Liberate Us From 'Sexy'

The title of this post is a quote from Helen Mirren.

Morgan's Milieu | Liberate Us From Sexy: A photo of the actress Helen Mirren.


I was watching BBC News this morning and listening to Helen Mirren talk about her new movie, Woman in Gold. The funny thing was that she didn't really talk about the movie, she talked about women and the chance to portray them and their 'real' life. 

The interviewer asked Helen what she thought about other women seeing her as 'sexy' and she said she didn't like the word. She would much rather be considered attractive.

"Free us from that word, liberate us from sexy." She said.


I couldn't agree more.

Ever since I watched Prime Suspect and saw Helen Mirren portray a strong, intelligent detective I thought she was a brilliant actress. As she aged and stepped into movies I found my respect for her grew. She doesn't follow (or doesn't seem to) the Hollywood crowd by having work done on her face to hide the ageing process. She is not afraid to grow old in front of us. I respect that.

Being attractive isn't just about how a person looks, it's about their personality, their smile. Attractive sums up the person in a whole different way. Like Helen Mirren I would much rather be thought of as attractive. 

Most women like to dress up for special occasions and I'm no different, I love the opportunity to wear a beautiful dress and heels. I get the most compliments when I am comfortable in my clothes and exude confidence. When I smile more and walk with my head high people respond and it's got nothing to do with dressing sexy.

If we can teach our children anything it ought to be that confidence and happiness are much more important than dressing to please. When it comes down to it if you're confident and happy you're attractive.

Would you agree with Helen Mirren or do you like the word 'sexy'?