Is a Revealing Dress a Source of Female Empowerment?

Some believe there is a growing trend, particularly among younger women, to dress more revealingly than ever before, leaving many women concerned that showing more skin and wearing less in public has become socially acceptable and normalized. These detractors claim women are choosing provocative wardrobe choices for the wrong reasons: to attract men and online followers. However, women who are choosing to wear the clothing in question claim they should have the freedom to wear what they want and shouldn’t be “slut shamed” or forced to censor their wardrobe. They claim women who have a problem with it are from an older generation with an even older sense of fashion and style. Nicole, a social media fashion influencer and wardrobe stylist, says showing more skin is all about female empowerment. Radio show host Andrea Kaye and Kent University Associate Professor Dr. Suzy D’Enbeau weigh in, explaining why they disagree and believe dressing in a revealing way is not actually empowering to women at all. Plus, Dr. Phil meets Nicole, who claims she was denied entry at Disneyworld due to her outfit. She says when she posted a video of her story online, she was “slut shamed” and even received death threats because of her outfit. Dr. Phil also speaks with Marie, a mother who says she is concerned about her 19-year-old daughter’s safety due to what she wears. Are people just asking for more modesty, or is this another case of telling someone else how to live their life? (21052)

Dr. Phil tells compelling stories about real people. The Dr. Phil Show is an American daytime talk show and TV series with host and personality Dr. Phil McGraw, who offers advice from his experience as a psychologist. The show provides the most comprehensive forum on mental health issues in the history of television. For over a decade, Dr. McGraw has used the show's platform to make psychology accessible to the general public by addressing important personal and social issues. Here on the Dr. Phil YouTube channel, you will find the best moments, highlights, and segments from the TV show. We upload new videos every day, so make sure you subscribe and ring the bell for all notifications, so you don't miss a single one.

Full episodes of the Dr. Phil Show premiere every weekday on CBS, with a new season premiering every fall in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Each full episode contains an interview or multiple interviews with doctors, teens, families, parents, kids, and more. The executive producers are Phil McGraw and showrunner Oprah Winfrey of OWN. Dr. Phil is the top-rated daytime talk show attracting millions of viewers every day alongside other talk shows, including The Ellen Show with Ellen DeGeneres, The Dr. Oz Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and The Steve Wilkos Show. Dr. Phil makes regular appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Late Show with James Corden. Dr. Phil has also done crossovers with 90 Day Fiancé, Inside Edition, and Marrying Millions.

Check your local listings for ALL-NEW #DrPhil episodes!

[brittmarie]

I used to work at hooters not too long ago, and would dress half naked everywhere I went too. I used to have the same response these beautiful young ladies had. But by the grace of God my eyes were opened to this deception. Theres so much damage being done by this mind set. We are teaching the younger generation that this is where your worth is, and that this is loving yourself. And it’s really not. To love yourself is to have respect for yourself and dressing in lingerie on ig is not respecting yourself. It’s attention seeking behavior for all the wrong reasons. But we justify with arguments like “women empowerment”. If you cared about other women you wouldn’t be putting yourself out there like this for others peoples husbands to see. Let’s be real with ourselves lol. And some might argue that they just shouldn’t be looking .. but unfortunately we are human and not robots. Also we are growing in a society of toxic self love. It’s just all about ourselves these days.

[dvspindler]

The young woman who said she's been wanting to dress in tightly fitting, revealing clothes since she was little: to me that's sad. It means from a young age, she was exposed to culture that taught her that girls and women are supposed to objectify themselves in order to achieve acceptance/status in society. I completely agree with the Ph.D. up there who said that you can't make the act of dressing in revealing clothes about female empowerment just because you exist in a bubble where you'd like that to be true. You dress in revealing clothes because you want male attention. It's base, animal behavior that dates back to the troglodytes. And as intellectual beings who are more than just primitive animals, it's behavior that holds us women back from achieving the equity we so desire. Men, as the ruling class, do not fear our sexuality, they fear our autonomy. Sexual self-exploitation is not empowerment.

[royalsteven]

"A godly woman shall dress modestly"....that says enough with the type of woman you encounter and should look for.

[whosaidthat]

Is this that same doctor who didn’t know what a woman was?

[elizaluizezile]

You can wear whatever you want BUT certain clothing or styles give people information about you. Certain looks will be perceived a certain way. Yes, you can wear what you want but you can’t control what people will think of you.
And yes, there should be dress codes! Yes, when your in an air plain your bare skin should not touch the chair or other strangers on that plain! Your skin cells and sweat should not be on the chair or strangers! Has nothing to do with modesty and everything with hygiene.

[bren]

There is a time and a place for everything. Being half naked in conservative places doesn't make sense, and it isn't empowering.

[kellybeveridge]

For my mother to a grandmother, I don't want my children or my grandchildren boy or girl dressing inappropriate and learning from things that they see at school, the grocery store, the mall etc etc and even on a plane. One's own I get it. But I do find it disgusting!

[MorsOktober]

Y'all glorify strippers like, "You go, girl, get you're salary"
So, if you objectify yourself, it's actually empowering?

[sircrookie]

Ima have to start walking around in just socks and tight underwear because I wanna dress the way I want and nobody can tell me how to dress

[Okayyycool]

None of this is “empowering”. It’s led to grown broads arguing on a doctor Phil stage, which is pretty embarrassing actually. Hahaha.

[eqjnrhv]

Revealing clothes highlighets the body. And make it easier for others to evaluate you by your body instead of your personality.
Empowering and confidence has nothing to do with it.

[akashverma]

Humans are visual. You can't expect respect from others if you wear colorful dress on funeral. Dressing affects how people perceive you whether It is consciously or unconsciously.

[MJ]

It is funny that in some communities, traditions and religions what the 2 ladies on his left is wearing could be considered not descent. What makes them think, their version of clothes is universally descent.

[Hana-xggj]

I don't like wearing clothes that reveal too much but I am happy that I have a choice in what I wear.And I might not like what others wear but I shouldn't have a say in it.I wouldn't like it if someone told me what I should or shouldn't wear.

[JewishKeto]

This “doctor” isn’t even able to answer the simple question of “what is a woman”

[emilylouden]

This lady just does circles in every debate I’ve seen her in

[geraldhill]

I can't wait to see that episode today at 3 o'clock

[souravdas]

I think it's common in western country

[SantanaCampbell]

'Style must never be a proximate occasion of sin.' ~Pope Ven. Pius XII, Moral Problems In Fashion Design, 1957

[searchlight]

I love watching your daughter, wife, sisters in short dresses. 🤔