In today’s age, the call to combat slut shaming and the negative stereotypes associated with short hems and crop tops has inadvertently created a stigma against women who decide to wear less revealing clothing.
Whether the motivation for modesty is rooted in pride or religious principles, it is just as celebratory to cover up the majesty of the female form as it is to flaunt it.
These opposing views of the female body create a dichotomy of perfection that is as dangerous as it is occasionally uplifting.
There is a value in maintaining a sense of privacy toward one’s body.
In a culture where sexy has become synonymous with skin, wearing less revealing clothing sends a message to society that a woman’s sexuality is more than her beautifully constructed body.
Women possess goals, dreams and opinions and do not need revealing clothing to exude sexuality.
The media’s exaltation of feminine digitally edited perfection has also indoctrinated a generation of women with either crippling shame or a need to flaunt their ideal form.
Some receive a modicum of self-confidence by showing off, and while this is encouraged, it’s important to remember that sometimes a woman just doesn’t want the amount of skin she shows to equal how sexy or attractive she feels.
However, the choice to wear less revealing clothing is not shameful but rather an acknowledgement that not everyone is worthy of viewing her body.
Women who wear less revealing clothing understand they do not have to adhere to the conventional norms of beauty or feminism in order to celebrate their womanhood.
These women are not only comfortable in their skin, they protect their skin.
They do not want to give it away, and that’s fine.
While certain events such as the slutwalk are meaningful ways of celebrating a woman’s body, there is just as much power in women celebrating the feminine form by reserving their bodies for the individuals whom they deem worthy of gazing upon their curves.
The celebration of women’s bodies manifests itself in many different ways across many different cultures and faiths.
While modesty has been used in the past to perpetuate the stereotype of feminine propriety, it is the woman’s duty to take charge of her body and remember that it is just as liberating to cover up as it is to bare it all.
carheredi@indiana.edu
