by Krystle Hernandez

Created on: April 25, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

Born and raised in Miami, I have had plenty of exposure to young women (and sometimes men) in barely-there ensembles. In fact, I'm almost certain that somewhere around the hoodlum-filled streets of Miami's Hialeah neighborhood is where there term "Hoochie" was actually coined.

Ok, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but the truth is, my boyfriend and I can't go to the movies without swarms of teenage girls (and even, unfortunately, pre-teen girls) whose pierced navels are exposed for the world to see and whose skirts resemble band-aids more than actual items of clothing.

Unfortunately, the question must be asked. Excuse me, but, where are the parents of these children? Do they not have mirrors in their homes? I mean, seriously. There is a difference between being sexy and going overboard.

I was that age once, too, and I'm currently not all that much older. In fact, at twenty-one, I'm pretty certain that I could get away with some short shorts and a racy top at a local nightclub, but there is a difference between Club Mansion on South Beach and "Club" Sunset Place, a local movie theatre. There is a time and place for everything, and apparently these young girls are being misled.

Every time I see them, my heart goes out to them. Not only because wearing "hoochie" clothing pegs them as "hoochies" but also because their revealing attire also shows how desperately they seek sexually charged attention from their male peers (and probably, even older men). Obviously parents, peers, and society alike is teaching these young girls that dressing "sexy" will give them a surge of power over men. But, in reality, these are the girls who do not value themselves enough internally that they feel they must advertise physical "assets" to attract attention.

In closing, it is important to note that parents, who certainly play a huge role in what their underage daughters are wearing, are not the only ones at fault. If we, as a society don't find a way to more appropriately tend to the emotional needs of our daughters, we risk letting them go into the world not only dressed as "hoochies" but inevitably playing the part, as well.

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