As the saying goes, “you are dressed the way you want to be addressed”. The first impression you make in any setting, matters a lot. Someone once said, “Your clothing speaks long before you do.” What that means is that whether you say a word or not, what you are wearing is talking. Your wardrobe communicates trust, wisdom, status, and wealth. It reveals how conservative you are, or how much of a risk taker you are. Whether you are making first impressions, building relationships, or enjoying the relationships you’ve already built, your clothing is always communicating.
My dear Lagos Mums, we have beautiful children, sisters and brothers or we hope to have; what are our clothes and those of our children saying about us? Below is an excerpt from an article I came across about a young girl who believes the 1950’s was the era of ladies and not what we have today.
Although victory rolls and ankle length skirts may seem a little dated to many women in their twenties, for one it is a way of life. Holly Foster, 22, prides herself on her lady-like attire, adopting the style of women in 1950s, which has recently seen her crowned Miss Vintage UK. However, her floral prints and pearls are more than just a style statement as Holly says dressing this way – and ‘not like Miley Cyrus’ – is the only way to demand real respect from men. Source DailyMail
Holly, from Welling, Kent, even suggests that women who dress in a more revealing manner could encourage unwanted attention. She said; ‘Girls my age will go out on the town in skimpy – largely unflattering – clothing and they are surprised when they are not treated with respect. ‘If you dress like a lady you will be treated like a lady.’
Holly added that she had witnessed it in action when she has been on nights out with friends. ‘I go to nightclubs like other girls my age and when I do I’m always struck by the same thing.’You walk into a room all the guys are looking at you, just up and down like you’re a piece of meat.’ ‘Men I meet tell me I look attractive because I leave a little something to the imagination…’
An excerpt from the book: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali’s Life Lessons Through His Daughter’s Eyes: shares that once when Muhammad Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were quite revealing. Ali apparently took a good look at them, then sat his daughter down on his lap and said something she will never forget.
He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You’ve got to work hard to get to them.” He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.” Source Unilag.edu
- Who would you rather dress like; Miley Cyrus or Holly Foster?
- Would you give your daughters, sisters, brothers and friends the same advice Muhammad Ali gave his daughters “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too?”
- Would you have them ask themselves each day what their clothes are saying about them? Would you ask yourself, what your clothes are saying about you?
If you can answer these questions, then you are well on your way to raising decent, well grounded and confident children who would not be carried away by pop culture and fashion trends that are not up to par in the decency radar. You would have raised children who will know exactly what their clothes say about them each time they leave the house.
