Before you can start thinking about tops, blouses or baggy sweatshirts we have to hit the underneath layer. For the sake of comfort and modesty it is important to have a well fitting bra. If you are bulging in certain places it may attract the unwanted eye and therefore I have found that you need to find something that fits well.

Yes, you will grow through your pregnancy and with the rate of change that can happen in the course of 9 months I also suggest a bra-strap expander. I found this incredibly useful as I did not need to spend incredible amounts on bras through the whole pregnancy as I just added the expander to the hook and eyes in the back and kept myself comfortable as my rib cage expanded. This has honestly been a lifesaver and pocket-book saver as we all know how much you can pay for a supportive, comfortable bra!

Now, the next layer. For those most part this has not been too difficult for me as I have always been a believer in long tank tops and dress-shirts. Up until now (33 weeks) most of these have continued to fit me.

When you first find out you are pregnant, go through all of your tees and shirts and find out which ones are border line at that time. Get them packed away as if they hardly fit you pre-pregnancy, good luck for the next 12 months. Clean the clutter of your closet and store what is unnecessary for this stage of life. This will also allow you some extra space when you pick up pieces that will fit you through the entire pregnancy…

This is a key! Do not buy a maternity shirt that will not stretch throughout the majority of your 9 months. Make worthwhile purchases and do not underestimate how big you may become :) You may need to purchase a few key pieces:

• a couple extra long tank tops (1-2 sizes larger then you regularly purchase)
• a couple very stretchy maternity tops that will last until birth (you can always ask the ladies in the store to direct you to ones that will fit you through term)
• make sure you have a comfy sweater that can be thrown on at home (hit up your local second hand store for an oversized sweater if necessary…this is a must for cuddly evenings)
• finally get yourself a good bra when you begin to feel uncomfortable in your current one…plus the back expanders to prevent having to buy more then necessary

A tip that I have found very helpful is using up my old sundresses as tops over my pair of maternity skinny jeans. The jean waistline, as mentioned last week, reaches to my belly button and then a long dress shirt extends way past my hips leaving me little room for exposure. It is also a great way to keep your old closet going and not necessarily buying out your local mat store. You may eventually not fit these dresses in the chest but wear them until you no longer feel comfortable (physically or modestly).

Finally, get into your friends closets! By the time you no longer fit any of your old clothing you probably won’t have much time left on your countdown-to-birth clock so find a friend a few sizes bigger then you and ask to borrow some of her pieces for a month. Try and find a way around purchasing more items then you need as they are usually overly priced and only fit you in this stage of life.

Overall pregnancy needs to be comfy. There are so many changes in every area of your life that clothing may be put on the back burner. But what I have found is that I feel much more confident, less stressed and more calm when I am dressed as close to my pre-preggo stage as I can. Try to manage this as you pass through the incredible stage of pregnancy, as it will only make the experience that much more sweeter and comfortable!

© HeSingsOverYou for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian, clothing, fashion, female, Maternity, modesty

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

We have had some previous discussions on color and the effects it can have, and a recent article by Britain’s telegraph seems to back up our discussion on the color red: 

The students then completed a questionnaire which asked them to rate, on a scale of one to nine, how attractive they thought the woman was. They also had to rate her in terms of how likely they thought it was that she would have sex with a man on the first date.

The woman was judged to be most attractive when she was wearing the red top, followed by white, blue and finally green.

She was also judged, by a significant margin, to be most likely to agree to sex when she wore red, followed by blue, green and finally white.

[Men Prefer Women in Red Because They Think They Will Sleep With Them on First Date]

In some ways I find this funny.  Those that believe that clothing is neutral and that it has no effect have to be puzzled at the results of this kind of survey.  However, I’m not sure how much weight one should put in this either.

What I do know is that color and sound have an impact on us on a level that we don’t always recognize—which is why orange is used in fast food places and why muzak plays in elevators. 

We can take away from this survey something obvious—that our clothing choices send out signals, and it’s not just the cut or fit.  But I’m sure everyone already knew that!

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, Color, dress, red, sex, signals

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

In 2010, the sisters hired help with the business side, opened offices and a warehouse, to end the year with five stores. Last year, the chain opened a store in Sandy’s South Towne Center, as well as stores in Colorado, South Dakota, Nevada, Arizona and two in Idaho. The company plans to open 28 more stores by 2014.

About that recession? "We haven’t felt it," Vivien said. "Here’s why: We don’t pretend to shove fashion down people’s throats. We watch everything that Utah women wear, then we go out and try to get the look for less. If we buy something that’s cute, but won’t get a girl noticed, we won’t buy it."

[Utah’s Bohme Boutique: The business story behind the fashion]

It’s another great testament to the country that we live in, such that we have the ability to use our creativity to make things to meet a need and provide for our families while following something we’re passionate about!

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, money, need

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Knowing that many different answers could get himself in trouble, Noah took a deep breath and said, “Huh?”

Classic avoidance, or in other words, he played dumb. Struggling in exasperation, Laura jumped up from her place at the table and walked off. Knowing that these things rarely end well when she leaves, he took off following her and found her in the bedroom.

“What were you saying?” he asked.

“I just noticed that while we were at the mall yesterday that you seemed to notice everyone around, but when we’re together you hardly ever notice me that way. What’s the deal?”

“Well, I don’t know. Perhaps it’s because we see each other so often, and we’re so familiar with each other. I mean, look at how you’re dressed now.”

“Well, you’re not exactly dressed up either.”’

“True, but that’s not the point.”

“There’s a point?!”

“Yes, there is. When we were dating we always took time to make sure that we looked our best—I even brushed my teeth before coming over. Now that we’re married it seems like you put in more effort to get yourself looking good for everyone else but me.”

“But you’ve seen me in—“

“—that hot Christmas outfit you wear, sure. But it’s hard to get that excited when all I ever see you in is frumpy sweatpants!” He ducked as a pillow came flying in his direction.

So, who’s right? Should Laura get dressed up for her husband, or should Noah just learn to appreciate his wife in whatever she finds to wear?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: answer, clothing, laura, looks, noah, other girls

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Last Saturday, Laura and her husband Noah were at the mall, looking for clothing. As they walked through the mall, Laura caught Noah (out of the corner of her eye) looking at different girls as they passed by. She watched as his eyes scanned them, and she felt a mixture of emotions—disgust, envy, and discouragement. How could he do that, and why wouldn’t he look at her that way.

It was the next day, as she was finishing lunch and he came upstairs from his work room when he decided to talk to him about what she had observed the previous day.

He came upstairs, picked up the mail briefly to see if there was anything for him in there, and then he set it back down and found a seat. After praying, the two started eating and Laura decided to attack.

”Noah, why is it that you check out every woman but me?!” She started. Taken aback, with a mouth full of food, Noah quickly saw his life pass before his eyes. Not quite sure what to say as she saw the mix of emotion, and realizing that what he said next would be the difference between sleeping in the basement or in the bedroom, he carefully considered what he’d say next.

What do you think he said?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, eyes, look, wandering eyes

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

But in different decades of the 20th Century, whether a lady wore pants was a social change. ‘Who wears the pants’ was a challenge on many different levels.

Some churches have dress-codes. I didn’t know this until I was about 25 years old. A dear friend, who I met while living in an apartment, explained that her church taught that women only wear skirts (or dresses), sleeves were 3/4 length, and no jewelry. They usually never cut their hair, but wore all kinds of fancy hair clips and time-consuming styles. Basically, in her Kentucky small hometown,  everyone she spent most of her time with lived this way. She didn’t feel her clothing was ‘that different’ until she moved to a bigger city in Tennessee with her husband. It was only after being plunged into a larger, diverse population that her normal seemed strict and limiting to others. For generations their families lived this way. She never went through a time that she didn’t want to wear a skirt, for her it was never an issue to question or deeply examine.

I grew up Roman Catholic. As a child, ladies wore “a lace covering” on our heads to mass and our “Sunday best” dress. I liked dressing up. Being one of eight children we usually only had one dress and pair of dress shoes. I wore the same outfit every week until I got the next ‘hand-me-down’ dress. We also wore our Sunday Best dress when we went to the city, to visit our older relatives or if we had to go to the doctor for a yearly visit. For me, wearing a dress was a treat associated with a special occasion.

On weekdays,I attended a Roman Catholic school and wore a skirt uniform from K-12. The skirt was 2-4 fingers above the knee and I never really considered it a hindrance. The length of the skirt was very practical because we could sit criss-cross on the ground to play games of jacks and cards during recess. I never wished my skirt was shorter; I liked being able to flop on the concrete walkways or blacktop enjoying every minute of our play time. Frankly, wearing skirts to school was a non-issue; we didn’t think to ask if the girls could wear pants on cold days. Why would we want to? There was nothing we were prevented from doing. We even played volleyball and kickball in our skirts.

Everything changed in the 1970′s when the Vatican 2 newly-created, more-lenient Roman Catholic church rules began to be implemented in American. These rules didn’t alter the behavior or thinking of the oldest. My grandmother was always wearing a dress; she didn’t own anything but dresses. Her husband wore a suit, dress shirt, tie and hat every time he stepped out of the door of his house. He would relax at home and take off his tie, suit coat and hat. It was during my lifetime – starting in my mother’s generation – that women really had a choice. But the changes did relax the expected attire to be worn to mass (no lace veil covering, pants were acceptable, etc.).

When I was a child children complained that much nor demanded ‘rights’ that they had been told were theirs to claim. Of course, when the seventies finished and women’s lib movement had crushed through America it seemed everyone had some complaint or fight to pick. Oddly, it wasn’t until women started making a ‘statement’ with their clothes that wearing pants stood out. My mom wore pants everyday as I grew up and my grandmother wore a dress and I never questioned the difference. It wasn’t a big deal.

Miro, Women in the Night, 1930-1940's

Strong Christian churches disliking the toppling of the family and society order fought back by trying to make Biblical standards for their members. Rightly so, they looked for ways to help their women to not be swept up in the perversion of male/female roles. Therefore, some denominations of Christian churches became more strict, establishing/reinforcing church rules.  Leaders dug into the Bible to find Its support for their rules, and sermons were preached to teach their congregation the importance and Biblical mandate. Isn’t this the way a lot of sermons are written? The theme and message is formed, and then Bible passages are applied to give Biblical support to the leader’s lessons.

Inductive or expository Bible Study guards Believers against making doctrine that does not flow directly out of in-depth study of God’s Word. Studying Scripture verse by verse, using the Bible to interpret Itself, looking for context, doing Word studying of the original Hewbrew/Greek languages, and  letting the Holy Spirit dictate teaching, is essential to being Spirit-led believers, instead of people-led. When a pastor studies the Word allowing It to dictate the direction of the sermon while seeking the Lord in prayer, he rightly develops the sermon message for the congregation. It is very interesting to realize only on very RARE occasions are rules developed because a church leader/pastor was struck by a truth while inductively studying the Bible. But isn’t this God’s Best? After personal study and prayer, believers should create a new living standard in order to be obedient/pleasing to God, but never to do a work to feel secure or saved in their eternal destiny. When following church rules or anybody’s rules for that manner, we should try to find how they were developed. We need to learn to study God’s Word for ourselves and to have a personal time of communicating to God to grow to know Him, and thereby follow Him walking in grace.

In faith, believers are to walk Spirit-led, not people-led. It really helps if our religious leaders are Spirit-led to begin with, but we still responsible to spend our own personal time with God and the Word to verify what we are being taught is truth.

© lindyabbott for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: choices, christian women, clothing, dress code, historical fashion, history of clothing, legalism, length, male mind, men's fashion, pants, skirts, who wears the pants, women wearing skirts

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I went shopping with my teenage daughter last week in a mall. We are not mall-shoppers; We spend more time window shopping. As we stroll, I roll my eyes away and say comments that pop in my head. I am sure I am every teenage daughter’s dream mall companion. While the lengths of skirts, dresses and shorts are still mini in most stores, we couldn’t help but notice a delightful new trend in necklines.

Thankfully, my daughter and I have a good relationship. Therefore, she puts up with my editorial comments, and she encourages me to move along.

“Where could she go looking like that?” I question about a mannequin. And then my eye moves one by one through the row of tube tight dressed mannequins wrapping in bright colors.

We laugh. We whisper. I sense her mood. And then on to the next window. Some stores we avoid.

(Why can I not pass that pink lingerie store without wishing I could lead an “Occupy The Mall” until it closed it doors? I wonder if most mothers feel this way.)

As we enjoy our time together, I can’t help being thankful for the way my daughter is growing up. I am glad our taste in clothes aligns. It is not that my teen daughter and I dress alike – what a pity that would be for both of us!

When we finally arrived to the last store window in the mall, she cheerfully declares, “I could wear any outfit in this window. I like the look. It’s me. When I get older, I will buy my clothes from here.” So I suggested we should take a walk through the store, and she was willing. (Oh, I didn’t tell you… she doesn’t like shopping, especially for clothes and never wants to try anything on in a dressing room.)

On every rack and stand, she found something she would wear. I turned my head, scanning the tops and dresses. I saw something I haven’t seen in years: the necklines aren’t plunging. “Now that is a nice change! Look, you won’t have to wear two shirts or a camisole,” I note. She is equally relieved.

Her eyes rest on a soft medium pink top with four small photo-like silver-grey scenes of Paris. It is romantic, subtle, with enough detail for interest. She lights up as she shows me several more items that she would enjoy, and every single piece has an appropriately modest neckline!

“Can I help you find anything?” inquires a young lady.

“It is about time!” I tell the sales clerk, explaining how much I like the new necklines. She nods knowingly, commenting on how she has been buying several of the new styles for her own wardrobe.

We have something to celebrate in 2012, “Rising Necklines!” Shopping for shirts and dresses will be so much easier. I am so thankful for this change. I am sure many of you will be too!

(The dresses in this post can currently be found at www.target.com)

© lindyabbott for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2012 styles, Casual, clothing, dress, dresses, fashion, layers, Neckline, Shopping, Shopping mall

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Another factor that has me urging in the chilly evenings are the outfits and different clothing you can finally pull out of the tupperware container and place on the shelves, previously owned by shorts and tank tops.

For this series I will be, as the title mentions, going over some autumn wardrobe basics. For some of you, what I share may not be your idea of a basic item of clothing,so feel free to share with me what you pull out of storage this time of year! I’d love to hear your ideas, tips and favourite pieces!

I will dip into a bit of what is happening on the runways for those of you who love modesty with a glimpse of fashion, and also touch on some ways to get the look without buying new clothes every season!

What an incredible palette the Lord Himself provides us every year at this time! So, let’s get excited because this is the season where you can enjoy both fashion and modesty quite easily!

© HeSingsOverYou for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: autumn, clothing, fashion, modesty

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Nakedness is shameful, but what constitutes being naked? Try this food for thought: Adam knew he had sinned and tried to cover himself with the loin covering of fig leaves, yet he still said he was naked – an assessment which God did not dispute (Gen. 3:7-11). There is obviously more to being naked than being without any clothing. Thayer says it is “scantily clad” and Arndt-Gingrich include “poorly dressed.”

Take another look at what God made for man to wear in Gen. 3. Adam made a “loin covering” which God replaced with a “tunic.” Wilson and Gesenius define the word as generally covering from the shoulder to the knee. The priests where told to cover their thighs or they would be naked (Ex. 28:42) and the figure of shame in Isaiah 47:1-3 includes uncovering the thigh.

Peter recognized that though he could fish in the relative privacy of his boat on the sea without outer garments, he reclothed himself before going ashore to meet the Lord. (Proving that you can swim just fine with some clothes on.) I have a very hard time dismissing these precedents when attempting to make a biblical definition of sufficient clothing.

- Laurie A. Moyer  [God’s Women on Modesty]

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Adam, clothing, Even, Genesis, quote

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

This post was originally for a guest post on Jesus Couture’s Web site, but it seems like they’re probably going to take an ungodly amount of time to fix their blog, so I decided to put this up  here. It was still nice of them to ask me to write for them, though. I really appreciate the thought. Here goes…

I thought I’d talk about clothing within the church today. Since I assume that a good number of you are Christians reading this, I feel the need to address this very issue—sadly, it has been an issue. I’m sure that you recall that we are called to be the “salt and light” of the earth, which means we are to be set apart from sin and from the world. From what I have been seeing, it seems like a lot of us do not look at all different from the rest of the world.

What I really mean by this is that we dress like everyone else does, we see the same kinds of movies and TV shows without filter, talk the same gossipy talk, walk the same catwalk, etc. I don’t really see any harm in indulging in a lot of secular things—don’t get me wrong! I love my rock music, art films, and French coutouriers as long, as they don’t incite lustful thoughts for my husband or me. However, we should know our boundaries. We can still be part of this world but not of it, according to John 17 and Romans 12:2.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. -John 17:16

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. -Romans 12:2

I think the problem with a lot of churches now is that we tend to want to adapt to our surroundings to be more inviting to others—this to a fault. To an extent, this is okay. We do need to be inviting. When a church becomes too gimmicky and hip while watering down the message, presumably to “dumb it down” for people they assume would not get the Bible, it is an example of giving in to the world. God’s Word should be straightforward enough for people to understand. This is something that we need to trust Him to take care of.

As far as clothing goes in church, I believe that we women should not be wearing the blouse with the plunging neckline, the mini skirt, or the tight jeans that most every other woman we come across is wearing. Christian men, including pastors and husbands, have confessed about lusting after women, both single and married, in their church. It is true that lust can be triggered by anything regardless of clothing, but there are some types of clothing that invoke this much stronger than others and as a direct cause right then and there. We can assume that men are trying their best to not lust after us, but we have the other half of the equation to think about, which is to try to help them (and ourselves, really) to not think of us (ourselves) as objects of lust. Lust isn’t admiration. It’s far more dangerous than that. It ruins lives and marriages, and it can start for a man from just seeing an inappropriately dressed woman in church and perhaps lead up to his seeking out and viewing pornography. Again, it’s a 2-way street. The man can call upon God and the power of Christ to renew his mind after seeing something that entices him, but the initial thought was presented by a care-free (careless?) christian woman.

If lust were admiration, then lust would care about or respect the person it is admiring. Lust, however, isn’t like that at all. It selfishly partakes of whatever is available then moves on to another (usually more desirable or intense) object of lust. What kind of relationship would it be if lust were the basis of attraction? Temporary and fake.

Most of the things that I write about  here are related to personal experience. I was not always a believer in modesty’s importance to the Christian faith. In fact, I walked the catwalk and even talked the gossipy talk just like every other woman in the world, and the main difference was that I believed in Jesus Christ. I was off to a good start. Jesus is the central message behind Christianity. However, I didn’t realize how much my clothing was a stumbling block to people who wanted to believe in Jesus or who already believed in Him. I came to realize that my clothes and some of the other girls’ clothes were distracting men from being pure in thought and serving God with a clean mind and spirit. The other girls in church and I were not helping these men with purity and doing our part of concealing our cleavage and thighs. I had to put God first and go against my natural inclination to dress to attract without any real boundaries.

I know it’s not fun to talk about reality sometimes, but not one good thing ever really happens when we wear clothing that doesn’t conceal sexually enticing areas. Clothing like that makes us feel good, but so does sin. However, modest clothing doesn’t have to be boring and awkward. I really hated and still hate unflattering clothing, but modest clothing can be attractive (though not necessarily designed to attract/distract) without being sexual. Some of the stuff I have on my blog includes photos of what some other girls and I look up to wear that might hopefully give you some inspiration.

If our God is the God of all beauty and creation, then why do you think you have to be frumpy to be modest?

This post was originally published on a la Modest’s Web site.

© Rachel @ alamodest.com for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian, church, clothes, clothing, john 17:16, lust, modesty, romans 12:2

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

After my mom was married, she donated her dress to a missionary.  Some formals end up at the local Thrift Store.  The UW sororities donated their prom dresses to high schoolers.

While most high school students consider attending prom to be a necessary rite of passage, the University of Wisconsin’s Panhellenic Association, along with the Junior League of Madison, distributed donated dresses and accessories on Saturday to students who might not otherwise be able to afford the opportunity to attend the dance.

The All Dressed Up program collects, cleans and gives away secondhand dresses to high school students whose families could not otherwise afford the luxury of buying attire for prom. Panhellenic Association Vice President of Civic Engagement Kari Wolter said over 300 students who might not otherwise be able to bear the expense received dresses in this year’s distribution.

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, donation

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

When I was in college, I thought satin was of the Devil.  No, not really, but I thought that it was immodest—and I had my reasons:

1. It was flashy, and drew attention.
2. It reflected light and cast shadows that accentuated form.
3. It usually was tight (see #2).
4. I didn’t see much of it around.

And all of those reasons were valid; however, now that I’m married and have seen more of what is available and considered the issue, I’m not totally against shiny material.

It does have its place in formal wear, and with certain colors it can add a touch of class.  I probably didn’t see much of it, because although there were formal events, I spent most of those events with guys.

Satin may not be from Satan, but there are some things that you should do if you choose a Shiny material for your next blouse or dress.

• Check to see just how reflective the material is.
  • A little shine can go a long way.
  • Too much and we’re into #1 and #2 above.
• Check the way that item looks in the mirror in normal light.
  • Does it highlight things you don’t want seen?
  • When you turn at different angles, does it draw attention to things that in previous generations were “unmentionables”?
• Consider other options.
  • There are other dresses available.

Again, I don’t think that Shiny is immodest, but like many things it can be made immodest if you don’t take care to wear it properly.

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, shiny

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The truth of the matter is, men—especially teenage boys—are fixated on what the young lady he sees may look like beneath the clothing she wears.  To that end, it’s not just skin and the occasional underwear that plays peek-a-boo that’s a problem, it’s also items that hug the body such that what is underneath is discernable.

And that’s part of what Anthony is trying to get the ladies around him to understand.  That tight clothing gets the same amount of attention that is given to short, low, or see-through.  Check it out:

Here is the dilemma that I see from talking to my wife and other sisters in Christ: Women often do not know what is ok, and what is too suggestive.  Sure, you all know that certain things such as bikinis and shorts that almost expose the ladies underwear is not acceptable. However, there are some articles of clothing that women are indeed surprised to find are suggestive.  Do you realize that to a man, clothes that don’t show any skin yet are tight, can show a man exactly what you look like under those clothes (and yes, they think about it). So how do you get around this?  ASK!  Wives, ask your husbands. Young girls, ask your father or brothers.  [Modesty: A Guy’s Perspective]

And I have to echo his advice—if you don’t know, or think something’s on the border, ask.  The men in your life should take interest and help in this area.  If they do not, I feel that they are not taking the time and attention to you that they should!

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, tight

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

A generation ago, you’d never find someone going to church that wasn’t wearing “Sunday Go To Meeting Clothes”.  Men and women would go to church wearing their “Sunday Best” which would be a suit for men and a dress for the women.  They would both wear hats, but the men would take them off at the door (of course).

Today, churches have decided to take the hymn “Just as I Am” literally (if they still sing hymns) and more people are coming to church dressed in casual attire.

A few weeks back we concluded a survey of those who read Is This Modest and the results were interesting:

Ladies, when going to church do you usually wear…

• A shirt/blouse with a skirt (39%, 21 Votes)
• A nice dress (26%, 14 Votes)
• Jeans and a nice shirt (13%, 7 Votes)
• I don’t attend church (11%, 6 Votes)
• A shirt/blouse with pants (7%, 4 Votes)
• Whatever’s comfortable (4%, 2 Votes)
• Pajamas (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 54

While I’m glad that no one goes in their pajamas—a horrible fashion trend that is—I found the rest of them to be pretty common.

Most women in our survey wore a dress or skirt.  Jeans and a nice shirt were higher than I expected, but that’s understandable.

What Does This Survey Say?

This survey is very slanted, and I think that if we opened it up to all church goers, I think that we’d find that more would wear pants or jeans.  But that being said, in most churches that I’ve been in, at least 50% of the women in attendance were in a skirt or dress.

To me, that says that when a woman wants to dress up or look more presentable, she wears a skirt or dress.  An interesting follow-up question would have been, “What do you wear on a daily basis?” and I think that might have some effect as well.

What do you think?  Should you come “Just as I Am” or do you think that church is something special to be dressed up for?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: church, clothing

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

You would think that winter would be the easiest time to be modest.  I mean, the air is cold, the wind seems to cut you with a knife, and everyone (even indoors) is bundling up.

So why is it that when you go to the mall you’re still confronted with more than you want to see?

This past Saturday I was at my local mall, and as I usually do, I like to look at people that are walking around—and when you do this you see the good, the bad, and the… well… not so modest.

In the summer, that means mini-skirts, short shorts, and bellies that are hanging out.  In the winter, it’s usually confined to people that don’t dress for the weather (think guys that are still wearing shorts and tank tops) and women that wear leggings—or are they really pants?  I didn’t know that pants could get that tight?

So, without further ado, here’s 5 tips for Winter Modesty:

1. It’s Winter, Dress Like It

No one is going to think it was worth it to look fashionable if you’re out for a week with influenza because you didn’t keep warm in the cold.  This means that you should not be wearing mini skirts and big fluffy boots are not pants.  It also means that you probably should listen to your mom and wear that hat—even if it looks weird.

2. Tights are Not Pants

This closely follows #1, and goes for any time of the year.  Just because there’s clothing between your flesh and the outside air doesn’t mean that it’s modest—or smart for that matter.  Tights show everything, and get you unwanted attention to areas that, while you may think they are good, probably aren’t.  Wearing tights and a mini-skirt violates both of these rules.

3. Layers are Your Friend

Layering not only provides you warmth, but also gives you flexibility in case you end up somewhere that has different temperatures than you planned on.  Take, for instance, the work environment.  I keep a sweater in a drawer at the office in case I end up to work and it’s colder (which it tends to be in front of large windows).  If I’m cold, I chatter my teeth and blow into my hands as I rub them I whip out the sweater and I’m nice and toasty.

This also goes the other way.  If you’re roasting, instead of sweating profusely, you can remove a layer and still be stylish.  Unless, of course, your layer is from Shop Second Base.  In that case, leave the outer layer on.

4. Footwear Needs to Be Appropriate

This is not the time for flip-flops or open toed anything.  In fact, during the winter months you’ll catch me in these puppies—nice and warm and slush is no problem.

My wife says they aren’t that stylish, but with the slush and gunk that’s around, and a nice inner lining, you can’t go wrong!

I store a set of work shoes under my desk at work, and I come and go in these guys.

For you ladies, even wearing sneakers or something that is less fashionable to and from work will be more practical than wearing your dress shoes out in the elements.

5. Remember Your Mom’s Advice

My dad always says that a coat is what you wear when your mom’s cold.  If your mom was anything like my mom, a coat wasn’t enough.  You had to have gloves, a hat, and maybe a scarf and even then you got nice hot chocolate when you came back in.

The point is, keep yourself warm and keep an extra blanket in the car, just in case.  It may seem ridiculous now—like your Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer hat that you still have in your closet—but you’ll be thankful when you find that you are not sick as often and your feet are not soaked when you get inside.

Any other useful tips?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2010. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, modesty, winter

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Cute Comfy Summer Dress? OR Just another Muu Muu?

Leave a comment with your opinions and suggestions!

To see more of this dress click here!

© tawnynicole001 for Is This Modest?, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, dress, is this modest, modesty, summer

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

As always, I’m sure this heat is here to stay!

Each year the summer heat brings with it the ‘necessary’ tiny clothes! Bare shoulders and tiny straps seem to be popping up everywhere!

I’m on a quest to find something cute & comfy to wear in this summer heat! I needed look no further than the vast vintage market!

Here are a few of my favorite things!

What do you think!?

How would you accessorize these outfits?

What’s your favorite summer things??

*Not your Grandma’s Muu Muu*

*a house dress you’ll want to wear out*

*Summer berries please*

*A day out*

*Picnic Dress*

Tips for buying vintage:
*Check out thrift stores! Great finds at great prices
* Think about adding modern ‘trendy’ pieces & accessories – you probably already have some great stuff to really jazz up any outfit
*Vintage sizes are usually different from modern sizes – be sure to double check measurements
*If you can sew, your in luck! There are tons of vintage patterns
*When searching for this style dress online search different key terms: try *When searching for this style dress online search different key terms: try vintage lounge dress, vintage house dress, muu muu dress, vintage patio dress, ect

© tawnynicole001 for Is This Modest?, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, dress, modest, summer, vintage

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Looking for a simple message on a t-shirt?  Then check out a new site I found that has some great short phrases that you can have placed on shirts!

exalt Him is built using Printfection, which allows anyone to create a line of clothing—and exalt Him is a line that carries the theme from Psalm 18:46:

“The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—”

Samples

View Full Album

Although the prices seem a tad high for individual shirts, I have not received one to review for quality.  They have neat designs and might be worth a look!

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, exalt Him, tee shirts

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

In our society clothing has gotten smaller and smaller over the last 100 years! The views on what is modest and immodest have changed more in the last few decades than ever before. Religious views of modesty and proper clothing are incredibly diverse even among Christians. So I decided to do a little investigating. Here is some of the interesting thing I found.

Adam and Eve were naked in the Garden of Eden. They were pure and without sin and innocent (Much like a newborn baby) thus their was no shame in their nakedness. However after eating the forbidden fruit, shame and sin entered the world and they were ashamed of their nakedness. They made “aprons” of leaves to cover their nakedness. This “covering” was not up to God’s standards. So he made them “Coats” of animal skin. This is our first glimpse for the need of Modesty. (Read the story Here: Genesis 3 )

*How does the bible define nakedness?*
Obviously Modesty would require you to AT LEAST cover our nakedness.
In Exodus we are given instruction on how to make garments for the priest. These MEN wore robes and tunics and frequently climbed ladders or were in other positions in which they may unintentionally expose themselves. For this reason, God commanded them to make under garments to “cover their nakedness”. This garment was to go from the waist past the thigh. ~This tells us that God considers any skin showing between the waist extending to the thigh to be nakedness and that these areas need to be covered.~

Isiah 47:2-3 says “…make bare the leg, uncover the thigh,…Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen…”. Some versions of this passage omit “uncover the thigh”. What does this tell us? ~ God finds it shameful and to be reviling nakedness when you show bare leg or and uncovered thigh.

Its also interesting to note that biblical garments had sleeves and started just below the collar bone.

In conclusion Nakedness can defined as:
1. Showing skin from the breast to the knee
**Arguments could be made that nakedness starts below the collar bone. It can also be argued that exposed shoulders would continue nakedness. Also “baring leg” could be argued to be a showing of nakedness.**

What are your opinions, thoughts, and convictions.

**In the next post we will cover Standards of Modesty: Part2: Religion: Christianity: Why some Christian’s Feel Modest women should only wear skirts.**

© tawnynicole001 for Is This Modest?, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clothing, dress, Religion and Spirituality

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

From the “dress code” of modesty to the way a modest women presents herself, and even modest talk, not one rock will remain unturned as we take a journey into discovering the roots of different standards of modesty.

© tawnynicole001 for Is This Modest?, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: article, clothing, culture, dress code, modesty, religion, standards

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh