Jessica Alba says she was 'objectified'

Actress Jessica Alba says that she has come to terms with her sexuality over the years.

''There are some women who dress for men. I dress for myself, the 31-year-old told Marie Claire magazine. ''Now that I'm older, I've learned how to own it (my sexuality), but I'm still not very overt.''

Alba claimed that she was pressured to dress and act in a sexy way when she became a star with the cult TV series Dark Angel, which premiered in 2000 when she was 19.

While her character on the series was a woman of action, Alba says that, in real life, she is more demure.

''I had a show that premiered when I was 19. And right away, everyone formed a strong opinion about me because of the way I was marketed. I was supposed to be sexy, this tough action girl. That's what people expected...(At premieres) I felt like I was being objectified, and it made me uncomfortable. I wanted to be chic and elegant!"

Alba credits her present day confidence with the fact that shes now a mother. She has two daughters, three-year-old Honor and nine-month-old Haven, with husband Cash Warren.

Having babies helped me embrace my sexuality, she said. Up until then, I was quite shy about it. But once I experienced how incredible and amazing it was to create a life, it was empowering. Now, I feel freer to express myself and just be me. Through motherhood I really came into my own and, for me, feeling sexy is all about this type of comfort, confidence, and true happiness.