I think that look, as well as the optical camo naked but not naked suit from the movie turned off alot of female viewers that would have otherwise liked her strong character.
It didn't stike me as being something that was meant to be sexual, so I wasn't bothered at all. I actually thought that the effect looked very beautiful and cool. I was attracted to film's character because she seemed like a far more neutral character than most can be for the viewer to experience the issues in the film with (unlike say, Neo or Trinity from the Matrix, with their boring formulaic "we're a male and female protagonist and we're going to fall in love, stuff like that" that they couldn't help but stuff in there as the way to drive the philosophy-filled plot forward). In Ghost in the Shell, the issues of whether I was watching a woman or a man, and what kind of woman or man, were gone (which is good, because I'm sick of the "she's a strong woman, so women should like her" tired line with everything all the time). She was you, standing at a crossroads, staring the future in the face. And analysing it. Nothing more, nothing less. And I thought that was a perfect way to let you into this unique film...
The scene on the boat in the original version of the manga put me off though, as did the revelation that she also has a (kind of ugly) boyfriend that she also plays around with a lot. It just gave me the impression that she was kind of tarty and sleeps with too many people. Which is something that I don't like in a character. It's too... frivilous... and ugly...
Huzzah for the genneral consenses of the Major looking silly runing around in her panties with a bunch of fully clad boys!
I have to say, I don't think it looks silly. I don't think people should be scorned for not wearing enough clothing, so long as it isn't the "show all" show. If it looks cool and it's not immoral, go with it (I'm still with Armitage's original outfit all the way... except for the rhinestones)! I'm still kind of ticked off that I was made to feel bad for wearing my cool frayed hotpants to school as a 16-year-old. What's the big fuss? I wore a cardigan over my rear...
Oh yeah, and if the boys at section 9 don't care to follow suit, it's their loss. Weird "fighting costume" fashion is fun. It's not Motoko's uniform's fault that other people just don't know how to accept it. I mean if you want to talk silly, wearing white in her line of work is probably silly. But there again, perhaps the fabric was self-cleaning. Anyway, the clothing you wear should be for your own enjoyment, not for everyone else's- if it feels good to be in that white suit and leather jacket (and it probably does; heavy duty enough to put you in a "combat mode" frame of mind, but light and unrestrictive to make you feel like you're one with the wind... yeah, I'd say she probably feels pretty cool in that outfit), then why not? Not everything is about trying to be provocative visual sex-candy for the lads (or some of the women, too), screw people that want to interpret it that way. People (particularly male people) are too easily disposed to thinking that everything to do with women is there for them. "Hey, female character X can kick butt and wears a short skirt! They must have made her like that to turn us on!" Nooo, idiots; a lot of the time she's just like that because it looks cool, it's how she is; and it's as much for women who want to see or play female characters who have cool and interesting fashions that they wear as themselves. That's what I think, anyway. The woman in my avatar wears a miniskirt and a bikini top to go fighting in (originally a red minidress), and I think she looks darn cool like that! Who cares about all the drooling idiots? They can be droolingly idiotic about it, but it isn't going to stop Blaze from cleaning up the mean streets in style!
Also, for further back-up of my opinion, Sailor Moon is a good example. They don't wear those short sailor skirts to turn the guys on. The books are also primarily written for women (well, girls). The woman who wrote it draws them like that because she finds it outrageously cute and appealing, and it makes them kind of cool to her. And loads of women and girls love their look! It's cute, goofy, fun, and yet pristine and formal enough to be perfectly fitting of the champions of justice. And their colour schemes rule (especially Venus' orange, yellow and navy blue one)! And Sailor Mars' "I'll punish you in high heels!" arrival speech (complete with a click of the heels on the floor sound) rules too. Girls being allowed to be themselves without being told off for "pandering" to now negatively-viewed types rules in general... perhaps that's why those all-girl team books like Sailor Moon and shows like Bubbegum Crisis can be so appealing to some of us (well, me at least).
Sorry, rant-ish... I just feel like some groups of people need to just get over themselves as being the centre of every other groups' universe, and that includes something as basic as being female and liking to go light on the clothing...