The Levush (Orach Chaim, Minhogim, sif 36) writes: We don’t recite sheva berachos when there is less than ten people ... The Sefer Chasidim (393) writes: In a setting when men and women can see each other, such as at a chasunah, we don’t recite the berachah שהשמחה במעונו – “whose Joy is in His dwelling” as Hashem is not happy with the simcha, when people are having sinful thoughts.
After quoting the Sefer Chasidim the Levush writes: Nowadays we aren’t worried about this. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that people are accustomed to having settings of men and women mixed together, and they no longer have sinful thoughts. Since they are so familiar with it, the women appear like white ducks ...”
The Mishneh Halachos, after he brings all the reasons to be lenient with touching women, he says that this only applies to touching, however, regarding the issur of looking at a woman one must be very careful, and one should close his eyes to avoid seeing bad, sadly, this is terrible sin people aren’t so careful with. The world likes to say based on the Levush, that we don’t need to be so careful nowadays, and men are used to looking at women, therefore, today if one looks at them it doesn’t cause sinful thoughts, as they appear like white geese, however, chas vesholam to rely on this.
He adds: Even on Yom Kippur, when we fast and do teshuvah for our sins, Tosfos (Megillah 31a) writes that we read the Parsha of Aroyos [forbidden relationships], as women are adorned in honor of the Yom Tov, and we need to remind men not to stumble and look at them. Therefore, certainly, nowadays regrettably when women walk around: מלובשים בדרך שחץ וגאוה בגלוי בשר אוי לעינים שכך רואות – “dressed in a way that is arrogant and proud, with open flesh, woe to the eyes that see thus”, the Levush would never dream of being lenient.
He then concludes again: If one is traveling by train, he should close his eyes and make sure not to look, or have a sefer in his hands and look at it, and make sure not to look at the ervah in front of him, or next to him.
