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Maven said:
I know plenty of women who dress modestly who have low self-esteem. And, as I've said, dressing provocatively doesn't mean a woman has low self-esteem.

A woman can dress provocatively and think she looks good for herself. It doesn't mean she doesn't want to appeal to men, but it doesn't mean she isn't appealing to herself, too. A woman doesn't have to like modest clothing to like herself.

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I tend to dress in a way that other people might deem "provocative." I dress tastefully, IMO, but I like to show off my curves and my physical assets. I always have had high self-esteem. I like who I am. I know I'm intelligent and interesting and funny. My body doesn't define who I am, but it's part of me. I like the shape of my body and I don't want to hide it. I feel like I'm celebrating who I am in the way I dress. I wear clothes that I like and express my creativity -- the colours and fabrics and cuts that I find aesthetically-pleasing. My skirts are usually tight, I almost always wear high heels and most of my tops are rather low-cut. When I was working in a very conservative office and had to be more covered up, I didn't feel like myself. I felt like I was trying to be someone other than who I am.

My mum is the same way. She was often criticized cruelly by women who went to her church (she goes to a very conservative church). She wouldn't wear low-cut stuff to church. She would go out of her way to dress conservatively at church and church-related functions but because of her figure, she can look sexy in a turtleneck and an ankle-length skirt. Other women in the church would say nasty things about her because of it. My mum is far from being a slut, though. She has been married to my dad since 1964 and he's the only man she has ever been with. She has a lovely figure, she works hard on keeping herself slim and fit and healthy and she likes the way she looks and sees no reason to conceal her figure in loose, unflattering clothes. She is very religious and truly believes that "the body is the temple" and that's why she takes such good care of her "temple" and isn't ashamed of it.

P.S. In my new job, I'm allowed to dress the way I want to dress and that makes me enjoy my job more. I feel like myself. I have to say I find it incredibly gratifying when I meet new people professionally, and I can tell they're immediately jumping to the conclusion that I'm a brainless blonde cutie. It feels really good when they get to know me better and hear what I have to say and I see them realizing there's much, much more to me. Looks can be deceiving and it's not a good idea to judge a book by its cover.