The video attached to this article is good opening to the topic of modesty. These are my comments on the video. I would have once worn the top as a dress all by itself when younger, more petite, and less mature. Young women who have smaller frames can get away with a lot more. Thank God for maturity. I love the long skirt under the top it’s a nice choice. I would also wear my favorite leggings under it as a casual choice because the top would cover my hips and butt cheeks. A straight knee length skirt would give it a neat professional look work when going to work with an added scarf around the neck. It’ll be a nice modest look. The camisole is a good choice so the boobs are unexposed. I’m glad to have been raised in the generation I was raised in. We wore slips, it was normal.  Every woman had a full slip, a half slip and a camisole to match the half slip in your dresser drawer. It was the norm. When you walk behind women these days, we know, they don’t have on a slip because we clearly see their underwear lines.  Unfortunately, most don’t wear full underwear anymore.  Some wear thongs, or G-strings.  We can tell whether they wear full briefs or hipsters, or boy shorts, or high cuts, or hipsters.  How do we know?  Because nobody wears slips anymore.  Nobody wears under-wear between our undies and our clothing. 

Galatians 5:19-21 states, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. In Galatians, lasciviousness (also meaning lewd, indecent, and suggestive) is clearly V by listed among the works of the flesh that will prevent someone from inheriting the Kingdom of God. Lascivious refers to attire that is provocative, designed to attract attention in a lewd or sensual way, or worn with the intent to tempt or entice. 

What can we infer about the garments mentioned in Proverbs 7:10 looked like? “ And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.” Alternately, the king’s daughters were recognized by their garments. Psalm 45:13 confirms ,“The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.” What do you think of King David’s daughter’s garments looked like? What would distinguish the garments of harlots vs the garments of princesses?  Think about it. Would a princess where here blouse open and put on nipple patches so that the only parts of her breasts that does not show are her nipples?  Would a princess where shorts so short that others see the bottom of her butt cheeks?  It is a judgement call.  Would you prefer to be known as a women of  Proverbs 7:10 or Psalm 45:13?  When you think about pimps and street walkers, they dress flashy so that they can draw attention.  Decide whose attention you are attempting to draw. These are more decisions we need to make individually.

The action or practice of mocking or stigmatizing someone by making critical comments about the shape, size, or appearance of their body is bullying. It is good that women are happy with the way they are made and how they look. Mistakenly, many women today believe someone is body shaming them if called out for immodesty. In misunderstanding and being sensitive about the topic of body shaming, we get offended by the topic of modesty.  We like to be sexy and we don’t understand the difference between sexy and just cute? When in fact, to be covered and to be sexy are contradictions. We don’t know what cute is anymore because of these contemporary issues. Alternately maybe we fight talking about modesty because we don’t want to conform, and the single women believe they’ll catch that big fish. Should a woman of God go for sexy or modest? How can a sister be modest and cute or regal?  On the other hand, some sisters cover up to the neck, arms to wrist, and legs to ankles. They can’t be accused of lascivious attire, but whether it’s going too far to the right is probably a matter of judgement. Is it going overboard? Probably, but is it wrong? No. Is it cute? It depends on how it’s dressed up and it’s their business deserving no ill judgement for trying to be righteous, even in how they dress.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 says, 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 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. Could lascivious or lewd dress have been included in this scripture? The scripture is a call to believers to flee from sexual immorality because it is a sin against their own bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit purchased by Christ. Therefore, Christians are not their own but belong to God, and they are to honor God by glorifying Him with their bodies rather than using them for sin. 

Paul refers to sexual immorality and other sins of the flesh, which can be considered acts of lasciviousness. Do we sin against God by exposing or skin? When someone is described as modest, it means they possess a lack of vanity and don’t boast about their abilities or achievements. They often have a humble or reserved demeanor, are unpretentious in their appearance or style, and behave in a way that is considered proper or decent. 6 Modesty apparel, or modest clothing, is a style of dressing that prioritizes covering the body to a significant degree, avoiding overly tight or revealing silhouettes, and minimizing skin exposure, particularly around the chest, midriff, thighs, and shoulders. 

1 Timothy 2:9 “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;” This verse emphasizes the importance of modesty in dress and behavior for women, focusing on inner qualities rather than external. It instructs Christian women to adorn themselves with good works and a godly character rather than with elaborate hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or costly attire. The passage emphasizes inner qualities like modesty, self-control, and a proper understanding of godliness, rather than focusing on outward beauty. The goal is for women to present themselves with propriety and respectfulness, reflecting their devotion to God through their actions and behavior, not through displays of wealth or excessive ornamentation. Because of overzealousness, we might assume that the scripture advocates for not wearing jewelry and braids, but instead clarifies that our attitudes should take precedence over our appearance. As women, we want to look presentable and cute since God made us so beautiful. But our clothes, hair, and make-up are secondary to a godly attitude and behavior..

Modest apparel refers to clothing that emphasizes coverage, typically by minimizing skin exposure around the chest, shoulders, midriff, and thighs, and by avoiding tight or skin-tight, body-hugging silhouettes with no under-wear between the undies and our outer garments. One rule we were taught is that our skirts and dresses should not go below our fingertips when we position our arms and hands straight down our sides as if standing at attention. In the past, we knew that if you had a little cleavage, the modesty rule was not too much.  We knew that if we wore our hems in the middle of our thighs, we should not show even a little cleavage.  If we wore our shoulders out, our hems needed to be low. We were taught balance as an essential part of modesty. A lovely sundress is a good example of cute. The design has the figure-hugging aspect we like, which is close but not too tight like a bodycon dress. The sundress style of dress is suggestive and cute, as it shows just enough skin without being too provocative.

The rules have not changed, but there don’t seem to be any rules; it doesn’t appear that we have modesty rules anymore.  It is a touchy subject that many of us are offended by because we don’t want to follow any rules.  We want new ones.  However, the scriptures tell us the opposite.  Jeremiah 6:16 says, Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”  Our attitudes about following rules and regulations have not changed much at all.  We see that every day.   

As you digest this discussion of modesty and look in the mirror as you put the final touches on your outfits for the day think about the definition of modesty, lasciviousness, the dress of a king’s daughter and the dress of a harlot. You can make this decision about regarding modest apparel yourself if you study the Word of God, But, it you can’t, and you have parents to guide you, talk to them. Parents usually want the best for you.  If you have older sisters to reason with, initiate a discussion about rules for modest dress.  If you have a husband, talk to him.

I suppose I have posed more questions than I have answers. That’s because we will be judged by our own merits so we need to be careful critical thinkers and not have to be told what to do and how to do it. Cleavage is sexy, but is it modest? Should we strive to be modest or sexy? Is Modesty Still Relevant? You, the reader need to answer that for yourself. So, show your maturity in the Word and think about it as a woman of God. Keep in mind that key principles of modesty generally include covering important girly body parts, avoiding overly tight or revealing clothing, and promoting humility and consideration for others. 

Here are some tips for dressing modestly as a professional and when going to church, bible class, temple, or the synagogue.

• Select clothes that are not too tight, allowing for comfort and coverage. Go for loose-fitting.
• Use layers to add coverage.
• Select longer hemlines when selecting skirts, dresses, and shorts.
• Cover Your Waist. What is the reason for wearing your belly out?
• Evaluate your necklines and watch that cleavage. Get a nice selection of camisoles to help with the cleavage decision.
• Be mindful of thin, transparent, and see-through fabrics.
• Dress for the climate in which you live.

Remember, the heavier you are, the less you can get away with regarding modesty in short and close-fitting clothes. You may need to think about wearing shapewear to help smooth things out.  Be respectful of the women and men around you. Recall a simple definition for modesty: cover it up. It means avoiding extremes in attire and hairstyles and being courteous in social situations and conversation, modesty frequently prioritizes inner attributes over external appearance.  Above all, modesty is common sense when one has a righteous mind and growing in the fruits of the spirit. Modesty goes beyond the clothes.  It is a self-monitoring tool that helps decide what to wear, but modesty involves more than clothing.  It is more than covering up specific body parts. When you stand in the mirror before leaving your home, compare what you see to Proverbs 7:10 and Psalm 45:13.  Ask yourself, what would Jesus say about what you see in your mirror. Remember, it is a fine line between body shaming and modesty.  We do not want our daughters to be ashamed of how God made them,” beautiful and wonderfully made. “