Modesty, sometimes known as demureness, is a mode of dress and deportment which intends to avoid the encouraging sexual attraction in others.

There is a word that has gone away. I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine and i noticed that she was wearing a “bralette” under her top and it was visible. I said why are you wearing a top under your top and she stated “that the shirt had a wide neck and you could see her bra strap.” I got it. However, that brought about a conversation about how the millennial generation does not care who sees what when they dress. When did this start happening? Where did modesty go?

Growing up in the 70s as a child, I was raised in what you would have called a pretty modest household. I don’t remember a day that my mother didn’t wake up and put on a robe and slippers in the morning. We had robes and slippers too. My father NEVER walked around in his underwear. When you got dressed in “fancy’ clothes you wore a slip and maybe a camisole to go over your bra so not one would see it through your shirt. No one saw your underwear through your dress. Even when I was a teenager my grandfather would see us coming to visit and immediately put a shirt on over his undershirt, which he ALWAYS wore. He would never think of opening the door and having us see him not dressed.

So that is the question I have. What happened to covering up? I work in one of the largest community colleges in the State of Illinois and most of the student body is made up of young adults under the age of 21. I usually dread the warm weather because I know that I’m going to just see too much. In high school we worked very hard to be sure our bra straps were never showing. Even going as far as pinning them when need be. Now, it doesn’t even matter. And why not wear a blue bra with a white shirt. I always admired your undergarments.

This summer I was walking from my job at WBBM about noon on a Saturday. There are always music festivals going on which brings Teens into the city from the outer suburbs. But I want to know what mother would let their 15 year old daughter out with shorts that don’t cover them. I do not think it is appropriate to see under-aged ass hanging out of shorts that were meant for toddlers. Okay, maybe that is a bit harsh, but there is no imagination. It is all out there for people to see. My mother said that when people dress like that, they are looking for sex. I don’t believe that, but she is from a different generation. Just a little more fabric please. And don’t get me started on the skin tight, way too short dresses.

Oh my, I do sound like an old lady. The last thing I want to discuss is yoga pants. Most of my friends know that I do not think of them as pants, however I think I am in the minority. So, here is my problem with them now…. sometimes they are see through an now I not only can see your underwear (usually a thong), but your bare ass. Come on! and the new trend is wearing a really tight half shirt so your belly is exposed too. People get a real kick out of seeing all of the outfits of the shoppers at Walmart, but as I stated before, I work at a community college and I see stuff…

So, to wrap this up, parents may think they are doing their kids a favor by letting them “show” some skin or letting them express themselves, but really what are they saying? What is going to happen to the kids of your kids? Are we all just going to walk around naked? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was quoted saying “Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it.” Sometimes the mystery is sexy, however I am afraid there has been a spoiler alert!

If you have any thoughts on this topic, please feel free to share in the comment section.

Julie