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I am interested to know what types of clothing styles you ladies think of as modest.  Should Christian women dress modestly only for church or all the time?

I am of the opinion that a woman, who professes Jesus Christ as her Savior, should dress modestly unless she is in the provacy of her own bedroom.

What's your definition of modest?

Yeah. It seems like everyone has a different idea of what "modest" is....

Apparently unable to define it though.

Yeah. I would define modest as clothing that would not cause anyone to fall into lust. That's usually a good rule of thumb for me. If people wear it because they "want to look hot" then I don't buy it. I take someone with me to go shopping. If I bend over, and they can see underwear, I don't buy it. A lot of the "low-riders" are just sick and wrong in my opinion. I prefer to have my booty covered TYVM. But a lot of people would consider me to be weird or something I guess...I just don't see how that's appealing to people.

Nice try but I know many a man who could fall into lust looking at a woman in a sweatsuit that comes down to her wrists and and ankles.  ;D

Modesty to me means you can bend over and touch your toes without worrying about what is or isn't showing or in danger of "popping" out.  It means your underwear are exactly where they're supposed to be....*under* your clothing and if you're worried about your cellulite showing through your pants....they're too tight and I don't consider that modest either.

Interestingly, my sons girlfriends are all modest dressers.  Funny the things they pick up just from being exposed (no pun intended) to them.

Melody

Yeah, me too. But I'm talking about obvious things that cause others to lust.

For me, modest clothing is something that doesn't show alot of skin and doesn't form tightly to your body.

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I am constantly concerned with what people think about me.

Don't be worry about how other people, think of you. Think of how Jesus, would think of you. If you dress to please the Lord, then don't worry about other people. In the long run, it don't matter what people think, only what God thinks.

Resting in the arms of the Lord.
Bob

Well I'm not even sure that Jesus really thinks that much of me, soo...

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I worry about appearances.

Freak - Why don't you change your name on here...'cause I'm sure you're not a Freak...LOL

I can be pretty freaky. Plus my dog is named Freak and she's adorable. She's bassett/blue heeler mix. She's so ugly she's cute.

   There are so many different views on modesty that it's very hard to define.  I am currently in college, and some of the things I see in class or on campus make me embarrassed for that person.  I consider modest to mean everything is covered and not picking your clothes with the intention of looking "hot."  Sure everyone likes to look nice and where clothes that are flattering, but there are ways to do that without showing too much skin.  For example, with shirts, make sure it isn't too low and no clevage is showing.  If you're afraid something might fall out, it's probably not an appropriate shirt.  Also, I don't believe a shirt is modest if it shows a girl's stomach.  And last but not least, some people ould even go so far as to say that if a girl's bra strap is showing, it is immodest.  This is an example of my opinion of modesty.  I could go a lot farther, but I won't torture you all. ;)

Love n' Hugs, \o/

KristiAnn
MsGuidedAngel

I think a good rule of thumb is if you would be embarassed or unwilling to wear it to church....you shouldn't be wearing it anywhere.

Christians weather male or female should cover their bodies and not expose parts that could turn the eye of the opposite sex.

Woman should not wear sleevless tops or dresses. Short sleves are great. Woman should not wear dresses or skirts above the knee. We are to cover our bodies and not show what we have. That is where immorality will come into play, either by the part of the person wering it or the roaming eye.

I attend an IFB church and they believe all woman should wear skirts all the time. I myself do wear skirts all the time but not because my church says so. It is because it is what God wants us to wear. Now I do not condemn the women that do wear pants. On occasion I do thow on a pair of jeans to go out in if it is super cold out.  And I wear pants around the house.

Now, my own opinion. As long as the person is appropriatly covered and not showing a lot of skin then I feel it is ok.

I see why God wants us to cover. We have a few women that come into church with the REALLY high heels, short skirts, and sleevless tops, and you will see most of the men, married or not, glaring at them quite often.
People are human, and feelings will arouse, men and womens thoughts will wander.
There should be a dress code for church. This is my own opinion.

I tend to keep my hair about shoulder-length or shorter, since its thin. I usually wear jeans to work, town and around the house, with flannel shirts or tees. I wear a dress or a skirt to church, or my nice wool pants. I don't wear shorts or skirts higher than my calves because I think I look silly in them.  ::)
My sister only wears pants on occasion. She has thick, thick hair down to her bottom, and heavy skirts down to her toes. She rarely wears short-sleeved shirts, and never sleeveless. (Same family. Go figure.)

I'm not a feminist or anything, but all the "rules" on conservative dress drive me crazy sometimes!  :-[ We know families who say women can only wear silk, cotton, or other light fabric; if they wear denim or any heavier fabric, that's considered "men's clothing". Women can only wear light colors, mostly pastels. If they wear darker colors, that's "men's clothing". Prints for women's clothes must be small and feminine, preferably floral, no stripes or plaids. They can only wear their hair in certain styles, and it must be long-long-long. They can't look people in the eye, that's too manly. They can't laugh much, that's too manly. They can't talk a lot, that's too manly. Oh dear! I'm all befuddled!  :P

My idea of modest clothing is pretty much as has been said before. I never wear tops that would make me feel worried about bending over.

And I am a trousers kind of woman - I have one or two skirts but hardly ever wear them because they gives me trouble walking  ;D, they are down to my ankles. I am a shorty anyway so a lot of clothing tends to be too big for me. And with trousers I need to worry less about how I sit. It is rather cold, wearing skirts and dresses around here.

I think that as far as feminine clothing goes, I am not quite the trendsetter. I love to wear hooded tops, comfy jumpers, walking boots/shoes, that sort of thing. Practical for the weather here and very comfortable.

I do admit to having some tops that are a bit more tight fitting. They are, however, not overly revealing.

Don't worry too much about other people's opinions, that would be my advise. Just wear whatever you feel comfortable in and what feels right for you.

And, though this may not sound very nice, you can't please everyone no matter what you do. So really, I wouldn't worry.

God never once said He wants us to wear dresses, so may I ask on what  authority you make this statement?

Deuteronomy 22:5  "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this."

Of course, in cultures wear men wear robes or "skirts" there must be something that makes their clothing different from the women's clothing.  In Biblical times, women and men wore distinctly different clothing.  

Personally, I wear dresses and skirts with long hair in feminine styles and colours because I absolutely wouldn't want anyone to think that I wasn't the woman God created me to be.  I suppose some would argue that woman's pants are different than men's pants.  Kilts are differently a men's garment, ask any Scot.  

My mother has a friend who will wear green jeans, pink jeans, brown, red, black, and yellow jeans...but she will not wear blue jeans, because blue jeans are men's clothing!  :D Ah well.
I agree with you, M; while scripture doesn't say that women must wear dresses or skirts, it is appropriate for a woman to dress differently than a man...

Now, where's the verse telling men not to wear women's clothing?  ;D

Funny how the people who use this scripture to tell women they must wear dresses, fail to also teach scripture must be read in context, with understanding of who the author was talking  too?  
If you obey Deut 22:5, why not obey the rest of that passage?
Why not this one:?   Deu 22:12  Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.
or this one:
Deu 22:12  On the four edges of your robe, with which your body is covered, put ornaments of twisted threads.
or why dont we still stone those women who are caught in the act of adultry?  (not wanting to go there because some cultures still do!)  >:(

Why? Because it doesnt apply to us, NONE of it.

Not to mention, when this passage was penned, men and women both wore dresses , so that scripture couldnt possibly be referring to a "dress"

I think Proud2BeIFB had some other important ideas about modesty.  If she feels she should wear dresses and skirts most of the time, that is good.  You might think about how people in your church would react to a man showing up for worship wearing a dress, and I don't mean a kilt.  

Schools have dress codes.  Do you ever stop to wonder why?  

The original posting had to do with modest clothing and worship.  

Well, to be honest we are not suppose to be vain.  And it says in the bible (1st Corinth. ???) that women should not dress like men and men should not dress like women. It is an abomination unto the Lord.  Most take that to mean that men wear britches/pants (britches are mentioned in the bible I think 4 times and always in reference to men) so that would mean that women are not suppose to wear pants.  Our alternative would be dresses or skirts.   I dont see in the bible where it states that it has to be so many inches above the ankles, or anything about sleeves... but we all know that a miniskirt is not modest, skimpy tanks are not modest, anything low cut or too tight ect ect ect.  We can make excuses all day long as to why our own clothing is modest...but really should pray for conviction to understand what God does not want us wearing.  
Dawn

a person could be covered from head to toe and someone
could still lust after you.Take a look at the muslims;the women
are  covered from head to toe yet that doesn't stop the men
from lusting after them. Yes ,modesty does have it's place,
but the men also have a responsibility for their own thoughts
and actions.

is'nt it stated in the bible, that the women should dress appropriately what is belong to women.... i also had a trouble in understanding this....nowadays, there are clothings that are for unisex... especially pants. perhaps, if you bare your skin that's not modest.

Here is an interesting article on clothing.

http://www.nlbchapel.org/clothing.htm

I read that article, very thoughtful and concisely put.   Who is James Martin?

He's the brother in Christ who wrote the article. I don't know him personally.

Pilgrim

I have a question for you all?

I would like to ride a bike in order to get in shape, but my husband has a problem with women waring slacks.
I don't see a problem with it.
I get so discouraged with all the do's and don't. God said,

be Holy as He is Holy.  So, is it a sin to cover yourself riding a

bike?

well...im not sure what MODEST is ...but i know what ITS NOT..

take a look at the TBN TV show...thats NOT Modest, and neither is the Lakewood church... NOT MODEST DRESSERS, on the opposite...flashy, vain and loaded with make-up.

if you do the opposite of them...you'll be just fine...lol  ;)

Okay Ladies,

Here's the real deal. God does not want us to be uncomfortable, neither does he want us to be a stumbling
block to our brother, or sisters.
Yes, sisters. We must be mindful that we are saved by grace
through faith, and not of ourselves. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. He dwells in a clean temple inside and out.
God created woman for man. Created He them. Women are a good thing for men to see. Lets be pleasing in sight, in smell, in most of all ATTITUDES!!! :D
We are to be kind and gentle, set firm and direct. Modesty
covers more than clothes, sorry for going further than the question.
I feel that women are to dress with a clear conscious. She should know how far to go, by the Holy Spirits internal radar
he give us. It's called intuition. There's an office dress code,
a hospital worker dress code, police dress code. Why not the children of God?
I personally, cover myself arms and chest up to my knees.
I only wear pants to work-out, or do bending housework, or
riding my bike. That sounds pretty reasonable.  I would not
get on the bike with a cut out, strapless, see through jersey
or tight pants.  That's what temps brothers. The reason I said, sisters is because some people don't say or talk about it
in the church but they have had problems that they came out of and fear being tempted into a life style they don't want any parts of.
So, I say be modest in all things from the head to the feet. :D

I realize this is an older post, but felt led to post this.  
I think we all need to keep our opinions out of it and stick to what God has to say about modesty.  It doesnt matter what we "think" or "feel" all that matters is what Gods word has to say.
Yes, we need to worry about the inside first, make sure your right with God and everything else will fall into place.
It saddens me that some people say that there sick of all the "rules" that go along with being a women, thats just a cop out.  We are the weaker vessels, period, to bad if you dont like it but women sinned first.  God has a reason for all of his rules, who are we to argue them???????
I am not fully perfect, I am still learning what all the rules for women are, so yes, I still do have a lot to learn.
Now, back to modesty, here is a good article about the subject, I am not sure who wrote it, it is something that has been given to me while I was in search of what modesty is.
I pray you will all read this with an unhardened heart and will all pray on the subject.
Thanks
Victoria

THE BIBLE'S DRESS CODE

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (First Corinthians 6:19-20)

I want to speak on the subject of "The Bible's Dress Code." There are a lot of preachers who preach on the subject of God's dress code, that goes something like this: "Well, bless God, this is the way you ought to dress. And this is the way you ought to dress, because I just told you this is the way you ought to dress. I just told you this is the way you ought to dress, because this is what my pastor taught me when I was a young Christian boy, how a lady or a man ought to dress. So you just do what I say, because I'm the preacher." And people either do it, or they rebel against it. But I believe there are a lot of people who, although they are not interested in the preacher's opinion, who if they could actually be shown from the Bible what is right and what is wrong, they would do right. There are a lot of people in our churches who have been taught the truth but they do not live the truth, because even though they have been taught the truth, they haven't been taught the truth from the Bible. They have been taught the truth from opinion. They have been taught the truth from tradition, but they have not been taught the truth from the Bible.

I'll give you a personal illustration of this. When I first met my wife, I basically told her how I wanted her to dress, and she just thought I was crazy. "Why should I dress like that?" "Because I am your husband and I told you to." Thank God, there was an older lady in our church who was able at that time to take the Bible and show her what I should have been able to show her, as a preacher. If I had been able to show her from the Bible, it would have saved us a lot of fights in the beginning of our marriage. There was even a time at the beginning of our marriage when she did what I told her to do, because I told her to do it, but she did it begrudgingly. But when she actually saw from the Bible what God expected, she no longer did it begrudgingly, but willingly. So I hope to be able to show you from the Bible what God expects.

Many people will say, "Well, God looks on the heart. God doesn't care what you look like on the outside. God just looks on the heart." That is true. God does look on the heart, but man cannot see the heart. Man can only see the outer. Not only that, the outer appearance is usually a pretty good indicator of what is in a person's heart. Although it is possible to look right on the outside and be wrong on the inside, it is well nigh impossible to look right on the outside and be right on the inside. What is on the outside comes from the inside. That is why Jesus said, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34). Granted, a man could say the right things, and have a wrong heart, but a man who had a right heart would never say the wrong things. So the outer appearance is the only indicator that man has that someone is right with God, right in their heart. So God does care how we look. Not only does God care how we look, there are rules in the Bible for both men and women that should govern our appearance. Now, whenever you start to talking about these rules, the women are always the first ones to complain, because there are more rules for the women than there are for the men. And I often wonder why the Bible has all these rules for the women and very few rules for the men, and the reason why is because men and women are made differently. I know that is not a "politically correct" thing to say, but it is none the less true. God made man and women differently.

Men are stimulated by sight. This is why Jesus told the men of His day, "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Men are stimulated by sight. Men are always attracted to a lady, physically, before they are connected to her emotionally. In fact, they don't even want to pursue the possibility of an emotional relationship, if the physical attraction isn't there.

Women on the other hand are stimulated by touch. It could be a physical touch or an emotional touch. So all a man has to do is look at a woman, and she is stimulated. A woman has to be talked to, and she has to be touched. And as I said, that touch can be emotional. A man could talk to a woman in such a way that she is touched emotionally. Or it could be a physical touch. He could begin to pet her or stroke her in some way and that would begin to stimulate her. That is why pornography is sold mainly to men. There is some pornography that is sold to women, but statisticians tell us that the majority of the pornographic magazines that are published for women are actually purchased by a man, because women aren't really stimulated by sight. That is why you can go to the mall and see some of the ugliest guys with some of the most attractive women, because they know how to touch. They know how to touch emotionally and how to touch physically, so the woman is satisfied, whereas the man has to see something. He is stimulated by sight. Therefore, God has given certain commands to women regarding their appearance, so they will not stimulate men. And God has given different commands to men, such as in First Corinthians 7:1, which says, "It is good for a man not to touch a woman. And then verse two, Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." So while a woman is commanded to dress a certain way so the man is not stimulated, the man is commanded to act a certain way, to behave a certain way, so the woman is not stimulated. That is why the commands are different. That is why the man is commanded, "Defraud ye not." That is why they are commanded not to touch. The additional rules for appearance are for the lady's own protection. They are designed to protect her from the lusts of man. But let's start with the rules for men. There are basically only two rules in the Bible for man's appearance, at least that I have found in my studies of the Scriptures. There may be more, but I've only found two. In Deuteronomy 22:5, it says, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God." The first command of God, concerning the way a man should appear is that a man should not wear a woman's clothing. I don't know too many men who violate that one. There may be a few, but I have never seen it in a church. And the Bible does not say that a man who puts on a woman's garment has just sinned, but that he has committed an abomination. Lying is a sin. Stealing is a sin. Adultery is a sin. Bestiality is an abomination. Homosexuality is an abomination. So if a man puts on a woman's garment, he has not just committed a sin. He has committed an abomination. He has done something that in the mind of God, is equal to having sex with an animal. The second rule for men regarding appearance is found in First Corinthians 11:14, where the Bible says, "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him" The question is always asked, "How long is long?" Long is the opposite of short. Let me ask you, sir. Is your hair short? And if you don't know, then it is long, and if it is long, it is not natural for you to have long hair. So what do you need to do? You need to go to a barber shop.

cont.

"Well, what is short? How do I know if my hair is short?" It is the opposite of long. If it is not short it is long. "Well, it isn't as long as some girls' hair I see." It doesn't matter. It is long. "It is not as long as Boy George's." If it is long, then go to a barber shop. Get a hair cut. And if you doubt, then cut it off right now, and there will not be a doubt. When in doubt, do that which is right. The problem is solved.

Now rules for women. Again, Deuteronomy 22:5, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man." Again, if a woman dresses like a man and a lot of women do, God says they have committed an abomination. It amazes me, but I do not know any Christian women who would think of committing an act of bestiality or homosexuality, but yet they would commit the abomination of cross dressing. The Bible says this is an abomination.

The second rule given to women is in First Timothy 2:9, which states, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel." The third and fourth rule are also in First Timothy 2:9. It says they should not only adorn themselves in modest apparel, but, "with shamefacedness and…" then the fourth command, "sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." Sobriety is a word that basically means with moderation.

So let's take those rules and apply them. I want to bring it down to where you live and why you should do certain things. So knowing these four rules that God has given to a woman's appearance: Rule number one, it should not pertain to a man. Rule number two, it should be modest. Rule three, they should dress with shamefacedness. And rule number four, it should be with sobriety or moderation. Let us apply the rules to the different garments women should wear and determine which garments agree with the Biblical dress code and which do not.

Rule number one. Why does the pastor insist that a woman not wear pants? There are several reasons. Reason number one is because they violate the first rule. It is man's apparel. Deuteronomy 22:5 says it is an abomination, just like bestiality or homosexuality, for a woman to wear a man's garment. And pants are a man's garment.

"Well, preacher, I don't believe that." Well, you can believe what you want, but the fact is simply this, in the Bible days, women did not wear crotched garments. Pants have a crotch. Men in the Bible days wore crotch garments. Not only that, women in any society did not wear pants until close to the middle of this century. Pants are called britches in the Bible, and britches were worn exclusively by men for the first 5,950 years of human existence (which means up until about fifty years ago). Even the garments worn by men and women in Bible days were different. The woman wore a long flowing robe, and men wore a shorter and tighter robe. Underneath the woman's robe would be nothing. Underneath the man's robe would be a pair of short pants that would go down to the knees. Whenever a man would have to do some type of labor, such as to team up an ox, pull a trailer or dig a hole, he would pull up his skirt and tuck it in his pants that were under his skirt, and that was called in the Bible "girding up your loins."

"Well, back in the Bible days all the women and men wore robes." Yes, but they were different robes. Under the man's robe was a pair of pants. The pair of pants was not under the lady's robes. The pants, or britches, were worn only by the men. You will never read in the Bible where britches were worn by women, but will read where they were worn by men.

It will either have a picture of someone in slacks or someone in a skirt. Now, if you are a lady, which of those two doors will you walk through? And if you are a man, which of those two doors will you walk through? I doubt that even the rankest feminist would walk into the bathroom that would have the picture of a person in pants. Common sense tells us that pants are a man's apparel. It amazes me that a woman would be appalled of just the thought of a man wearing a dress, but yet, men and women think nothing of a woman wearing pants. There was a fashion designer a few years back who decided he was going to come out with a line of dresses for men. The idea wasn't very popular, so he gets himself an appearance on the Phil Donahue show. Phil brought all these male models out, wearing the dresses designed just for men, they paraded them around the stage on the show, and all the women thought this was vulgar. And, when Phil went into the audience with a microphone, many of the women made statements that they though it was preposterous that a man would want to wear a dress. "Don't these men know any better? Don't they have any self-respect? Don't they have any concept of manhood, that they would parade around in a dress?" And Phil Donahue said something that showed that he had more spiritual discernment than most Baptists do. He said, "Well, they said the same thing fifty years ago, when women started wearing pants."

So the first reason why a preacher says a woman should not wear pants is because they are a man's garment, and the Bible says it is an abomination for a woman to wear a man's garment. The second reason, pants are not, I repeat, not modest. "Well preacher, that is your opinion." Yes, but, I can prove it from the Bible. In First Timothy 2:9, we read that women should adorn themselves in "modest apparel." In the Greek, the word for modest is the word katastolh (katastole), and it means a long flowing garment. Remember I said that in the Bible days, men wore a short tight skirt and women wore a long and flowing robe. That was a katastole. The Bible in First Timothy 2:9 tells women to adorn themselves in a long flowing garment, not a short, tight garment. That is what modest is, long and flowing. Pants do not flow. I have never yet seen a pair of pants that flow. Therefore, even if "long," they do not qualify as a long flowing garment. And since they are not a long flowing garment, they are not a katastole. Katastole is translated modest. Therefore, if a modest garment is a long flowing garment, and pants do not flow, pants are not modest.

Also, women are commanded to dress with shamefacedness. That simply means they are not to draw attention to themselves. And pants draw attention to the woman's figure. So if you wear a pair of pants, or even a tight skirt, it shows the figure and it is not shamefacedness, or modest, because it doesn't flow. It shows the figure and it stimulates men. And of course, you should not want to dress in such a way that it stimulates the lusts of a man. Remember in First Corinthians chapter thirteen that it says, "Charity doth not behave itself unseemly." You shouldn't seek to do things that would cause someone to fall. Jesus said that if a man looks on a woman with lust in his heart, he has already committed adultery with her. Do you realize that if you dress in such a way that it shows your form and figure, and some man lusts after you, you have just let him commit adultery with you? "Well, he didn't have to look." Yes, and he could have also driven blindfolded into a tree somewhere. Get real. Granted, a man should know how to keep control of his mind, but women ought not to be tempting him either. So only a full and flowing skirt qualifies as a katastole, a long flowing garment. So only a dress or skirt could be considered modest, because modesty is a katastole, long and flowing. And since pants do not flow, and only a dress or skirt does, only a dress or skirt can be considered modest. And since a long flowing garment, a skirt or dress, is the only way a woman can dress without showing off her figure, then only a skirt or dress would be shamefacedness.

cont.

Now let's apply this to the second type of clothing a woman should wear. Why does a preacher preach against shorts and mini-skirts? Well, once again that word modest or katastole, long flowing garment. Neither shorts or mini-skirts are long and shorts do not flow, therefore shorts or mini-skirts would not be modest, because they do not meet the length requirement. A katastole is a long and flowing garment. The second reason why shorts and mini-skirts would be inappropriate for a woman is because the Bible specifically says that when a woman's thighs show, she is naked. Isaiah 47:2-3 says, "Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man." Here was a women who wanted to cross a river. God wanted to disgrace the woman, (If you read the text in Isaiah chapter forty-seven, you will see why.) so He commanded her to walk across the river, then, to lift up her skirt so her thigh would show. And God said that when her thigh was exposed, she would be naked and her shame would be revealed. We read that she was told to uncover the locks, to make bare the leg, uncover the thigh and "thy nakedness shall be uncovered."
And this should make it obvious that bathing suits are not modest, that they expose nakedness. You could buy a mini-skirt that only uncovers three or four inches of nakedness. A swimsuit will expose a full eighteen inches of nakedness. We think that if we get on a swimsuit, our genitals are covered and we are clothed. God says no, you don't just cover your genitals. You cover the thigh. Plus the swimsuit shows off the form and the figure, and is not shamefacedness. It doesn't flow. It is not long. It is not modest.
Let's go to some other questions. What about floor length skirts? It flows. It is modest.However, the word used for modest is katastole, which is long and flowing, and a word that would be used in the Greek for a floor length gown would be poderis. Since the word for modest is katastole, and not poderis, the garment has to be long but not necessarily floor length, since nakedness ended at the knee. Long would be somewhere in between the knee and the floor, but it doesn't necessarily have to go to the floor. So if you want to wear a floor length skirt or dress, that is fine. There is nothing wrong with it, but it is not absolutely necessary. Just because your skirt goes to the floor and the other ladies' skirts only go halfway down their calf, that doesn't make you more spiritual than she is.

What about tight skirts? I see a lot of women with tight skirts. I went to a Bible college where we had rules. Women had to wear dresses and skirts. They weren't allowed to wear slacks. But let me tell you, a lot of those girls wore some pretty tight dresses and skirts. You could see every curve on their body. Was that modest? No, because it didn't flow. If it flowed, it wouldn't show the figure. Was it shamefaced? No, because shamefacedness is to be dressed in such a way as not to draw attention to the figure. So a modest garment is a flowing garment. A tight garment or dress is not modest, regardless of how much flesh it covers. Granted, it may go down below the knees and you are not naked, but you are still not modest. You are still not shamefaced. So a woman needs to wear a dress or a skirt that is not just below the knees, but a dress or skirt that is full or flowing. It is modest only if it goes below the knee and it is not tight or reveals the form of the figure.

So people say, "Well, what about fashion?" The Bible says we are not to be conformed to the world, in Romans 12:2. And in Proverbs 25:29, the Bible teaches us that "the fear of man bringeth a snare." We don't have to have the latest style. We do not have to be afraid of fashion. But at the same time, First Corinthians 7:31 says, "And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away." So we don't want to be a slave of fashion. We don't want to necessarily spend all of our money, time and resources making sure we have the latest styles and fads, but at the same time, we don't have to throw away our clothes because they happen to be fashionable.

What about pretty clothes? It is the same thing. There is no sin in wearing pretty clothes. In fact, God wants your clothes to be beautiful. God wants a woman to be beautiful. God wants a woman to be beautiful for her husband. We read in Proverbs chapter thirty-one that the "virtuous woman will wear pretty clothes. It says, "She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple (Proverbs 31:21-22). So we read here that a virtuous woman wore very beautiful clothes. Is it a sin to wear beautiful clothes? A lot of Christians would make it out to be. They think you have to wear black clothes. Like the Quaker people, who say you have to wear black clothes all the time. God never said you had to wear black clothes all the time. If you want to wear black clothes all the time that is fine. The Bible doesn't say that wearing black clothes is a sin, but it is also not a sin to wear blue clothes, gray clothes, green clothes. You can wear pretty clothes and that is fine. God wants you to be beautiful. You know, a woman should want to be beautiful for her husband. In First Corinthians chapter seven it says that the husband owns the wife's body, and if that be the case, if a woman deprives her husband of her beauty, she is actually sinning against her husband. That is why God gave the woman to the man.
What should be the motivation for modesty? Well, we should want to dress the way God wants us to dress, we should want to look the way God tells us to look, both men and women, because God tells us to. We should need no further motivation than that. Just the fact that the Bible says we should do it, that is all the motivation we should need. But there are some reasons we should be motivated. One is our testimony. We find God commanded Israel to be a "peculiar people" (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2 & 26:18, Psalm 135:4, Ecclesiastes 2:8). And you read later in the New Testament that God wants those who belong to the New Testament church to be a peculiar people (Titus 2:14, I Peter 2:9). He wants us to be different from the world. That is why God told the Israelites to dress a certain way, because when an Israelite walked down the street, God wanted the people should say, "There is a Jew. There is one of God's people." When the Israelites came marching through a town, God wanted all the pagan societies around to know. "Hey, the Israelites are marching into our town. Those are the people for whom God parted the Red Sea and drowned the entire Egyptian host. We better get out of the way and just let them have our land. We will move on down the road." That was what God wanted. God wanted the world to be able to spot and Israelite a mile away. They were a peculiar people. And God wants the Christians in the local New Testament churches to be a peculiar people. The Bible tells us to. We are to be living epistles, a peculiar people, a chosen priesthood. People ought to be able to look at you and to know you are a Christian. They shouldn't have to ask. And by the way, if they have to ask, chances are you are not going to have much of a testimony with them anyway, and you are not going to be very successful in leading them to Christ. They are going to say, "If you are a Christian, and you are just like me, why do I need to become a Christian, go to church and give my money?" It is not going to do anything for them. It hasn't changed you, and you are just like them. You just have less money than they do. You just have less free time. If we are going to win the world, we have to be different from the world, and God wants us to have a testimony. God wants us to be different. He wants us to look different. He wants us to be a peculiar people, chosen to Himself. That is another motivation for dressing and looking properly.
Here are some other questions a woman could ask, if they are shopping for a garment. Obviously the first is, does it pertain to a man. Secondly, is this garment something that only a lady would wear? In other words, is it unisex? Well, the Bible says it is an abomination to wear that which pertains to a man. You should want to stay as far away from abomination as you can get. If there is any question, if you have any doubt, then stay away from it and the doubt is dissolved. Number three, does this garment in any way reveal the thigh? Remember, if a woman shows her thigh, she is naked. Does the garment reveal the thigh? In other words, does it come up above the knee? Fourth, is the garment modest? Remember, long and flowing. Does the garment go below the knee and does it flow? Is it shamefaced? Will it in any way draw attention to your form or figure? Of course, if it does, then it is a garment you need not to buy. The final question would be a good question to ask, and it is, would I like to be wearing this garment when Jesus returns? Well, I guess that is about it. I hope that this has been a help to someone. And I hope it doesn't make too many enemies, and even if you are mad right now, it is not because you are rebelling against my opinion, but against the Word of God.
I do pray you gleaned from this, I did not write it all, but do stand behind 100%
God bless you and when there is a question, simply ask yourself, would this be pleasing to Jesus? If you cannot completely say yes, you better rethink it.

I agree 100%!

Ah, I disagree here. The article is full of opinions and "1+2=56" stuff.  :-\

::) Gee, Ted Bundy comes to mind....

This is a grade school mindset.  :-X The kids that dress like trash must BE trash..... ::)


Uh..... I don't know this man's heart but I do know he's saying some wrong things.... Following his logic, that means his heart isn't right?  ???


 ::)
And what is the "dress code" for someone who is right with God?  ???
Does that mean that those who have been jailed for being a believer are now out of God's will because their clothes aren't acceptable?  :-\ Does that mean that that those who have a job in uniform are out of God's uniform?  :'( Does that mean that those who can't afford "good" clothes have fallen from grace?  :'(

Does God prefer western boots or tennis shoes or penny loafers or high heels? What color? Is it a problem if they're leather? Or is mixed-fabric better? Or maybe 100% polyester? Any man-made material? What if it's raining? Will God be mad if our shoes are wet or muddy?

I'll leave the rest of the article.  :-X
As Christians, maybe we should just all pray that we start seeing people as He does, through His eyes... :-\

Not modest at all! Very good point!  ;)

ROFL!  ;D

Sisters,

Excuse me, for a moment,  but,,,,,,

If you did not see it, on the other thread, then here it is and maybe you can see why, brothers respect sisters that dress modest. God does have a dress code it's in his Word. God Bless ya, M for the inquire.

Quote from: M on February 11, 2005, 01:18:40 PM
Sorry guys!  A woman has come into your clubhouse. 
I need to know something from the male perspective.

1.  Do you feel that women should dress modestly for church services and functions?   

2. Do you feel that if women dressed more modestly it would help any men with "lust"? 

3.  How do you feel about what your wife and daughters wear? 

4.  Do you think that women can dress modestly in pants? 



#1  Yes,
Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seems right to a man (or a woman) and appears straight before him, but in the end of it is the way of death.  {The Amplified Bible}
If this verse ran through every womans thoughts before setting out in the world. They would be doing their part as the body of Christ, which would help their brothers in Christ.

#2 Again yes,
For brothers, this should be how they fight that everyman's battle.
The war against lust is to build a three perimeters wall of defense into your life. What gets a man's motor running is in what he sees. He must train himself through the Spirit to walk in purity.

I)  With your eyes:  Bounce from objects of lust, don't will yourself to look, bounce from the sensual views that a mans eyes may target. You are going to notice woman in their gift of beauty, there is no way out of that. But if you gaze them up and down at their sexuality, heres where the boundaries must be set, and we must as men train ourselves not to cross these boundaries.
Starving the eyes, successfully, shutting off the flow of wrongful sensual images that come through the eyes. You have to retrain your eyes, put up your shield and not will yourself to look at sensual images.
If you do cross the boundary line then you must repent of it and do as Paul said in the Word. Casting down all imaginations and anything not to knowledge of God, taking every thought captive and bring it into obedience to Christ. Then press on, start again, learn from that grace.

II) In the mind:  You have to keep your mind from taking that image, block it before it gets there, put up your shield. you must evaluate and capture them, "objects of lust". You must cast it down, keeping that image in your mind, will bring about friends, in thoughts and will build a desire that must be stopped in its tracks and brought into obedience to Christ. Starving the attractions, cleansing your mind flow of thoughts impure and lustful.

III)   In the heart:  The "Heart" the innermost defense perimeter - is in your heart. Crucifying that old flesh, crucifying anything impure. This perimeter is built by strengthening your love for God and His will for you. {His will is for you to remain pure.}   We have "NO RIGHT" outside of Jesus in these areas.
If you are married strengthen also your affections for your spouse and your commit-ment to the promises and debts you owe them, love, honor, and cherish-ment. Love them as you love Christ Jesus. Grow in having a more genuine, positive, sacrificial heart commit-ment to-wards your spouse.

Joseph said; how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.  He did the other thing one must do in a harmful environment, he fled.
These are some of what sexual sin, lust, and impure thoughts do, they are sins against God. And they can cause more hurts to others as well. Look at what it cost David that night he went for a walk.
Choosing not to sin, understanding the enemy - so that we might not be deceived. Defense with your eyes, in your mind and in your heart.
Impurity is a habit working like a habit, not willing to look, impurity fights like an addiction-spiritual possession, purity always brings spiritual opposition. As men we must always be alert to it.

Job 31:1 - I dictated a covenant (an agreement) to my eyes; how then could I look (lustfully) upon a girl? (2) For what portion should I have from God above (if I were lewd), and what heritage from the Almighty on high? (3) Does not calamity (justly) befall the unrighteous, and disaster the workers of iniquity? (4) Does not (God) see my ways and count all my steps? (5) If I have walked with falsehood or vanity, or if my foot has hastened to deceit - (6) Oh, let me weighed in a just balance and let Him weigh me. that God may know my integrity!
(9) If my heart has been deceived and made a fool by a woman, or if I have (covetously) laid wait for my neighbor's door (until his departure). (10) Then let my wife grind (meal, like a bondslave) for another, and let others bow upon her. {TAB}

**Job made a covenant with God, that would cost him his wife if he did not walk upright in purity. Just let the Spirit give you revelation on all that Job did in saying that and going into covenant with the Lord about it.

#3 She dresses modestly, she walks the changed life. My oldest daughter, was not influenced by me, because of divorce, but she is some what good in that matter. I pray for her to get better with her choices in all things.

#4 Yes, if it is skin tight then, they should refer to Proverbs 14:12.

Proverbs 31:30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.  {KJV}

These are the paths I have been taught and shown to fight everyman's battle. Paths of righteousness I walk empowered by the Holy Spirit to do it.
I pray they help women understand our battle and maybe can help other men in a path with weapons to use in this warfare.
Many things are took from the books of "Everymans Battle" and "Everymans Challenge". There is also one for women called "Every Woman's Battle.

May the Lord bless thee and keep thee
Only always for Jesus
in the love of a brother,
ggamble
 

Genesis 3:7,11 "And they sewed fig leaves together." "And the Lord God said, Who told thee that though wast naked? " Luke 12:27-28 "Consider the lilies...they toil not, neither do they spin, yet...Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass...how much more will he clothe you?" Proverbs 31: 25 "Strength and honor are her clothing."  Revelation 19:8 "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." James 2:2-4 "For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come also a poor man in vile raiment; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or Sit by my footstool; are ye not partial in yourselves?"

Beautiful! Thank you, Willowbirch! :D

Oh, wow.  :-[ That's almost worse than a fig leaf.  Yes, definitely "inappropriate anywhere" (in public, at least!)

LOL! It seems that a lot of things on the "Christian Walk" are like that...

VERSE:
   As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
    -- Colossians 3:12
   
THOUGHT:
   "Wonder what I'll need to wear to that meeting?" Paul reminds us
that there is a set of clothing that is always in style. We wear
this clothing because we are special. This clothing is from the
Ultimate Designer's collection that is called character and is best
worn when with other people. These qualities are hard to wear, but
always a blessing to those who meet us when we're decked out in
this wardrobe.

PRAYER:
   Abba Father, thank you for bringing me into your family. May I
never disappoint you in the way I treat others. May they see in me
the qualities of character that can be attributed only to your
presence in my life. To you be the glory and the honor, forever and
ever, in the name of Jesus my Lord. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/

Hi everyone,

I'm new here so please forgive me if I mess this up.   :)

After reading some of the responses here I thought about how I dress and what I believe is appropriate for me and my daughter who is sixteen.  What I think is that no matter what, there will always be someone who feels that my dress or hers is not modest enough.  My daughter and I sometimes shop together and she knows my thoughts on different types of clothes.  Only on one occasion after shopping with her friends did she need to return an item, not because it exposed too much but because I thought it was more appropriate for maybe an older teen.   My point is that we as parents and as individual have to settle in our own heart what it modest or appropriate dress.  I totally agree that when you are a child of God you want to change different things, the way you dress may be one of those things.  And we are to be careful that what we do or say does not cause another brother or sister stumble.
Now, do we cover up ever inch of our bodies so that no one is tempted?  I really don't think so.  I don't believe there's anything wrong with wearing short sleeves or skirts above the knee or simply wearing pants.  I believe that we need to be mindful what we wear at all times but what I may deem as appropriate, my friend may not and we have to accept that we are different, our ideas about what's right or wrong will not always be the same.  We as fellow brothers and sister in Christ must respect one another and not judge a person because they don't things the way we believe they should be done.  One of the things that God gives is free will ... freedom of choice.  If I make a wrong choice, only I have to answer for it, no else.  So when someone is dressed inappropriate, instead judging them, our first instinct should be to pray for them.  God is the only One that knows the heart(1 Samuel 16:7) and is the only One has the right to judge.  That means that we can not look at a person and decide whether they are saved or not because of how they dress.  This happens a lot in my home church, where the older members judge the younger ones.  The sad thing is that instead mentoring the young people we now have separate worship services because the generation clash instead of embracing one another.  Sometime so simply as clothing can do damage that I don't think any of us want to be responsible for.
Anytime we judge we must examine our own motives because sometimes we can hold ourselves higher than others and in our pride we can look down at people instead of lifting them up.
My intent is not judge anyone because of their options because I have mine as well.  The bottom line is that we as individual have to stand before Jesus someday to be judged ... each of us will be accountable for ourselves and what we did or did not do... and also for the words we speak.

God Bless
Dee

Well said, Dee! We can offer our own opinions all day long but in the end most of them can't be justified by Scripture though so many will try to do  so! But what I've come to learn is that God is big enough to handle each instance where He is displeased, and He is the One who's thoughts I value. That's for those who follow Him.

For those who don't, then we need to remember that it's not our jobs to clean folks up for Him - He will do that once they come to accept Him. In His time!

The sad part to me is that so many of our youth don't know their value to the Lord! And if they are received by the local Body with love and acceptance then they begin to feel loved and accepted. But when there is condemnation and judgement over personal opinions then they rebel against the Body and ultimately maybe even the Lord. I, personally, don't want that millstone!

And when a youth asks me my opinion, I will gladly share with them my opinion - with the disclaimer that it's my own personal opinion! We have local meeting places full of well-dressed, self-righteous, folks who do more damge than good and profess it to be in the name of God.

Sincereheart, you are so right!  I give my opinion as well and when it comes to my own daughter, probably more than I need to.. just want to make sure the point I'm trying to make is well taken by her. ::)  Besides, she'll thank me someday.   :)  There are so many young people that come to our churches who feel like they are not accepted because of their personal choices.  Most of the time they don't even realize the choice is bad.  What I've found being close to a lot the kids, the girls especially, is that they crying out for love they feel they're not getting.  I have seen first hand how damaging the judging can be.  Not only do the kids not realize their worth but they have adults, by their actions, also telling them they have no worth.  You're right though .... we should love and accept them and let God do the changing.  :)

There's a brother name Ron Luce, a youth evangelist who is the founder of Teen Mania.  He authored a book called  Battle Cry for a Generation... The Fight to Save America's Youth.  Although I have not read the entire book yet but from just reading a few sections, I think it's a book to be read by any and everyone with a heart for our youth.  They are truly in a battle and we must do all we can to help them get through it.  I believe if we can come to understand their battle, we will understand why music, movies and modest dress has become such an issue with this generation more so then in the past.  Only when we come to know the spiritual fight they are in, will we be able to help them, if we are committed.
I know it may seem like I'm going on and on and on but I am very passionate about the youth.  Probably because I have a teenager so I get to see and hear about the things they are dealing with on a regular basis.  And not just with my teen but her friends and their families.  They are truly in a crisis but it's not too late... that's good thing.  In case anyone would like to check out the website, here's the address:

Link removed for advertising

Moderator

Amen Dee! Feel free to go "on and on"! LOL!  :D
If you get a chance, I'd love for you to send me the link in a PM. I'd be interested in checking it out!  ;)

I found a neat book on Modesty for teen girls, although I imagine it could work for old gals too. Its very kind and loving and "cool", but also challenging, with some brief, interesting studies on old Hebrew words dealing with sin and modesty. The title is "Secret Keeper" by Dannah Gresh.