I though so devote some time here to the discussion of dress. I believe dressing is an outward covering of the body that reflects a few things about me. Dressing shows other how I care about my body (for it is the temple of the Holy Spirit). It reflects my attitude towards myself, my attitude towards God and my authority, my character, and my goals in life.
How? I dress like the Woman I want to be, that already having been determined years ago when I was a young girl (12-13). If I want to be a feminine woman, full of godliness and character, not outward-focusing or fleshly, I want to reflect that. I want to dress in the way that reflects the Biblical standards of dress (propriety and moderation), the way (I interpret that) God wants me to dress. Role models are so important for young "teens". Who is I want to be in life is reflected in the way I plan my dressing.
Living the life of the Kingdom of Heaven affects every area of our life. One of the areas important to me is dress. I want to dress in a way that honors and glorifies God, and I want to encourage
others to do so to!
Growing up, I was not really sure where I stood in dress. I wore lots of pretty dresses, because my grandmother made them. I grew up loving skirts and dresses naturally. I was not really very concerned about dress and presentation, but my mother was. I used to love reading Laura Ingall’s books and would read the description of dresses and clothing excitedly. I loved to draw dresses an clothes. However I tended to swing from sweet feminine dresses to geeky clothes (slacks, track pants, t-shirts tucked in, thick-rimmed glasses, etc.) I never bothered about fitting in to looking like anyone else. I did not have any role models.
Above: Laura Ingalls. Isn't she beautiful?
When I was 12, I attended my first homeschooling conference. I was not very excited about going, but it turned out to be a blast! I loved it so much. The ladies from the Bright Lights ministry encouraged us and shared tips about modest dress, and they were a beautiful example of it themselves. We were encouraged to be a Light to the World in every way, including dress.
After the conference I joined a group of girls. My Bright Lights group leader, Sharmaine and her mom were a great encouragement and gave me many tips about standing alone with God. I was used to standing alone, but I wanted to learn to stand where God was.
There Bright Lights and homeschool girls around me were a real role model and I aspired (and still do) to be like them, in being radiant in godless, holiness, and testimony.
I’m happy to say, I’m a real every-day skirt-wearer. I don’t really adhere to any particular “strict dress code” and my parents are sure to keep me from going overboard (they have strict opinions
on dowdy clothes).
I don’t want the way I dress to be the only things that stand out about me. I want the way I dress to reflect God, and not distract others. I want to dress in a frugal way, suited to the occasion. I’m still working on many areas, but I hope to encourage other young ladies to explore and discover modest dress, to create their own style from what they have to create a modest, frugal, and God-glorifying style
In my country, members of other religions are very strong on modesty. In fact, I like shopping at their shops because they have some cool, really modest, ideas on dress. I got some nice thin blouses for layering. I respect these ladies for their stand on modesty and propriety despite our manifold differences.
Sad to say, among those of similar belief many do not agree with modesty and find it restricting. The Truth is, the God I worship, the One and Only YHWH, is a God adverse and totally against immodesty. It’s not that God is purposely different from modern culture, it’s because all of society is in blatant rebellion against Him. Rev. Susan Tang has written a slim and power-packed book with a punch, called “God is Anti-Immodesty” (Nakedness). I thoroughly recommend it as it’s value far outweighs its sale price. http://www.station-of-life.org/ http://canaanland.com.my/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=24583&ccUser=
.
Of course, when deciding on a standard of modesty one battles with the issue of legalism. Let me say first that I what I dress is simply what I dress. If I want to be an example and encouragement to others to dress modestly, the least said the better. First BE (be modest inside, be humble, learn to speak modestly), then DO (action) and finally only, if necessary, (TELL). Don't legislate modesty.In the fellowship of the body of Christ, it is good to have a cut-off point. For example, a place I visit does not allow anyone, male or female, to show their knees. (this is also a good prevention for mosquito bites).
It's modest enough to for some, to wear a skirt that goes a little past their knee and a simple blouse. Some people think it's an abomination for a woman to wear pants. Some cover their neckline, some do not, some cover their neck completely. Some people wear headcoverings but wear pants. Some dress normally except for headcoverings in prayer. Some cover all their hair, all the time. Some tie their headcovering far back on the head, some behind their neck, and some in front, covering the neck. Some cover elbows but wear skirts 4 inches past their knees; some wear skirts that sweep the ground but short sleeves and uncovered heads. Some abstain from patterns and colors. Some only wear black. Some show their figures and others wear baggy clothes. Some only wear pure materials and some mixed. Some wear opaque stockings with bloomers tucked in, some simply wear skirts and underwear. Where do I draw the line for modesty and for legalism? For me, my modesty may be legalism for someone else, someone else's modesty be legalism. For someone, their standards of modesty may be loose for someone else.
Examples:
Amish Women
Hutterite Women
Conservative Homeschoolers - the Duggars (I hope I'm not violating copyright here...)
Brethren Girls.
Argh... for one, I want
1) Freedom of movement. this means I wear bloomers, and I wear skirts wider at the hem. I want to be able to wash a toilet, run, climb a tree, do a handstand, all in the skirt.
2) I prefer to cover my knees and never wear blouses less than a hand's width below my collarbone. That would be a least requirement for modesty.
Orthodox Judaism (Tziniut Modesty)
- never wear pants in the presence of a man- married woman cover their hair completely at all times, sometimes with a wig (sheitel) or with a scarf (tiechef). Sometimes their wear snoods or hats.
- the minimum requirement is that the collarbone, elbows, and knees (by four inches) are covered.
Above: Absolute Tziniut observance. Below: Reb Tevye's family from "Fiddler on the roof". I suppose this would be what a typical Jewish shtetl family in Eastern Europe might have dressed like on a everyday basis.
Victorian Modesty
For Victorians, skirt lengths showed age.
To be continued. I am going to cover this issue a little more in next my next post on this subject. Researching the broad and diverse history of clothing is fascinating.
My bottom line for today is, there are so many people in the world. No one dresses exactly like me. There are so many standards for modesty around. I definitely can find someone more conservative than me ( whom I would call "legalistic") and others less conservative than me ("sinners"). Some areas I am weak in, someone else is stronger. Areas I am strong in, there will be someone weaker. Each of us must know who we are, and who God expects to be and live a life glorifying to Him. Let us judge no one, for we all are sinners. Let us be a Light to all around us by the way we live ALL our lives, and be a good testimony for Yeshua. The more we cover does not determine how holy and set-apart we are. It's about whether we are IN the Messiah, and He in us, or not.
Shalom, Beka.
