How to Help Teen Girls Choose Modest Clothes
According to a report from researchers at Ohio's Kenyon College, close to 30 percent of the clothing at 15 of the most popular kids' clothing stores had some sort of sexualizing characteristics -- meaning the clothing may have been cut suggestively or had sexually suggestive writing. Your best judgment is going to be key in keeping your daughters from wearing that type of clothing, but education and monitoring are also going to be important factors.
Instructions
Where to Shop
Do your research and find shopping centers that offer shops with more modest clothing. Ask other parents or teens who wear appropriate clothing; they may be in the know about some hidden gems you weren't aware of. That might also include websites that have appropriate clothing. Visit the independent stores and locally sourced boutiques in your area, which often offer unique styles. For example, you might look for individual boutiques downtown instead of going to the local shopping mall with chain stores. Check out department stores that focus on people of all ages. The idea here is to divert her attention. Department stores might also have suggestive clothing geared toward teens, but they'll also have clothing for adult women, which you might be able to bring out when your daughter is trying on something that is less-than-appropriate. Refuse to buy clothing that you consider inappropriate for your teen. Be firm about this topic and be ready to walk out of a store if your daughter has a teen tantrum or makes a scene about a specific outfit. Compliment your daughter when she chooses clothing that is appropriate. It may take some time to settle on a style that you both like -- and that's where patience is going to come into play. Encouraging Better Habits
Take a look at what you are wearing, and do your best to avoid the attire you don't want your child wearing. Expose your daughters to positive role models in the media. For example, avoid buying them magazines that feature scantily clad girls or women. Instead, look for magazines that feature positive role models and feminist or girl-positive views. Encourage friendships with girls who have high self-esteem and whose parents are on board with fostering a healthy self-respect. Remind your daughters that their best features are not their breasts or legs, but their personalities and brains. Watch TV and movies with your daughter, and talk to her about the effects of sexualization and objectification of women and girls. Whenever you and your daughter are exposed to an inappropriate picture, TV show or movie scene that shows women in sexualized clothing -- such as a female scientist wearing a low-cut blouse and high heels -- talk to her about objectification of women and how it can lead to low self-esteem, eating disorders or other problems.
