ModernHealthJournal.com

Everyone has seen those guys, the ones that walk around in T-shirts and jeans, or worse, things like cargo shorts all the time. The question is why is it that so many men feel that this is the way to present themselves to the world? This is especially true when one considers the great lengths that most women go to in order to make themselves look attractive. Well, the simple fact of the matter is that men, in general, have a completely different view of themselves and how they are perceived in this world than women do. This is based mostly on the fact that men are judged by a different set of standards than women are, especially in the western world or in regions where western standards have been significantly adopted.

One example of this would be in places such as Japan where traditional Japanese styles of clothing have largely been relegated to use only in ceremonial situations. Beyond that, the average person tends to wear western style clothing and follow most of the other norms associated with them. One of the real exceptions to this can be found in countries with a dominant Arabic or Islamic tradition. In those places some men, but an even larger number of women either choose or are required by law or tradition to wear far more modest items. And, of course, there are types of clothing which are simply designed to keep nearly all, or, v in some cases, all of the body hidden from public view.

Still, when it comes to the public appearance of men and women in most areas of the western world, the written and unwritten rules that guide men and women can be very different. When it comes to the written rules there are still a number of actual laws which regulate what part of the male and female bodies must be covered and even what they must be covered with. But, after one satisfies those rules there are a great many unwritten rules which must be followed in order to navigate the world we live comfortably.

One example of this is the near universal rule for restaurants of all kinds and other business establishments from convenience stores up to office buildings and the like. In these cases the minimum requirements are that shoes and shirts are absolutely required which means that a person, or more specifically, a man could be standing outside the building with no shirt or shoes on and be well within the limits of the law and propriety but, in order to step inside the building he must put on both.

Still, the real question here is why men have such a lower level of care and attention when it comes to what they wear and how they present themselves to the world. The simple answer is that men are judged by society on a whole other level than women in this regard. This is mainly due to a long and sometimes confusing set of rules which have been adopted by many parts of western culture. For the most part, these rules dictate that women's bodies are seen to be the essence of sexuality. And, for a society that still clings to a nebulous history of puritanical thought, this leads to a lot of conflicting thoughts when it comes to how we judge women, what they are allowed to wear by law and what they are allowed to wear and still be found acceptable by society at large. The key thing is that these rules were largely set by pretty much since the beginning of time and all around the world.

The Male Point Of View

Since there is no real argument that it is men who have made the rules when it comes to what is appropriate to wear since the very beginning it would be interesting to take a look inside the mindset of this half of the population.

In essence, men feel that they should be judged by others based on the strength that they possess both in the physical sense as well as mentally. In both cases these are indicators of their ability to dominate their environment and those who inhabit it. For example, men who make their livings utilizing brute strength such as construction workers or athletes see themselves as physically dominant and their choice of clothing tends to reflect that as they opt for items that allow them to move freely and protect them from the elements. On the other hand, men who earn their living in more cerebral fields tend to go for clothing items that have a more refined look and feel.

Of course, the details of these clothing items do change with the changing of styles and the materials available at the time but the bottom line here is that men do not tend to choose clothes that are not overtly sexually revealing unless there is a very specific requirement for it such as with performers in certain types of shows.

Again, the main reasoning behind this is the fact that men do not feel that they need to be judged by their looks and, therefore, do not seek to dress themselves in ways that highlight their physiques beyond the basic desire to show the world that they are physically fit.

From A Woman's Perspective

One thing that has become abundantly clear over the centuries is that women tend to see clothing and all of the accessories that the western culture is drawn to including make up as ways to make themselves more attractive to men. Now, there

are those who would argue this point and there are women who refuse to go along with this idea, but the evidence is inescapable when you look at western society as a whole. The bottom line here is that women, especially those who are interested in attracting a man tend to choose clothing and accessories which highlight their physical features mainly because they know that men are drawn to women who excite them sexually. And, this can sometimes be a tricky road to travel on because there is a vague but fine line between clothing and accessories which are widely considered to be attractive and those that are considered to be in poor taste or which bring about scorn and derision from a large segment of the population of both men and women. This phenomenon is based on the case that women are allowed to present themselves as sexual beings but should do so in a way that says that they are available but not too available. As the line can be hard to find the whole set of rules can seem like a tightrope that needs to be walked quite carefully.

Finding A Balance

In a world that allows men a great deal of discretion as to how they present themselves in a socially acceptable way there are still rules that he must follow depending on his position in that larger arena. For example, a man who is attempting to climb the corporate ladder the expectations are that he will wear clothing and groom himself in such a way that casts the company in a positive light. This is true for women, too, but the rules can be very different. In this case, the woman is expected to present an image which is respectable first and foremost. Still, the unwritten rules also dictate that she show a certain degree of sexuality which will make men, in general, more inclined to want to have her around for the important decisions that are likely to be made at the top levels.

In the end, as unfair as it may seem on the surface, women are held to a certain standard in their appearance which men are generally not. What the research shows is that this double standard goes all the way back to our most primal instincts. It is here that we find the basis for our cultural norms and the foundation for the idea that women who want to be seen as attractive need to present themselves as sexual beings who, all at once, must demonstrate that they are sexually alluring but also not so much so that they are seen as being actively seeking sex.