A major weapon of the governmental maintenance of sexual hierarchies is the policing of attire. This policing focuses not only on the lack of clothes but also on the styles of clothes and other aspects of appearance such as hair, jewelry, cosmetics, shoes, and bodily enhancements or markings.

One aspect of this policing is directed at the boundary between the two recognized sexes, female and male. Dressing sexily in this instance means dressing in gender-appropriate ways. So-called cross-dressing – wearing clothes of a member of the “opposite” sex – may subject one to criminal sanctions, to discrimination, and to private violence with government acquiescence.

The other aspect of this policing seeks to control sexuality, especially but not only female sexuality. Dressing sexily in this sense means dressing in a sexy, erotic, or not sufi ciently unsexy manner. While women, but not men, who bare their breasts may be subject to criminal sanctions, so-called dressing provocatively may subject one to discrimination as well as to private violence without government protection.