The Oscars dresses held some valuable lessons. I must say I was surprised to see most dress cover more flesh than they showed. And, no one pranced around in a totally see-through gown.  However, the most talked about dress was adorn by Angelina Jolie. Her dress was a long solid black dress, with a thigh-high slit greatly accentuated because she purposely decided to ‘strike a pose’ awkwardly pushing her leg out of the slit.

Is it about the Clothes or the Pose?

We need to think about how sometimes the outfit we wear can be dramatically changed by the way we intentionally ‘pose’ our body. Even a somewhat modest dress can have an inappropriate flair if we flaunt our body purposely to show off. Not only do we have to consider the clothes, we have to check our ‘pose’. And most importantly, we need to continually let God examine our life for unrepentant sin.

As always, modesty has a lot more to do with our attitude then our attire. Being immodest can not only cause us to sin but we can tempt others to sin. Ultimately, this is the reason being modest minded is so important! It is not about being known as the most modest person in town. It is about not sinning motivated out of our love for God and remaining in continual sweet fellowship with Him. We can all dress modest for ‘the occasion;’ but does it necessary reflect our heart condition?

Her physical beauty is not hindered by a modest dress, like the one above. She clearly was intentional in her desire to flash her long slender leg in the thigh-high slit. I felt it exposed more about her character and morals than about fashion.

Our Pose Can Reveal Sin

In every heart is the fleshy desire to sin. The Bible say that the heart is wicked, and the desires of our heart lead us to sin.

All sin can be separated into one of three categories:

1. The lust of the eyes
2. The lust of the flesh
3. The pride of life

The lust of the eye relates to when Eve looked upon the fruit and saw that it looked good to eat or when Satan tempted Jesus with possessing the things of the world. Materialism is the core result of this sin. We see it and want to have it for our own. We buy, collect, fill closets, rent storage and go shopping for more.

The lust of the flesh is the desire to satisfy extreme pleasure. Eve ate of the fruit. Satan tempted Jesus with bread to eat after he fasted for forty days. And we are chasing after all kinds of wants to filling our desire to experience a sensual delight. We want to enjoy and have fun.

And finally, the pride of life is coveting a status or position. Eve longed to be like God and to know good and evil. Satan tempted Jesus with being ruler of all the kingdom’s of the world instantly. And we do what we can to network and promote ourselves to be remembered and to build a name. We want to be known and admired.

Our Pose Can Tempt Others

Unfortunately, when one person sins they often tempt others to sin. Angelina’s flashy pose was flaunting her new sexy dress, experiencing the pleasure of  being seen and flagrantly wanting to be remembered long after she walked off the stage.  She also tempted may men to sin by through the lust of the flesh.

Sadly, most women don’t think about sin or tempting others to sin. We live in a time when sin is made fun of and the standards are so low that for most people anything goes. This is what make living modestly so hard. We must remember the lost are only doing what the lost can do, they are sinning.

But we, being sealed with the Holy Spirit have a choice. Repentance is the path to living without being in continual sin. God grace is sufficient to forgive us of all of our sins and to cleanse us of unrighteousness. We only need to ask God.

Making Things Right When We Do Wrong

So when you are tempted or if you are checking by the Holy Spirit that you are tempting, stop and change. We would all fall out of our chair or off of the sofa, if Angelina stopped her pose, moved her leg in to be covered by her skirt and apologized to the four million viewers for sensually tempting  them. But this is the hard road that we must walk as Christians.

It is not enough to ask God for forgiveness in our private time. We must repent within the circle we committed the sin. No one should make a list of repented sins and post them on Facebook daily. But when we realize later that we sinned openly among a gathering, we must do the best we can to let that group know:

1. We have acknowledged the sin to God,
2. Received His forgiveness,
3. To ask others who were there for forgiveness.

Something seemingly so simple – striking a sexy pose – amazingly has so many unholy consequences.

Our ‘pose’ should always strike people to want to know God. So when you have a chance to stand before a group, strike a pose for God!

© lindyabbott for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: celebrities, elegant, fashion, formal, glamour, leg, oscars, prom, skirts, Thigh, thigh-high

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I ask my girlfriend what she is wearing and she has an elegant nice fitting dress that she wore to her daughter’s wedding this past summer. I don’t want to spend a lot of money. My dear husband already agreed to the conference price and the split fee for the hotel room.

The Thrift Store Find

I decide to check out one of my favorite places to shop: The Goodwill! All of these stores are different depending on the location. Some carry more of one item then others.

I look around and can’t find evening dresses, so I ask the clerk at the checkout. “Anything we have will be mixed in with the dresses over on that wall,” she informs me. Not expecting to find much, I head to the rack. If you have been to Goodwill you know the majority of the dresses will be from 10-20 years ago, and the most common style is the shapeless loose tent dress in a wide variety of colors and materials – not exactly a dress for a gala event.

© lindyabbott for Is This Modest?, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cocktail dress, dress, formal, goodwill, modest, New Creation Apparel, redo, remake, thrift shop, thrift stores, v-neck

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Here are two pretty gowns that have an interesting look to them!

What first caught my attention was the interesting coat that is part of the gown… or is it worn over the gown?  It looks as though, if it’s a jacket, then it’s a small one, and it’s probably covering a strapless dress.  If not, it seems to add to the bulk around the sleeves.

In any case, it’s interesting.

The wrap look is nice, feminine look that goes well with the ruffles on the lower left of the dress (right as you look at it).  I like the overall look, and though it’s a touch shiny, I think that it’s fine for this dress.

What do you think?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bow, formal, formal gown, Queen Anne Neckline, scrolling

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Here’s a pretty dress that’s modest and has a nice center of attention at the waist—so it will probably work best on certain body types.

That’s right, the gathering at the waist comes together at the front, drawing the eyes there.  The top is fully covered, including the shoulders, and the length of the gown is “T-length”—which I know isn’t for everyone.

It looks to me like the dress is a bit translucent.  If you look toward the hemline, is it that the lining didn’t go all the way down?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cap Sleeve, formal, formal gown

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Here’s a shimmery gown that’s sure to attract attention—and yet I mostly see the face and the beads on the belt!

This dress has an A-line skirt that looks like it’s close to ankle length.  It drapes from the waistline which has a beaded section with a loop.

As far as modesty goes, the dress is nice and high, the shoulders are covered, and the length is fine.

What do you think of the color?  It’s an off red—almost a pink.

Do you have any problem with the color red?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: a-line, Cap Sleeve, formal, formal gown

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This is probably one of my favorite shades of purple for a dress.  Perhaps that’s because my wife is keen on periwinkle and purple… hmm.

I like this dress because of the shape.  It’s focal points are on the waist that has the belt look and the gathering on the top right arm.

My attention is drawn to those two places and to the model’s face rather than anything else!

The dress is nice and long and it covers the shoulders and has a nice high neckline.

What do you think of this dress?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: a-line, formal, formal gown

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Here’s a pretty looking dress, and modest to boot!

The length, again, is great—probably something you’ll find in many formals.  It’s long, and it “trumpets” at the end, which I think means that it flairs out.

The color is a nice shade, particularly for this model.  The shoulders are covered, for those that are interested in that.

The neckline is the only thing that I think would need attention, as it’s sort of a v-neck line.  Could have some maintenance issues, but not major ones.  This formal works great!

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Post tags: beads, empire bust, formal, formal gown, Queen Anne Neckline

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Here’s an interesting and bright colored formal dress.  The length here is terrific, going to the floor (watch out that you don’t walk on it!).  The shoulders are covered.

The only area that seems to attract attention is the bust—and that’s because there is a lot of gathering there as well as a beaded accent. 

Combined that with the lower neckline, and on some women this will accent the bust and be a little distracting.

The other thing that I keep noticing is the way that there’s a pleat that goes right down the front middle of the dress—not sure if this works well with the model’s figure, and I know it takes my eyes right back to her bust…

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Post tags: a-line, Drape, formal, formal gown, red

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What’s nice about this formal is that we can see it with two different body types, and regardless of the body type the gown is modest.

This Chiffon dress has should straps that are wide and keep it modest.  The neckline is fine, though I could see some maintenance issues on some ladies depending on body type.

The length of the dress is long enough on these models to warn you about walking through tall grass…

Which is just where we had some wedding photographs taken after our wedding some ten plus years ago—so I speak from experience!

What do you think?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: a-line, formal, formal gowns, Shoulder

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Here’s a pretty dress that’s modest and has a nice center of attention at the waist—so it will probably work best on certain body types.

That’s right, the gathering at the waist comes together at the front, drawing the eyes there.  The top is fully covered, including the shoulders, and the length of the gown is “T-length”—which I know isn’t for everyone.

It looks to me like the dress is a bit translucent.  If you look toward the hemline, is it that the lining didn’t go all the way down?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cap Sleeve, formal, formal gown

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There’s something about this shade of blue—I like it a lot!

Unlike some of the other formals we’ve looked at this week, this one is not full length, but ends mid-calf on this model.  The hemline is pretty and very feminine, and the whole dress has a flow to it.

The airy nature of the dress makes it feminine and modest.  The neckline is nice, with only a little problem on some body types.  The waistline is well defined, and the bodice is nice.

I don’t think  you could go wrong with this one—what do you think?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: formal, formal gown, knee length

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Wedding season is quickly coming upon us, and first up is this dress from Totally Modest.

What’s nice about this dress is that it has everything that you could want to be modest—it’s length is great, the neckline is decent, and the shoulders are covered.

If you go to the site you see that it has buttons that go down the back as a nice, intricate pattern.

The only thing here that I can possibly see as a problem is the bust line, but even that isn’t something I’d be concerned over—considering the day and all.

How about you?  What’s your favorite wedding dress?

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Post tags: bridal, bride, formal, gown, wedding, wedding dress

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This dress is elegant.  It’s a Sapphire color, which the guy you’re with will say “It’s blue.”  The skirt is a regal color, and the detail is beautiful.

The length is lovely, the ruffles are attractive, but it’s the detailing that catches the eye.  The material is shiny, but that’s not as big of a deal with a darker color.

The neckline is decent, with only minor maintenance issues, and the shoulders are covered.

What do you think of this dress?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: formal, gown, prom

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This is definitely an interesting dress.  It is made of that shiny satin material, and it is accented by black outlines and bow.

The length is fine, the bow is a tad bit high, drawing attention to the bust.

Attention is drawn to the skirt portion of the dress—I’m guessing you never have to worry about ironing this part!

The neckline is nice and high and the shoulders are covered.

Your thoughts?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: formal, gown, prom

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Is it red?  I have a hard time telling persimmon from red.

In any case, red is definitely the attention getter, and the shiny satin definitely will draw attention.

That being said, the neckline is high, the shoulders covered, and the dress is just shy of floor length—so you don’t have to worry about tripping and falling while all eyes are glued to you.

I could see this dress being completed by a nice necklace, and hair down instead of up.

How about you?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: empire waist, formal, gown, mermaid, red

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This interesting dress has a number of nice features. 

• The bow is well placed and feminine.
• The neckline is high.
• The shoulders are covered.
• The length is just above the knee—which is about as high as I would recommend, because above that height you get into maintenance issues.

The color is nice, though it is shiny, satin is a big feature in modest formals.

What do you think?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: duchess, formal, petal, prom, satin

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Here are three visually interesting dresses.  They all feature a strong black color with a satin flyaway that reveals l’amour satin.

They all have an empire waist.

What I like about these dresses is that they have a very feminine look to them.  The flyaway portion with color provides a unique contrast.  The neckline is nice and high. The shoulders are covered and the dress is floor length.

There’s not much here to draw attention to form, and yet these are visually interesting dresses.

What do you think?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bow, dress, flyaway, formal, prom, ribbon, satin

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Here’s a pretty dress.  It comes in Baby Blue or Ice Pink and it looks great.  The waist has a band, and I like the position of the waist.

There’s embroidery near the hemline, and that draws my attention there and looks very feminine. 

The bust seems a bit stiff in material—so it won’t cling to your top.  The neckline is high, and the shoulders are covered.

The material seems shiny, but not to the point that it’s flashy.

Actually, I think the dress could work going to church or other outings than just the prom or a wedding.

What do you think?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: embroidery, formal, pink, prom, tea length

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These two dresses make me feel like I’m part of the magazine Highlights, asking what is different?

Both dresses are Dreamsicle in color.  Both of them have great lengths, high neckline and cover the shoulders.

Can you help me out and point out the difference between these modest formals, because I’m not sure I can!

How many differences can you find?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: a-line, bridesmaid, formal, prom

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There’s much to like about this formal gown.  The shoulders are completely covered, the neckline is nice and high, and though them hem is a little different, the front is even over the knee.

Again, the eye is drawn to the skirt portion, and that part is nice and feminine.  The torso could be considered a little tight, so take care to make sure that it’s a good fit.

It also looks like it’s made of satin type material, so our advice about shiny material applies.

What do you think?

© MInTheGap for Is This Modest?, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bridesmaid, formal, gown, prom

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