Salam alaikum,
I thought I'd discuss this topic as I am searching for any Islamic evidence as to whether or not young girls should be wearing modestly in front of their own fathers and brothers, because never have I heard that this is obligatory. I have always thought that this was a cultural thing instead.
The topic itself just irks me. My personal take on this is that its nothing but sexualisation, and I do not care who comes here and tells me that its not. I have seen girls as young as 5 or 6 literally being forced to wear long dresses that must go past the knees in front of their male family members, out of "respect". Seriously? Respect what? They are literally young girls. It makes absolutely no sense and it even gives off such a weird vibe that their fathers and brothers are perverted.
The parents go mad if the daughter wants to wear pants or show a bit of skin, and coerce her to only wear long clothes. She's literally a child.
Then the parents make the excuse that if the child doesn't learn to wear long at a young age, then it will be hard to convince her to dress modestly and practice hijab at a later age. That's not true. If a daughter from a young age watches her own mother wear tighter or shorter clothes at home and dresses modestly when leaving the house, she will understand the difference between the two. Its not difficult for a child to understand, its all about how the mother teaches the child about modesty and how it should be practiced.
Our fathers and brothers are not strangers. This is the kind of mentality that affects our relationship with them. And if they're the type to check out their daughters/sisters and are attracted to them, then...yikes.
Is there seriously a sharia on this, by Sayyid sistani for instance, that talks about this?