What is sexy?  How is it defined and what is it that brings out sex appeal?  Is it a look?  Is it fashion?  Is it character and the heart that truly counts?  How do you define sexy?

Justin Timberlake claims to have brought “Sexy Back” and while I will happily agree that he harbors true sex appeal, I can’t help but wonder what defines the term sexy.  Obviously, “sexy” has changed and evolved over the decades.  In the Renaissance period, sexy was natural and plump.  Hair was made lighter (perhaps this is where the adage Blondes Have More Fun was born), pale skin was a requirement and dresses that played up the voluptuousness of a woman were standard.

By the Victorian period, sexy had evolved into something entirely different.  Fresh faces were a requirement and corsets were made ever tighter in the hopes of creating the smallest waistline possible while bustles ensured that a woman’s backside took its time leaving the room.

By the roaring ’20′s, women had liberated themselves from the bonds of corsets and “sexy” became focused on shorter hemlines, shorter hair and the square, boxy figure of adolescents.  Women would acutally bind their chests in order to create as flat a figure as possible.  This mode of sexy was short lived and gave birthed to Hollywood’s golden era of sex appeal.  Big eyes, bold make up, curvy figures and glamorous fashion was the mark of the ’30′s.

The ’50′s ushered in an era of conservatism.  Women went back to longer hemlines and perfectly coiffed hair and figures.  Men wore  suits and ties and carried briefcases.  It was an era when sexy seemed taboo and even the word would make the most refined blush.  But it would be short lived as the liberation movement of the ’60′s and ’70′s came in, destroying the class of the ’50′s and bringing back the stick thin view of sexy thanks to models like Twiggy.  By the time Farrah Fawcett’s infamous picture hit the walls of boys from coast to coast, sexy had become the girl next door, All American, thin and blonde.

The ’80′s brought us Madonna and MTV, which proved to alter, once again, that which was considered sexy.  The Fit Revolution ushered in an age when women took care of their bodies and then showed off the hard work they had put in.  Sexy was taking more work.  The ’90′s brought back the stick thin “heroin chic” ideal thanks to Kate Moss and other supermodels.  The ’90′s also birthed the grunge era when sexy was defined as being who you are, the rest of the world be damned!

And finally, the New Millenium.  Sexy today could be defined in so many ways.   There is no doubt that being sexy (having sex appeal) is all around us and invades just about every aspect of our lives.  Obviously you can’t watch tv without being exposed to the idea that being sexy will welcome more advantages than not being sexy.  And if you aren’t aware of what qualifies as sexy these days, just go to Borders, find the magazine rack and enjoy a afternoon of “sexy” photos and articles.  Be warned, though – you may want to leave small children at home.

We are visual people, so “sexy” will always have a visual component.  But beyond the physical, is it possible to maintain sex appeal without gracing the cover of Maxim?  I would be interested to hear both men and women answer this question – I have a feeling the answers would be a bit different.

And taking it a step further, for those of you who are married or in a significant relationship, how has your vision of sexy changed?  What is sexy to you now as opposed to before marriage?  Is sexy still your man walking around shirtless, baring his flexed muscles in the sunlight – or is it him standing in front of the sink washing the dishes because he knows you’ve had a long day?  (Or better yet, is it him standing in front of the sink washing the dishes without a shirt on?)

What is sexy to you?  How do you define sexy and how do you think your definition has been affected by the culture around us?  Does pop culture define sexy or do we define it?  Are you holding yourself and your significant other to a standard that was set culturally or have you deemed the standard that is fitting for you?

I think when we know and are comfortable with our own definitions of sexy, whether they are influenced by pop culture or not, we become most secure in ourselves and in our relationships.  And security brings confidence and I think all would agree that confidence is the sexiest trait of all.