My thoughts on life, relationships, and everything else!

Monday, July 12, 2004

Is my skirt too short??? Modest dress in the modern world

If you look around you, you will probably notice that clothes are getting a little more revealing than they used to be. Shirts are getting shorter, shirts are getting tighter, and well, jeans don't even cover your naughty bits anymore(for guys or girls). So what I am left wondering is what is ok to wear without dressing like a nun. There are obvious signs your clothing is inappropriate:body parts that are usually covered by undies are fully exposed, you cant breathe because your clothes are too tight, people mistake you for a prostitute....etc. But then there are the more blurry areas, such as: is a tiny bit of cleavage ok? How short is too short for a skirt, are these pants cut too low...So on and so forth. There are many different ideas on where the line is drawn.

The United Pentecostal Church(UPC) is one example. At a UPC, it is believed that a woman is not to wear pants because it is believed that it is a man's apparel, also makeup and haircuts are also forbidden(in some UPC churches, not all) because it is hiding what God created and is found inappropriate. Another belief of the UPC is that shorts and anything exposing the body is also inappropriate and "exhibitionistic". In contrast, there are Churches who tell you that as long as it came out of the gender appropriate section of the store, and it isn't showing your naughty bits..it's ok....so if I walked around town in super lo rise jeans and a see thru shirt..it's ok...umm...no,I don't think so. Growing up as a Baptist, I was taught that for a woman, skirts and shorts should be mid knee or below, pants are to be feminine, and your shirt better cover your chi-chi's. No skin was to be shown between your pants and your shirt and if it did....Oooh! You were in trouble!
And I was fine with this.....Until I discovered the mini skirt, the biggest dilemma and most fabulous leg lengthener ever!(which is important when your only 5 feet tall) I wouldn't wear one to church, but is it so wrong to wear a mid thigh skirt? Especially if your wearing tall boots and a sweater? It's hard to say. For guys this is a little easier. Unless your like one creepy guy I went to H.S. with, who wore men's lo rise jeans sans undies, your usually pretty covered up. The worst thing is to show your boxers, which is tacky and gross, but not that bad and most know better. But thenm, guys still are faced with the choice of so tight they cant hardly walk, or so loose they fall off...so i guess it evens out. I think the best thing is to wear what you are comfortable in, make sure your covered, and don't wear see thru clothing!