You would be amazed at how often the genuine intentions of women are misinterpreted by men who are likely to assume an interest in sex when no such intention exists. Scientific evidence confirms that men regularly overestimate the sexual intent of women based on the provocativeness of their dress.

Men and women viewed a photo of a young woman dressed in tight jeans and a revealing top and rated the woman’s motivation for choosing that outfit. The men were much more likely than the women to believe temptation and seduction were her primary motivations for wearing that outfit. When reporting their own motivation for wearing sexy clothing, 72% of the women in this study said they wore fashionably sexy clothing because they wished to look attractive, not to convey an interest in sexual advances. Only 5% said they dressed sexy to seduce men.

Not only do men rate women wearing fashionably sexy dress as sexier and more seductive than do women, but men rate women in neutral (non-sexy) dress styles as significantly sexier than do women.

Why does it matter...?

Wearing fashionably sexy clothing, even just marginally sexy, can negatively impact the attention a man will give to your competencies. This failure to fully recognize your competencies puts you at a distinct disadvantage.

When have you miscommunicated through your appearance? I would love it if you would share an example.