The other day I was in Church and found my attention being constantly distracted by a certain female of the species. I'd look away and she was still in my peripheral vision. I couldn't figure out why there was such a magnetic effect happening.
Then I figured it out -- she had a scooped-out top with two bra straps being plainly visible. I think this was having a suggestive effect. I saw it so often as a non-believer that it usually doesn't faze me, but in Church it was having some kind of subconscious pull on me.
I try not to let too much Puritanism filter into my Catholicism, but I think everyone would agree this is not right, right? Even seeing bare shoulders at Church felt weird to me.
Something else that bothers me, more than pants which get more discussion time -- knee-high boots. Is it just me or do these have a trampy effect? You can say "Oh, they cover lots of skin, what's wrong?" but I think these kind of boots on women are undeniably sexy, that is their purpose and design, just like with high heels when they were fashionable. They somehow emphasize the calves and the legs in a provocative way.
Just more proof that modesty is a state of mind. I am less bothered by loose-fitting pants than by certain details as cited above.
You can somehow tell when a girl is trying to fit within the rules, but is applying certain little touches to make herself stand out. This can be done even without subtly provocative touches of clothing or makeup, it can be done with a walk or a way of talking or with mannerisms.
I guess almost all of us do it to a certain extent, as long as we are relatively hale and hearty and young. I try to make my hair look decent, for instance, and wear contact lenses. More modesty comes with greater spiritual perfection. It's very hard to overcome the desire to be admired for superficial, stupid reasons.