What Are We Teaching Daughters About Dress?

Mary Emma Allen — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:00:51 +0000

With the lax dress styles of today, I often wonder what we’re teaching our daughters about dress? Dress in the workplace? Dress at church? Dress simply to make a positive appearance?

In addition, what are we teaching them about themselves? To make a statement by dressing sloppily with holes in the knees and butt, midrift showing, and deep cleavage?

What are we teaching them about modesty, professionalism, and , yes, conforming to the dress code where they work?

It appears to me that women object more than men to having dress codes and complain, “That isn’t me. They’re squashing my personality.”

I work parttime at a deli. I must wear a shirt of a color that isn’t my best and has the store insignia. I also must wear a cap or hair net. These aren’t something I feel are “me.” We also cannot wear jeans. In order to have the job and the income, I “conform” to the store dress code and state health regulations (cap or hair net).

I’m probably not the only one who feels that if a person doesn’t care about their appearance, they, in all likelihood, don’t care enough about their work to do a good job. This may not be the case, but it is the thought that occurs to many people.

The old adage is true, “You only have a few seconds to make a first impression.” Let’s teach our daughters, and sons, to make a good first impression…in appearance and actions.