Do you advise your children not to wear clothing that calls attention to them?

We all would likely agree that how someone dresses does not make them guilty of “asking” to be harmed or accused of something. A girl in a short skirt cannot and should not be blamed for being raped, a man in an expensive suit being robbed, or even an expensive piece of luggage attracting a theft once checked.

Not sure where people would stand on retail security following people for how they are dressed? When I worked in retail I certainly called security if people walked in wearing baggy clothes, especially if they were in groups of 2 or more people. It happened to be where I lived previously that the majority of the time it was black kids dressed this way, a fashion statament, but we were focused on the clothing, not the race. Our clientelle was primarily white, and we caught plenty of white theives that’s for sure.

I thought to ask this question because of the recent tragedy, death of the young man, Trayvon Martin. Many are discussing his race contributing to what seemed to be an obsession by the man who killed him. I think race is likely a factor, but I haven’t heard much discussion about what Trayvon was wearing. I don’t know if the young man’s clothing, hoody, was part of the trigger that sent his killer into fixating on him, but it did get me thinking about the basic question, do you teach your children not to dress in a way associated with crime, sexual flirtation, flaunting wealth, for their own safety?