When the term semiotics is applied to dress, it refers to the words and symbols used to describe the images supporting "the structure of social interaction".
[4]: 7 Therefore, the way one dresses can be analyzed as a symbol mechanism to communicate ideas and values with other members in a society, as sociologists Erving Goffman and Gregory P. Stone have suggested.
[4]: 10 Sex differences in clothing are due to "Social judgments, personal evaluation and appropriate expectations of dress".
[4]: 10 Because of these, society has coercive power upon colors, shapes and fabrics in the clothes that men and women should wear.
[4]: 10 However, wearing sex-specific clothing doesn't necessarily mean one will feel sensual or inclined to have sexual intercourse.
Perhaps a better understanding of this could be derived from the church fathers, who said that seductive attire is a mixture of exposure and coverage of the body.
Clothing symbols do not offer implications about a person's rights, duties or obligations, and they should not be used to judge or predict one's behavior.
Cultural dress has the ability to disclose information about intimate aspects of our lives and relationships.It also projects perceptions about class.
[8]: 68 As time has gone by, the forms of clothing (colors, fabrics and shapes) have changed, but the idea of gender difference has survived.
[8]: 68 From an early point in life, children learn to differentiate between a male and a female based on clothing and hairstyles.
However; due to their clothing, they portray an image or an idea to the viewer of being sexy or attractive, therefore putting her physical strength as a secondary attribute.
[8]: 120 Psychologist J. C. Flugel concluded that styles of dress affect one's appearance, yet triggering feelings that enable role performance.
Today, unlike men, women are more critical when assessing their bodies in terms of physical fitness, appearance, health and sexuality.