"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."
-1 Timothy 2:9-10
Forget all you've read about looking sexy or looking hot. For most ladies, dressing modestly is just as beautiful as dressing up in the most appealing clothes. You don't have to wear the most revealing clothes to be attractive. Even the likes of Michelle Obama have exhibited modest dressing. This blog entry concerns modest dressing. There are two parallels to modest dressing- (1) dressing in a non-seductive way, and (2) dressing in a non-seductive way while serving a higher authority. There can be religious connotations to dressing in a modest way, which makes modest dressing especially important for those dressing for His glory. Being more modest in dress and in actions for the religious set establishes a closer relationship to God. Either way, I hope to explain both sides of dressing modestly in this blog entry.
I would like to note that I am not doing this blog entry to show my support of the issue, but I'm providing this only for discussion and as a general digest.
LATEST UPDATES:
JUL 17 2014 - made some simple edits, added a few more resources, added StyleSpace linkUpdated Post Information...
A lot of the material in this post is very old. If you want to visit my proper fashion blog in regards to the topic of modest dressing, I invite you to visit my fashion blog, "StyleSpace by JBM." Here is the post on SS on this same topic:"Modest Dressing" (StyleSpace by JBM)
Otherwise, enjoy your time with this blog post!
--- Modest Dressing... What's the Difference? ---
Modest dressing is just that- dressing in a way that isn't sexy, appealing, revealing, or anything like that. Or let me explain in a different way: it's like choosing a formal dress that doesn't show as much skin and cleavage as a formal dress that does express skin or cleavage. Rather than wear a denim mini skirt, you wear a skirt that goes down at least mid-calf or longer. Instead of a deep-neck blouse, you wear a prim and proper button-down blouse. Rather than wear a slinky, midriff-baring top; you wear a comfortable shirt that is in no way form-fitting or super-sexy. The risk-reward is that you show your style in a classy way with non-revealing clothing.For most fashion types, the whole "sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll" deal frowns upon dressing in boring or modest ways. We are a culture who celebrates the sexy and appealing woman and frowns upon the unattractive and non-revealing woman. So it's either "look sexy or suffer" to most people. The two parallels drawn are huge contributors towards dressing more modestly. Some would gladly put down a spaghetti strap tank top and denim mini skirt for an extremely modest shirt and skirt. Some would rather put down a fierce pair of sandals for some more modest shoes.
Another aspect of modest dressing is that skirts and dresses extend down to the knees. Most of the truly modest clothing are not form-fitting or enhances any curves. They also don't have a bunch of eye-catching details or logos, either. Even shorts extend down to at or past the knees. Tops are more modest and don't reveal cleavage or the midriff. So this is the model that defines modest dressing:
• no showing of cleavage
• no really form-fitting clothing
• no dresses or bottoms above the knees
• no super-sexy shoes, sandals, or boots
• no clothing with overbearing details or designs
Instead, it's all about dressing stylishly while not revealing yourself in a sinful or seducing way.
--- Is Sexy Everything? ---
Allow me to further my points on modest dressing by providing an example. Experts say that Selena Gomez (who I blogged about in this old blog entry on Selena Gomez) needs to be sexier. It's almost as if people want EVERY female to be super-sexy divas. They don't! Selena Gomez, like Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, is a young lady who doesn't need to flaunt her body or look ultra-sexy just to gain attention. We need young role models who don't have to be sexy to attract others. She doesn't have to be Miley Cyrus (who I do love on "Hannah Montana") to become better respected just because some "experts" want her to be a bit more sexy. I've never met Selena Gomez, but if I did get to meet her, I'm sure she'd be as sweet and as humble a person as anyone. Selena Gomez is more a sweet-as-sugar person to me and doesn't have to sex up her image just to impress a certain audience who can't appreciate genuine character.Therein lies a point- you don't need to be sexy or look sexy to be beautiful. The ladies who enjoy modest dressing can tell you this firsthand. Putting together a bunch of modest outfits together allows you to look and feel attractive while not overdoing it.
Oh, and if you want to read the article that I got this Selena Gomez commentary from, you can read this article on celebuzz.com
--- Modest Dressing = Boring Dressing? ---
Many people will frown upon the notion that every girl needs to dress sexy to be respected. You can be unbearably hot, but many will tell you that you have to flaunt what you got. I might get criticized for this next comment- do you HAVE to be and look sexy? The point, then, is that modest dressing means boring dressing. While that may be true, at least one's looks doesn't have to be expressed with anything appealing or seductive. One other fear is that dressing up in such a way means that you look older than you really are.Can you look sexy while dressed modestly? For some, that's a trick question. Showing of the skin or being super-appealing is frowned upon by most people. So looking sexy can be something cringe-worthy, especially if of a religious community. Is there a sexy side to being modest in dress? In our culture, we've made a habit of sexualizing and fetishizing modest looks with some naughty influences. Modest clothing and modest looks were not meant to express and flaunt sexual features of women. It is instead about wearing something wholesome and modest while looking and feeling your best.
--- Who Most Dresses Modestly? ---
The most prevalent examples of modest dressing can mostly be found among most deeply religious females (like Christian females and Latter Day Saints (LDS) females). Certain religious communities and families play down on trying to dress up in the hottest of-the-moment sexy fashions, and instead wear more sensible and non-revealing clothing. So you will see more modest looks than what any hot adolescent celebrities wear. Even those among the Latter Day Saints (or LDS) are also against such revealing fashions.--- Modest Dressing Examples ---
Let's see modest dressing in action, from both a religious and non-religious perspective...
^ from: themodestmaven.wordpress.com - Modesty can still be cute as long as you find appropriate and proper clothes to wear.
^ from: www.phyllisjean.net - Long skirts and jumper dresses are especially more modest than short skirts or short dresses. (NOTE: I am using "jumper dress" to differentiate from what most people consider as jumpers (i.e. jumpsuits)).
^ from: dufferfamilyfun.com - Rather than wear a short skirt or some revealing or sexy skirt, culotte skirts are a much more modest alternative than proper skirts or dresses.
^ from: qwickstep.com, by way of hubimg.com - You can be modest even for formal occasions! The above is an example of a modest prom dress.
Now modesty from different angles.
^ from: sheknows.com - While you can wear a short skirt or short shorts, opaque leggings or tights underneath provides comfort and modesty.
^ from: scgt.nsw.gov.au - Office and schools (that allow uniform codes) certainly boast modesty and class.
--- Where to Find Modest Clothes? ---
Some online retailers specialize in modest clothing. You will find nothing sexy or overly revealing from any of these sites mentioned. I will pay a shout-out to some of them in this blog entry. I will try to describe each modest clothing dealer as best as I can, so everything else about the companies featured are up to you to discover. Click on the headings to visit the websites mentioned in this section from each of the following:Modest Fashion Online Stores.
These are websites you can visit to shop for modest apparel online. Have a look, and you may Contact Me via E-Mail to tell me of any other good websites. Don't tell me of other sites for me; do so because other people read my blog and its posts, and I want my future readers to be able to find relevant material based on this post. So PLEASE help if you can!• Modest Apparel USA
A family-owned business here in the United States, Modest Apparel USA is all about non-sexy fashions. They are all about providing quality clothing for girls and women that are nowhere in the realm of anything sexy or seductive. School uniforms for girls are also offered.
• Dressing for His Glory
Dressing for His Glory is a company that specializes in modest apparel for girls up to misses. You will not find any clothes that are even in the least sense sexy or appealing (maybe some). The appeal is in wearing sensible and modest clothing for Christian females that can still be fun to wear.
• Modest Clothing at ModestClothing.com!
With a motto like "Bring back the grace!", ModestClothing.com specializes in modest fashions for women. There are even modest fashions for pregnant women. Why be beautifully sexy when you can be beautifully modest?
Modest Fashion Resources...
Visit these websites for resources and more for modest apparel.• Modest Feminine Clothing (various resources featured)
• Modest Home Clothing (various resources featured)
• *Jen* Magazine, a free online publication devoted to modest fashion for juniors and women, as well as the Latter Day Saints (LDS) lifestyle.
• Modest Clothing for Christian Women
• MyCulottes.com (modest bottoms and underwear)
Modest Fashion Blogs.
Here are bloggers who specialize in modest fashion. All blogs are Blogger/Blogspot blogs unless otherwise noted.• Veiled Glory (a Wordpress blog regarding modest dressing)
I want to find more resources to help out my readers.
More resources may be added in the future. Use the "Contact Me" feature to tell me of any websites I may want to include to offer more resources for my readers.
Allow me to stress again- what you read is mostly my commentary piece on modest dressing. I am not saying it is right or wrong to dress modestly, but this was just my own digest of modest dressing. At least you know you have options if you choose to dress modestly rather than wear the sexiest clothes. Not once have I persuaded anyone to dress up in more modest clothing in this blog entry. Not once have I suggested you dress in a non-revealing manner in this blog post. You know why? The reason why is because fashion is all about dressing up any way you choose, even if they are in line with or against any religious connotations.
Think about it for a moment- we are not supposed to have idols, but we have competitions like American Idol as well as countless people who we call and celebrate as idols (or for a better term, heroes). Fashion is about just being yourself and dressing however you please, whether they are in line with religion or not. What you read here was just a digest of modest dressing designed to get more people to read my content. I have made my own personal commentary, but none of it was meant to reflect any internal beliefs on fashion or of any correlations between fashion and religion. And most of you know I do NOT do blog posts on any topics I am not comfortable discussing (like government, economic topics, deep social matters, and religion). So I hope you enjoy what I've created for you all. Thank you for reading!
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