As I wend my way into old age, I too am disturbed by the images of females all around us. I am not only disturbed by the artificiality of it, but also by the sexuality of it. I grew up in an era when Audrey Hepburn was the epitome of style and grace; Jackie Kennedy Onassis was an icon of intelligence and style; and Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren, with their low-cut dresses, were just every so-slightly trashy.

Now, my students dress like streetwalkers. I saw a young woman in a poor section of town the other day walking by the highway, and my first thought was "streetwalker." But she wasn't soliciting cars, and I realized that there is no way to tell by attire anymore who is selling it and who is simply flaunting it.

Sometimes my students' tops are so brief, I -- an older female -- am not even sure where to put my eyes in the tiny cubicle of my office.

Living in South Florida, I consistently see females with belly shirts and sagging breasts who would look *better* keeping it covered.

And yes, I am going somewhere with this. When women wore clothes -- that is, real clothing, not tiny straps of material here and there -- clothing could do a great deal to camouflage physical imperfections and create an aura of grace and style. I never heard anyone speculate about whether Jackie O had cellulite.

I do not know what we can do to reverse the impact of the media. I have spoken to parents with pre-adolescent girls and asked them if it was hard to find appropriate clothing. So far, in my personal mini-sample, they all have said YES.

As an older female, I find it nearly impossible to find age-appropriate clothing that doesn't make me look like a bag lady. Right now, I am searching for pleat-front trousers appropriate for the office. After visiting every major department store and discount store, I can't find ANY. I cannot wear flat-front slacks because I no longer have a flat front!

On top of that, is there any clothing anywhere that is NOT POLYESTER.

In summary, I long for a return to the days when females wore dresses and suits and slacks, not belly shirts and decollete tube tops. It is so much easier to present a nice view of oneself when one can camouflage imperfections in stylishly cut fabrics.