Modesty

So I was thinking about Modesty. You know, dressing modestly for women.

An artical by WorldBLOG ("Modest Clothing") got me thinking about this. I commented in the blog how ugly most of these "modest" clothes make women look (not to mention fat). I wanted to know-- is it possible to look good and still be modest? As I suspected, the responses were "Modesty isn't about pretty".

I disagree with the way many godly people view modesty. Which is essentially, women having to wear dresses, etc, or anything that's very unflattering. If they wear something that looks good on them, they are being immodest.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives this defination:

Main Entry: mod·es·ty
Pronunciation: 'mä-d&-stE
Function: noun
1 : freedom from conceit or vanity
2 : propriety in dress, speech, or conduct

Today, what is proper dress? If you ever watched "What Not to Wear" on TLC you'll have a good idea. There are RULES (yes, there actually are!) to what is appropriate in the fashion world, and what is tacky and ugly. These rules can be (and are) surprisingly "conservative". But in America, the masses seem intent on ignoring these rules completely or following the pop-stars who don't know how to dress anyway.

I went over to Scotland last winter for Christmas, and we (my husband and I) were astonished at how GOOD everyone looked there. The women seemed to know how to look professional and stylish, without ever coming off as sexually alluring. Even women who had three kids in toe looked like they were going to a business meeting or a nice restuarant. (And this was the COMMON dress over there.. what everyone was wearing.)

Now, onto Biblical modesty....

"In the same way also, I desire that women adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and sensibleness, not adorned with braiding, or gold, or pearls, or costly clothing, but with good works, which becomes women professing godliness." 1 Timothy 2:9-10

Now, people may try to say that "decent clothing" is dresses to their ankles, or whatever. But that's not BIBLICAL. Biblical dress was more like what conservative Muslim women wear today(you know, showing everything but the eyes?). Obviously conseravtive Christians aren't dressing their girls (much less their men..) like that.

So, lets just say that this verse is more cultural than anything else. That is, depending on the culture you live in will depend on what is "decent" and what is not. And if that's the case, what can we take from this verse?

Essentially it comes down to, "Does this outfit distract people from the good works I do for the Lord?" This is how women should gauge what they wear. This doesn't mean women should look ugly, it means they shouldn't look flashy. Big difference. :)

And that's really all my brain can chew right now. Hope that gives people some food for thought. Not that anyone reads this... *laughs*