I'm so sick of "slim"

If I see one more ad for women's pants that are "slimmer and more flattering" . . .

Why is so much of women's clothing "form-fitting" (formerly known as "skin-tight"), or close to it?  Is it against the law for us women to be comfortable in our own own clothes?

While we're on the subject, what's so great about four-inch heels?  Why do "western" standards of beauty call for torturing women with our own shoes?

Speaking of "western" standards, here's one for the gents:  Why do guys still wear ties?  What's so wonderful about half-strangling yourselves?

And just to be a non-conformist, I'm asking why so many boys are dressed in full suits at the age of six, if not younger?  I see no good reason for little boys to be dressed as adults, and I refused to go along--I wouldn't buy our son a suit until the year that he became a Bar Mitzvah.  And why are some girls now wearing heeled shoes in elementary school?  Why can't we just let kids be kids?

While we're on the subject of great expectations, a couple of my former blogger buddies were brave souls--they dressed their daughter in shorts and sleeveless tops until she entered first grade (at about age 6) in the local yeshiva, and only then did they begin dressing her in skirts and sleeved tops, which is the local clothing standard ("levush") for females in their Orthodox community.  They must have had nerves of steel to put up with the flack that they probably got.

Why are clothing styles and/or standards such a big deal?