COMMENT | There used to be an unofficial house rule in my parents’ house - no shorts, no sleeveless, no exposing cleavages and curves, and no revealing too much skin. When someone breaks the dress code, the officer in charge (my mother) would use her power to enforce the rule.

Sometimes she’d give a direct comment about everything that was wrong with the attire. Sometimes she’d offer to supply other ‘appropriate’ attires to select from. And sometimes, clothes that do not fit the dress code magically disappear from the laundry (I suspect she burns them).

Adhering to my mum’s dress code was a pain in the butt, yet it became something my daughter and I followed as a sign of respect. After all, it was her house.

As a person with a traditional upbringing and a conventional mindset, we understood that my mum had a different perspective about attires and their function.

For us, choosing attire was more about comfort and practicality. My mum on the other hand believes that...