Jessica Alba wasn't ready to become a Maxim-esque sex symbole after her breakout role starring on Fox's hit show .Dark Angel.

In a new interview for the June issue of Marie Claire magazine, Alba reveals that she was uncomfortable with the public's perception of her after the network promoted the show regularly with images of the star in sexy skin-tight outfits.

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

But a successful marriage and two children later, Jessica now feels more confident about her looks and sense of style.

"Now that I'm older, I've learned how to own it," she says, "but I'm still not very overt.

"There are some women who dress for men. I dress for myself. It took me some time to get here. Being a mom and feeling grown-up have helped. Now if I'm going to wear something short, it has to have a high neck or a little sci-fi toughness to it, an edge."

See more of Jessica in the June Marie Claire and at Mariecclaire.com