Trendy dressing may not be a problem in itself, but when three government ministers mount the podium to raise an alarm about indecent outfits, especially by the youth, it calls for concern.

Yesterday, 19 November 2013, the Ministers Women's Empowerment and the Family, Marie Therese Abena Ondoa Obama Arts and Culture, Ama Tutu Muna as well as Minister Delegate to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation in charge of Regional and Local Authorities, Jules Doret Ndongo, accompanied by the Minister of Communication Issa Tchiroma Bakary organised a press conference to cry foul against the dressing pattern of most young girls today.

In general, dressing easily points to culture, origin, social status, level of responsibility, context, desires, and so on. At times, the level of respect that many get in society is guided only by the kind of attire they put on. However, such classical considerations about clothing do not seem to appeal to all in the same manner.

A good segment of youth, in particular and the female folk in general, have been subjected to so much external influence that African values, especially concerning decency, no longer matter. Worse still, some parents have fallen prey to the conflicting dressing habits, perhaps due to social pressure, thereby creating fears of a degenerating society.

Understandably, the female folk are a cause for concern, looking at dressing habits and the consequences of unwarranted exposure that they most often indulge in these days. Dresses that expose breasts and other seductive parts of the female body are fast becoming the norm rather than the exception. A flurry of television images and other mass media pictures spread by globalisation seem to increasingly push the younger generation to excesses that not only keep some elders bewildered, but even expose youths, especially girls, to some societal risks. Even if many people at times are obliged to furtively look at certain suggestive bodily exposures, there are few who would readily support such dressing patterns.

However, the phenomenon is not only limited to girls, the boys equally expose their inner wear, keep bushy hair or put on earrings and other so-called foreign models that are far remote and depict alien cultures that create doubts as to their state of mind. It is doubtful whether most youths understand that clothing, like other aspects of human appearance, do have a meaning.

Although the meaning conveyed by dresses differs from boys to girls, the fact remains that appearance says much about the individual and most people tend to form quick opinions about others from first sight.

This is where the family comes in. The kind of attire that a parent buys for the child can affect the child's dressing taste in future and even portray how society sees the child and even his/her family background. Yet, some parents seem to care less about the way their kids dress up in public. There are even parents who have no qualms about what they put on in public.

Although it may appear difficult making clear prescriptions or ensuring unanimity on dress patterns, there is need for the youth, in particular to avoid unnecessary bodily exhibition by keeping away intimate parts of their bodies away from the public eye. It is not because musicians insist on such exposures for cheap pecuniary reasons that they should be accepted.