The acceptance of the 'signals' argument is sexist. It perpetuates and enshrines the vicitimisation of women, the second-class status of women.
It's a common excuse for rape. It's allowing women's self expression to be curtailed by imposition of unjustifiable consequence upon it.
It is the slippery slope that leads to the burka (don't blame islam for the burka by the way, it's existed in many cultures and Islam borrowed it from other cultures including christian ones!).
I mean this quite seriously. Everyone needs to take a look at feminism for a moment. There are a lot of places where it is vital for CDs to consider (just skip over the 2nd wave transphobic feminists).
If we allow ourselves to curtail our expression, if we support/encourage women doing so, then we are contributing to the reprression and oppression of women.
When an Australian muslim cleric referred to women wearing quite common clothing as 'uncovered meat' and that if you leave 'uncovered meat' out and some cats eat it you cannot blame the cats. He was referring to a series of gang rapes of women by youths from the Australian muslim community.
Now I know good muslims equally outraged by those statements.
The point is that we cannot, must not, allow what someone is wearing to be construed as an excuse for assault or considered an advertisement for sex.
This 'signals' nonsense needs to be stamped out amongst men and women.
It's a false notion. People wear miniskirts for a variety of reasons, not just advertising sex. Peiople wearing 'sexy' clothes are still not 'asking for it'.
People dress sexilly for a lot of reasons.
People are attacked for a lot too. Almost never does what someone is wearing have anything to do with that. Society needs to start maturing and dropping it's false illusions and it's excuses.
If we don't we'll end up in mao-suits or burkas!
