The Right Message?

"What you wear," says a girl named Pam, "is really who you are and how you feel about yourself." Yes, clothing sends out a message, a statement to others about you. Clothing can whisper conscientiousness, stability, high moral standards. Or it can shout rebellion and discontent. It can even serve as a form of identification. Some youths use ripped clothing, punk styles, or expensive designer clothes as a type of trademark. Others use clothing to attract the opposite sex or to make themselves appear older than they really are.
It is thus easy to see why clothing is so important in many youths. However, John T. Molloy, author of Dress for Success, cautions: "The way we dress has a remarkable impact on the people we meet and greatly affects how they treat us."
No wonder parents are so concerned about how you dress! To them it is more than an issue of personal taste. They want you to send out the right message, one that projects you as a balanced, responsible person. Does the way that you dress, however, accomplish this? What guides your section of clothes?