Modesty

[D'Ann]

In my humble opinion... if we as women... pray earnestly and meditate on pureness and holiness... and continue to walk in prayer... from the inside of our soul and heart and mind... we will know by our conscience and our hope and faith what to wear and what to not wear. Whatever we wear or don't wear... should be inspired by what we are inside our spiritual being, mind and heart... otherwise, it is all done with self righteousness and perhaps in a judging others attitude, which is being critical and hurtful. How can we share our love and our message if we are critical of others based on what they wear?

Holiness and pureness comes from within us and part of being holy and pure is in how we look at others and love others and treat others. Why are we so worried about the shell of our being... ?

If I see someone who appears to be dressed inappropriately, I shake their hand and pray for them with LOVE and show them respect and kindness. If men or women are so easily and so weak in how they are tempted... perhaps, they need to pray more and perhaps, we all need to pray more too.

God's Peace,

Debbie

 

[colleen]

I don't wear sleeveless shirts. I wear skirts that are at the knee or lower. Now I know a lot of people think what is a little bit of shoulder or thigh, but I've been told by men on this site and off how that extra flesh can get thinking about other flesh. Also many outfits that are above the knee or sleeveless also cling to the body. Not all, but many. I also notice that when I wore those outfits I was walking and acting in a way to draw attention to my body. Also, I'm in St. Louis right now, and we are known for our humid summers. What I do a lot of times is wear a sleeveless top with a light jean jacket or short sleeve cardigan over it. Or I wear a t-shirt. I get hot pretty easily, and that works for me.

When I'm trying on cloths I use one simple guide, "Would Mary wear this if she lived today?" If I can not instantly say yes then I don't buy the cloths. I've noticed that I am more okay with my body since dressing modestly, I get treated with more respect by men, and I feel better knowing that I'm not tempting others or myself into sin. Also the CCC clearly states that dressing modestly is a part of purity.

 

[D'Ann]

I don't wear sleeveless shirts. I wear skirts that are at the knee or lower. Now I know a lot of people think what is a little bit of shoulder or thigh, but I've been told by men on this site and off how that extra flesh can get thinking about other flesh. Also many outfits that are above the knee or sleeveless also cling to the body. Not all, but many. I also notice that when I wore those outfits I was walking and acting in a way to draw attention to my body. Also, I'm in St. Louis right now, and we are known for our humid summers. What I do a lot of times is wear a sleeveless top with a light jean jacket or short sleeve cardigan over it. Or I wear a t-shirt. I get hot pretty easily, and that works for me.

When I'm trying on cloths I use one simple guide, "Would Mary wear this if she lived today?" If I can not instantly say yes then I don't buy the cloths. I've noticed that I am more okay with my body since dressing modestly, I get treated with more respect by men, and I feel better knowing that I'm not tempting others or myself into sin. Also the CCC clearly states that dressing modestly is a part of purity.

Amen... I always pray before I go shopping and usually praying puts me in a state of mind that is to be like Jesus and to care for others. When we care for others, we will allow our thoughts to think of the pureness and holiness of Mary and how she treated others and loved others. What did Mary wear back then? I believe that she dressed in a holy and pure way.

I like what you wrote Colleen... and it makes sense. I agree we must respect ourselves and dress and behave in a dignified and Christian way...

At the same time, while we think about our outside body... we must pray for our inner body... where our heart and mind and soul live. If we pray with pureness of heart, with holiness in our heart and conscience... we will automatically dress our outside body in a holy and pure way because that is what will be in our heart, mind and soul. I hope this makes sense.

Debbie

 

[AMDG]

If you all are so worried about a panty line showing (and so are trying to justify the wearing of thongs), did you ever think that you just might be wearing your pants waaay too tight? Let's face it, half the time even jeans look like they've been sprayed on!

Perhaps the problem is that no one knows how to make certain the pants fit properly so the worry of a panty line is a worry of the past. Maybe the problem IS simply lack of knowledge. If that's the case, perhaps the schools can be enlisted to provide information on how to see if the pants actually fit. Actually trying on the pants before buying might end up the solution! There should be a clean straight line in the back. And if the pants fit there WILL be no "panty line". If jeans, to help make certain they aren't too tight, first pick the size up from what is normally worn. then when trying them on in the dressing room to make sure the infamous "panty line" does not show. Rejecting those that fail the "Squat Test" (Squatting down to see if there is the slightest tug on a seam) just might insure that the worry of "panty lines" is a thing of the past.

Oh, for those "low riders", may I suggest mirrors on both sides of the dressing room so the wearer can see the results of bending or so (and heaven help us if the wearer tries to squat but NOW she will be forewarned!) Maybe then manufacturers would make decent clothing.

No worry of "panty lines", no thongs and tighter than tight pants. Could it be that simple?

 

[epiclesis]

i have seen many people with 'panty lines' that was NOT a result of pants too tight.

material, body, color, person's figure, etc.

please don't jump to conclusions just cuz there's a panty line doesn't mean the pants are the wrong size.

 

[Globalnomad]

i have seen many people with 'panty lines' that was NOT a result of pants too tight.

material, body, color, person's figure, etc.

please don't jump to conclusions just cuz there's a panty line doesn't mean the pants are the wrong size.

Exactly. I'm over 50 and 15 kg overweight and you can rest assured I don't wear skintight jeans! Actually, the fatter your (my) butt, the more difficult it is to avoid the problem. And, the fatter your butt, the more you try to take care to look as polished and tidy as you can. It would be nice if we could avoid being labelled hussies, on top of it all.

 

[Globalnomad]

You, interestingly left out the words from Our Blessed Mother at Fatima from your quote:.

Shnnon, please don't be sarcastic. I don't mind, but some people are really hurt by it.

I left out the quote from Our Lady simply because it was irrelevant to my answer. (Also because I agree with it - if you read my post, I agreed that there are many immodest fashions in the modern world.) And the story of Maria Goretti is known by every catechised Catholic.

We should defend our purity and that of others heroically. If that means being veiled, so be it. Life here is but a blink of an eye, suffering here nothing to the fires of purgation that will come..

That makes me really want to bite my lip, as Mark Malloch Brown said in his interview on Hardtalk. Are you saying that the Afghan Taliban, and the Iranian and Saudi Virtue Police, have the right idea?

I just don't see the point in arguing for an allowance for immodesty. We are relational beings- created in the imagine and likeness of the Triune God.

I never argud for an allowance for immodesty. I argued for men to take some responsibility too, and not accuse the woman every time they look at her and get a bad thought, like the Taliban did. There has to be a sensible line, and I think in a Western society that line is more or less at our shoulders and our knees. That's all.

 

[D'Ann]

If you all are so worried about a panty line showing (and so are trying to justify the wearing of thongs), did you ever think that you just might be wearing your pants waaay too tight? Let's face it, half the time even jeans look like they've been sprayed on!

Perhaps the problem is that no one knows how to make certain the pants fit properly so the worry of a panty line is a worry of the past. Maybe the problem IS simply lack of knowledge. If that's the case, perhaps the schools can be enlisted to provide information on how to see if the pants actually fit. Actually trying on the pants before buying might end up the solution! There should be a clean straight line in the back. And if the pants fit there WILL be no "panty line". If jeans, to help make certain they aren't too tight, first pick the size up from what is normally worn. then when trying them on in the dressing room to make sure the infamous "panty line" does not show. Rejecting those that fail the "Squat Test" (Squatting down to see if there is the slightest tug on a seam) just might insure that the worry of "panty lines" is a thing of the past.

Oh, for those "low riders", may I suggest mirrors on both sides of the dressing room so the wearer can see the results of bending or so (and heaven help us if the wearer tries to squat but NOW she will be forewarned!) Maybe then manufacturers would make decent clothing.

No worry of "panty lines", no thongs and tighter than tight pants. Could it be that simple?

- I stand by prayer. We must pray before shopping. Thongs?

Didn't even consider them... ROTFLOL... they look like they would hurt somehow...

God's Peace,

Debbie

 

[3toraiseup]

Immodest clothing is also not just about too short skirts or too tight pants. Women bend, squat and turn which can reveal things that appear discreetly covered when standing still and upright in a dressing room.

In addition to being mindful of what one looks like in the dressing room, it is also important to get someone else's point of view. There have been times when I thought a certain top or bathing suit was perfectly un-revealing only to learn from my husband that he could see things that shouldn't be seen.

Also, what might be immodest on one woman might be perfectly modest on another. There are not many particular styles that I could point to and say, "There! Low rise XYZ jeans are immodest". We do not come in one-size fits all shapes. Similarly, different countries -- and even different parts of the same country have different ideas of modesty. I recently moved from the NorthEast where clothing is generally more covering to the SouthWest where clothing is generally more revealing. Wearing certain styles in one area are appropriate, however in another area, they would be more outstanding and attention drawing.

Modesty is a matter of the heart. Each woman should prayerfully consider if her attire honors God. Women are responsible to dress and behave modestly so as not to be a stumbling block to the brethren. However, there is also a responsiblity on men to resist temptation. It goes both ways and each should strive to do their part. It is wrong to place all responsiblity on men or to place it soley on women. We are not islands, rather we should strive to help one another achieve the prize.

 

[Ave Maria]

I regularly drive about 5 mph over the speed limit. That's not fast enough to get pulled over around here and it's slow enough to be safe. Would it be a sin?

 

[SOGFPP]

Do YOU feel sinful when you do it?

 

[lonnienord]

I regularly drive about 5 mph over the speed limit. That's not fast enough to get pulled over around here and it's slow enough to be safe. Would it be a sin?

since you are asking the question the answer is probably yes

 

[Atomagenesis]

It is also against the law to not go with the flow of traffic, so if everyone else is going like 15 mph over the limite on the expressway it is lawful to as well.

 

[bostonlass]

I regularly drive about 5 mph over the speed limit. That's not fast enough to get pulled over around here and it's slow enough to be safe. Would it be a sin?

I dunno but if you're driving too slow you could be contributing to my cursin' which is a sin.

 

[SOGFPP]

It is also against the law to not go with the flow of traffic, so if everyone else is going like 15 mph over the limite on the expressway it is lawful to as well.

**Ahem**.... as a former police officer, I've got to say that this is false... (in the 4 states I worked in at least)... the speed limit is the speed limit.. period.

 

[Ave Maria]

It is also against the law to not go with the flow of traffic, so if everyone else is going like 15 mph over the limite on the expressway it is lawful to as well.

Oh okay. So it's against the law to not go with the flow of traffic?

 

[SOGFPP]

Oh okay. So it's against the law to not go with the flow of traffic?

err... look above your post

 

[Atomagenesis]

Oh okay. So it's against the law to not go with the flow of traffic?

Correct

 

[Nossa-the-Lame]

**Ahem**.... as a former police officer, I've got to say that this is false... (in the 4 states I worked in at least)... the speed limit is the speed limit.. period.

Then, do you know if it is possible to get a ticket for driving to slow if your going the speed limit? Because my driver's ed. teacher told me that you can. And what states were you an officer in?

 

[bigsierra]

I think it would be a venial sin unless it was reckless or way over the speed limit.