{Summer Lessons} Modesty Standards

 I'm continuing to revisit a topic that I blogged on long ago...





Today I want to talk about modesty standards. Is it legalistic to have a set of rules for our wardrobe or our daughters' wardrobes? Or are we using wisdom and saving ourselves from confusion? 

First what does the Word say about modesty -

'I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.' 1 Timothy 2:9-10

How are we to know on a daily basis, while being bombarded with society's standards (or lack thereof) what is decent and proper? Wouldn't it stand to reason that having a general outline of what we think is decent and proper would help to weed out some items while shopping?  Here's some of my original post from 2008 ...

So what's in the middle? Are the guidelines that have been taught to young women over and over again still relevant? If they are relevant for young women why not older women? I must admit that I float more toward the dowdy, old-lady look that any thing fashionable. I've even considered wearing only skirts several times. But is it just religion? Who defines too tight, short, big, frumpy, old, low cut, dowdy? The standard will change for each family. What are your guidelines? Any one mind sharing? I'm really re-visiting this issue with a vengeance. Because I don't want to be religious about it, dressing dowdy because I think it's right. When in reality, I just look like an old lady and ridiculous any way.

It's much too easy to fall into the habit of just wearing frumpy clothes while trying to dress modestly. In my mind, that makes perfect sense. Cover it all up ladies. Preferably in fabric that doesn't cling like a second skin. That is how it goes in my head. But if we are going to try to stay relevant to society, we need to have a standard that keeps us pure before God and man while also keeping us from making a spectacle of ourselves. We need to be in this world, right? So how do we look as though we are in this world, while keeping our hearts and minds as well as the hearts and minds of our brothers in Christ on things above?

So what are those standards of modest dress that will keep us relevant, stylish but also modest?