I grew up in a small, quite isolated town. Nearly all of the people within 20 miles were relatives. We had no tv. My grandmother and my aunt, only five years older than me, were my role models. My grandmother was still a teenager and quite a hot chick, with all due respect, when she caught my grandfather's eye on his trips out of state. She still showed much evidence of this even in her 50s and 60s. My aunt inherited the good looks. She was the first woman that I saw up close and in person in a bathing suit. She did a lot for that bathing suit, let me tell you, even when my age was still in the single digits. A rich cousin got my attention often with her hair, pretty dresses with short skirts, and tights. They all got me thinking about pretty clothes enough to ask my aunt why I couldn't dress like her and my female peers.
In the public media, Marlo Thomas. I liked her style. She was a smart girl who dressed well. As for outright sexy, Barbara Eden in those genie outfits ...
