Should American's cover up?

I first became interested in this topic of women’s fashions not only because I am majoring in retail merchandising, but a lecture I attended halfway through the quarter sparked my interest as well. The lecture, The Islam I Know, focused on the Muslim culture. Speaker Catherine Cutcher talked about the topic of veiling. This topic got me thinking about the negative associations with veiling and how women in different religions dress as well.

            Being more aware of how women in the other cultures dress has really changed my outlook on how American women dress. All of the women I studied in my blog dress modestly for themselves and for their God. They believe the body is special and should only be seen by their husbands, close family members, and God. American women jump at the chance to show a little more leg, more cleavage, and now showing off the back is considered sexy. If everyone can “see the goods” how are we keeping our bodies special for the ones that mean the most to us? Yes, I am guilty of wearing short shorts, low tanks, and exposing my body in a bikini at the beach; every girl is at some point or another, but we’ve been brought up in a world that doesn’t see the body as being special or a thing to be hidden from view. We see dressing skanky as a way to express our individuality, but it everyone is dressing this way are we really being an individual? One of the main problems in our society today is a young woman’s self-image. The way we dress is leading to eating disorders, hatred of our bodies, and way too much pressure on being perfect. By dressing modestly all the time, young girls wouldn’t have the pressures and would learn from a young age that all women are beautiful, not by the way they look, but because of their intellect and personality. This would lead to huge confidence boosts in our young girls.

            After researching how women dress from a Catholic Nun standpoint, an Amish and Mormon standpoint, and a Muslim’s standpoint, I think we should learn from them and take the time to think about the negative outcomes of having free range to dress how we want. The ability to cover one’s body is not a sign of oppression, but a sign of control over their bodies. If anything, American women are the ones being oppressed. Since we have say over what we wear, we have the mindset that we have to live up to something we aren’t, and be someone we aren’t. We need to start learning from other cultures and stop looking at them so negatively just because they are different than our own.