become airheads to attract the unmature boys.

Real theory, believe it or not.

[Shirley Ujest]

Well, according to my sister in law, women who wear sexy clothing are just begging to be raped.

All this and more on the close minded network....

Well, according to my sister in law, women who wear sexy clothing are just begging to be raped.

I wouldn't go that far, but they are begging to be looked at, and stared at. And I agree that a woman/teen who wears those types of outfits has no right to cry about being stared at. I mean, what do they expect???
Sheesh.

Adam

------------------
"Life is hard...but God is good"

[Persephone]

Shirley, I know people who think that way too. Just want to smack them.

I think women dress that way to attract men, AND compete with other women. I used to, but now I;m married, so I only dress that way for my husband. Sometimes. If I'm in a good mood.

And how can anyone wear those thongs??? I tried one on once...for about two seconds, then started desperately trying to yank that thing out of my butt. Still makes me shudder.

[Leslie]

I will occasionally wear a thong if I have a pair of pants that have a tendency to show my panty lines. In fact, I'm wearing one right now!

Mmmm. Bunchy.

[Rich Hall]

But we like panty lines, too.

[ChrisCTP]

I have a hard time figuring out what's supposed to be "sexy clothes". The world being what it is, people are all different shapes and sizes and what is sexy on one person looks downright tacky on another. If I went out in some clingy thingy, I'd feel like a superdork. I feel more sexy when I'm leaving (at least a little) something to the imagination.

I don't understand what could possibly be so exciting about a woman in a minidress anyway. It's not like it's so seldom that you'll see a scantily dressed woman that it's surprising or anything. I find it boring and unimaginative. If I were a man I'd probably feel the same way.

I definitely don't think that "dressing sexy" is a recipe for rape, but to think that a woman would dress as such for attention or competition is sad, not to mention completely degrading. If a woman feels confident and sexy no matter what she's wearing, it's one thing. To dress that way because you don't feel confident or sexy and because you're trying to mask it is quite another. Just my HO.

------------------
Veni, Vidi, Visa ... I came, I saw, I bought.

I don't understand what could possibly be so exciting about a woman in a minidress anyway. It's not like it's so seldom that you'll see a scantily dressed woman that it's surprising or anything. I find it boring and unimaginative. If I were a man I'd probably feel the same way.

Further proof that men and women do not think alike. We have an infinite capacity to check out scantily attired women. I'll admit that I've been in a strip club with a fully nude woman dancing on stage ten feet away and I've looked over to check out the legs on the cocktrail waitress in her miniskirt.

[Pete]

We covered this topic, not thoroughly, but decently in this forum already. It was called "Sexy Dresses"

We all should read that thread before you continue with this one.

[BunnyGirl]

To be noticed of course. I don't necessarily wear skimpy things (except for tank tops) but I do wear things that accentuate my best features. It's a nice little inexpensive ego boost to have a guy notice you. Heck, it even makes me feel good when I get whistled at when I'm in my running shorts and tank top and sweating like a pig. Guys....who can figure 'em?

[SkeptiJess]

1) To be noticed. Why not? It's better than being invisable.

2) Because I can. Clothes that are on the traditionally sexy list (short skirts, tight, low-cut tops, tight jeans) happen to look good on my figure type. If I was shaped differently, I'd have to go in a different direction, style-wise.

3) Hoping for perks from guys. A low-cut tank top and an uplift bra have gotten me out of more than one traffic ticket. Today, I'm hoping that a low-cut mini-dress will help me convince a math professor to let me crash his course. I'll let you know if it works.

------------------
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity

[Diane]

There is a difference between sexy and sleazy.

Sexy is showing off your femininity and confidence.

Sleaziness is best described as bargain-basement, trailer-trash, "Gawd, I waint a ma-in.", Jerry Springer guest, way of dressing.

Sexy is Victoria's Secret.

Sleazy is Fredericks of Hollywood.

Sexy is black stockings.

Sleazy is 5 inch heals.

Sexy is a the backless, little black dress.

Sleazy is the red leather mini-skirt.

Once in a while I dress sexy. I will be lying if I were to say that I don't appreciate the looks I receive when I am wearing my long, tight, black tank dress or a low-cut blouse. I don't fall out of my clothing, but I am not ashamed of what I have either.

It isn't so much as a "look at me thing" but of the way I feel wearing it. It's kind of the same feeling you get when you wear your lacy lingerie from Victoria's Secret compared to the big, white cotton underwear from K-Mart. No one can see it, but you still feel more feminine with the lace.


------------------
>^,,^<
KITTEN

Coarse and violent nudity. Occasional language.

[handy]

They make womans panties that don't show panty lines, they are a bit larger than usual ones.

Anyone know why women's panties [some] have a eighth crescent line on the bottom back? Men's don't.

[sunbear]

No help on your panties, handy.

Pete: what do you mean read?People just want to write. And I'm almost ready to give up reminding people we discussed this in april. Because, mostly, these are not the same people!

[dougie_monty]

Yes, you're right, Sunbear--these aren't the same people. This topic was a coincidence. I was not accessing the Straight Dope Message Board in April.