What I can't figure out is why they'd be so bent on thinking that a lady who wears pants (feminine pants, mind you) is "cross-dressing", but don't think anything about tennis shoes/sneakers, boots, sweaters, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and many other "generic" clothing items. I mean, weren't these all worn by men first? Yet, as with pants/jeans, these things were made in ladies' styles, too.
I can about imagine what they'd think of me and my overalls!
In the Marine Corps the drill instructors said that men wear trousers and women wear pants
In ancient cultures both men and women used to wear robes; including the Hebrew culture as far as I know; so I don't get why some people have a problem with women's pants.
I personally think low cut tops, tight clothing and very short skirts/shorts are untasteful and immodest.
And I really like female pantsuits and specially Marlene Dietrich pants style.
I believe modesty can be taken out of control very easily. IMO, I have noticed that modesty gets to applied out of context that women begin to feel ashamed of being women, and having women's bodies. If I could get a nickel for every girl I've met who had "assets", but wore oversized and baggy clothes in order to be modest, I'd have a nice savings account.
Personally, I believe modesty gets taken to the point where women are expected to be responsible for another person's actions and thoughts, when we are supposed to be responsible for ourselves. There are a lot of beautiful people out there who can't help garner attention and do their best to be modest. I've met guys who had nice muscles and would wear clothes which were appropriate sizes, yet continued to gain the looks of lust from women. What were they supposed to do, stop exercising?
I think it's worse with women. I am a firm believer of clothing one's self appropriately. If I am wearing a top which is lower cut, as WannaWitness said, I will pair it with something underneath in order to retain my modesty. But has someone who has, er...assets in a certain area, no matter how much covering I do, it's still noticeable. In fact, it seems that the harder I try to cover and divert attention, the more noticeable. It wasn't until a friend told me that wearing two layers of shirts underneath a zip-up sweatshirt was making me look HUGE that I realized that covering up to that extent was making me look very top-heavy.
That doesn't mean we have license to walk around in skin-tight clothing where the clothes look like they were spray painted on. However as women, many of us tend to have curves and how clothes fit isn't something we always have control over. Many of us who try to buy clothes bigger than our actual size end up exacerbating the problem because with curves, baggier clothing tends to "fall" on those areas and pile up, adding more attention than needed.
We are supposed to dress decently in order to not intentionally incite lust from others. When we do that, we're keeping our end of the bargain. The other end of the bargain is not up to our control, and we can only do things in our control. If a guy can't keep his eyes from looking down while talking to me, and I have everything covered, should I get a reduction?
__________________ Dana (possessed by Zuul): Do you want this body?
I believe modesty can be taken out of control very easily. IMO, I have noticed that modesty gets to applied out of context that women begin to feel ashamed of being women, and having women's bodies. If I could get a nickel for every girl I've met who had "assets", but wore oversized and baggy clothes in order to be modest, I'd have a nice savings account.
Personally, I believe modesty gets taken to the point where women are expected to be responsible for another person's actions and thoughts, when we are supposed to be responsible for ourselves. There are a lot of beautiful people out there who can't help garner attention and do their best to be modest. I've met guys who had nice muscles and would wear clothes which were appropriate sizes, yet continued to gain the looks of lust from women. What were they supposed to do, stop exercising?
I think it's worse with women. I am a firm believer of clothing one's self appropriately. If I am wearing a top which is lower cut, as WannaWitness said, I will pair it with something underneath in order to retain my modesty. But has someone who has, er...assets in a certain area, no matter how much covering I do, it's still noticeable. In fact, it seems that the harder I try to cover and divert attention, the more noticeable. It wasn't until a friend told me that wearing two layers of shirts underneath a zip-up sweatshirt was making me look HUGE that I realized that covering up to that extent was making me look very top-heavy.
That doesn't mean we have license to walk around in skin-tight clothing where the clothes look like they were spray painted on. However as women, many of us tend to have curves and how clothes fit isn't something we always have control over. Many of us who try to buy clothes bigger than our actual size end up exacerbating the problem because with curves, baggier clothing tends to "fall" on those areas and pile up, adding more attention than needed.
We are supposed to dress decently in order to not intentionally incite lust from others. When we do that, we're keeping our end of the bargain. The other end of the bargain is not up to our control, and we can only do things in our control. If a guy can't keep his eyes from looking down while talking to me, and I have everything covered, should I get a reduction?
Very good point; I couldn't have said it better. Heck, some women can wear a muumuu, but because of the way they naturally look, it doesn't stop men from lusting (and there is a huge difference between lusting and merely admiring). Sadly, that's the way things are sometimes. I feel as long as one (man or woman) is trying his/her best to dress appropriately for any situation, then God understands the heart. Not looking to hide curves (for women) or physique (for men) -- after all, God made us different ways -- but not to walk around "flaunting our stuff", either.
Most of the time, we can't go wrong with "happy mediums".
__________________ "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." -- Psalm 136:1
Last edited by WannaWitness; 23rd December 2009 at 10:23 AM.
Dressing modestly means not dressing in such a way that the intent is to cause lust in others.
Due to biological realities, this applies to women moreso than to men.
I agree...and I think us women have a real responsibility to not be stumbling blocks to men. I am old fashion, I know, but I believe that full, mid-calf dresses/skirts fit the bill the best. I personally have worn nothing but skirts/dresses for the last 15 years....and I'm a "tomboy" by nature. I just came home from Hilton Head, and we rode bikes there for a week, I didn't have any trouble riding in my skirts. It wasn't easy for me to come to this decision, 15 years ago...but as I read
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. Deuteronomy 22:5.
well, it really spoke to me.
__________________ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matthew 24:44.
I just came home from Hilton Head, and we rode bikes there for a week, I didn't have any trouble riding in my skirts. It wasn't easy for me to come to this decision, 15 years ago...but as I read well, it really spoke to me.
Well, if you are on a motorcycle, then probably trousers woudl be ok. But your ability to see from the other side speaks volumes.
Are men weak for seeing lust in the way women dress. Maybe and maybe not. However, that is the way we are created. Help us out here.
__________________ “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ” (1 Corinthians 16:13, NASB95)
Modest dress is about not using your clothing to "show off what you got" whether this be physical (sexual), social, or economic. Extravagant jewelry and designer clothing can be as much or even more immodest than any tight skirt or low-cut blouse. If you use you means of dress to draw attention to yourself, you are being immodest.
__________________ "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." 2 Timothy 2:24 (NIV)
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 (NIV)
"For Jesus, the question wasn't, how do I get into heaven? but how do I bring heaven here?" -- Rob Bell.
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4 (NIV)
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