Hot take, likely to offend both conservative and progressive LDS…
In the whole conversation on modesty, I think some forget that sexual attraction is part of God’s plan and is not evil.
Women are supposed to make themselves sexually attractive to men. Men are also supposed to make themselves sexually attractive to women.
In attracting women, a man’s physical appearance matters some. But mostly, a man attracts a woman by demonstrating competence… evolutionary psychology suggests this is because women are looking for a partner competent, aggressive and also compassionate enough to take care of her and her infants…. So, a man’s clothes are more a reflection of his status than they are meant to be visually stimulating.
In attracting men, a woman’s physical appearance matters a lot more because men are visually aroused… evolutionary psychology suggests this may be because men learned to seek out women who were physically healthy and fertile for child bearing…
In other words, these are the things that have kept humanity alive, and they are apart of God’s design.
(Please don’t shoot the messenger… evolutionary psychology is not politically correct whatsoever 🤣)
Sex is to be kept within marriage. But, no one would get married and have sex if they were not sexually attracted during courtship.
So, I’m sorry, but it is not inappropriate for a woman to wear clothes that flatters her physical feminine qualities anymore than it is inappropriate for a man to dress like he has some social status. It is how we attract mates and is part of normal human sociality.
But, when does it actually become immodest?
That’s hard to say in precise terms because it often depends on the context of the culture and situation. But, I think we all know the difference between class and trash…
Between a man who dresses like gentlemen and one who dresses like a pimp.
Between a woman who dresses like a lady and one who dresses like a prostitute.
One is classy and stops people in their tracks. The other is trashy and cries, “Look at me!” …
Or, even worse, “Look at this part of me!”