"There is a story about a schoolboy who was asked what he thought G-d was like. He replied that, as far as he could make out, G-d was "The sort of person who is always snooping round to see if anyone is enjoying himself and then trying to stop it." And I am afraid that is the sort of idea that the word Morality raises in a good many people's minds: something that interferes, something that stops you having a good time. In reality, moral rules are directions for running the human machine. Every moral rule is there to prevent a breakdown, or a strain, or a friction, in the running of that machine. That is why these rules at first seem to be constantly interfering with our natural inclinations. When you are being taught how to use any machine, the instructor keeps on saying, "No, don't do it like that," because, of course, there are all sorts of things that look all right and seem to you the natural way of treating the machine, but do not really work."
C.S. Lewis
Sometimes one hears angry feminists [most of them don't seem to be particularly happy] say "don't tell me how to dress!!". They get very offended when they see signs or books telling them what type of clothing they are allowed and not allowed to wear.
If one takes that to the extreme I can just as well imagine a woman saying "don't tell me to get dressed. If I want to walk outside exactly as I was born and came into this world, then that is my choice!!" Hey, saves the trouble of having to match up clothing and saves money on purchasing clothing. When women are encouraged to dress modestly it is because we are all living together. One can't completely disregard those around him or her.
When a women dresses immodestly, besides causing men to sin [saying "don't look" isn't an option. Men are going to look and it is not fair to expect them to walk down the street with blindfolders], she also puts a wedge in between men and their wives. When a man sees an alluring woman on the street, he often loses interest in his wife and is even resentful that other women are so attractive and his wife so plain.
In addition, it is not rabbis who are telling women how to dress. It is Hashem. No human being has the right to tell anybody else [i.e. adults] how to live unless empowered by the Source of existence. If nobody would say anything, the women wouldn't know and miss out on the opportunity of fulfilling the will of Hashem.
It is also important to note that when a women dresses modestly, she accentuates the fact that she is primarily a soul and not a body. When she wears revealing clothing, her physical side is accentuated. In essence, she objectifies herself when she dresses in certain inappropriate ways.
Tzniyus works. It is good for women, good for men and good for the world. Without anger or bitterness:-).
