I’ve just recently become a born again Christian and I’m wondering about clothing. I know in the bible it mentions a few times clothing, but so many people have their different opinions on it still.
In my family, a family of Christians, the women wear skirts below the knee. In the bible it does mention this in 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;.
I looked up “modern” in the english dictionary and there it defines it as;
modest |ˈmädəst|
3. (of a woman) dressing or behaving so as to avoid impropriety or indecency, esp. to avoid attracting sexual attention.
• (of clothing) not revealing or emphasizing the figure: modest dress means that hemlines must be below the knee.
Then I looked up “hemlines” and it says;
hemline |ˈhemˌlīn|
noun
the level of the lower edge of a garment such as a skirt, dress, or coat: a long jacket with a lowered hemline at the back.
So this leads me to believe women should wear skirts and ones that are below the knee. At the same time, maybe so much thought shouldn’t be put into what we wear for it also says in the bible;
Matthew 6:25-34 – Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
So then why worry so much about changing my entire closet, won’t God accept me as long as I am faithful?
This is wear I’m torn. I’m so worried about changing my entire closet. I do know I need to throw out my revealing clothing, for it says in the Bible to not make men lust over my body. I understand that much, but do I need to throw out my jeans and sweat pants? Are those considered men’s clothing? It says in the Bible;
Deuteronomy 22:5 – 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.
But the jeans I wore weren’t made for men, nor were the sweat pants I liked to wear on my comfy days.
I really need help clearing this up. I don’t want to be trying to compromise myself with God’s law and what I feel like wearing. I want to do what God has asked of us. So I was hoping I could get some light shed upon my question as to what is appropriate and what isn’t.
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No, I wouldn’t throw out your pants. In the days of the Bible, men wore “skirts” and that was considered appropriate. Of course, if you feel convicted on this, then throw them out.
not exactly skirts, more like robes. but I’m pretty sure like in most cultures their were sex distinctions in clothes. Like for example the women always wore dark or completely black robes so that if the sun were behind her nobody could see through . Im not completely sure about that though.
This is my oppinion. Personally I prefer that a lady dresses as such, a skirt or a dress. However, modesty is my bigger concern. When she bends over can one see cleavage, and she should be covered below the knees, especially if wareing a skirt or dress. Think about what a man can see when you are bending over or squatting down, up close or far away. Try to stay away from tight clothing too, anything that shows too much figure – especially on top. It is ok to let them know you are a lady but you want to avoid being a temptation. For some men it just doesn’t take much. You cannot avoid all of them but the decent ones will notice the effort. They will be the ones avoiding the temptors and therefore will be attracted by you.
You mentioned the hemline of a skirt. Some make the judgement call that if you kneel on the floor and the hem touches the floor you are safe. ?? But if you sit in a chair is it “safe” to have a young man sit accross from you?? In my oppinion they should not be able to see your thighs. I personally do not like to have to be constantly aware of how I am sitting, standing, bending over, or squatting down. So, I base my wardrobe on that.
First and Foremost. Yes! God accepts you as you are! But if you know whats right and wrong and then go against what he says, thats when it becomes sin.
I personally only wear skirts, the shortest i wear is just below my knee. i prefer my knee caps to be covered when sitting.
I have a friend who wears pants, and when i see her i can totally tell where her bottom, bottom cheeks are. Thats not going to be a nice thought for a man…If i am a girl, and notice that. Thats pretty bad!!(i don’t go looking, but its so obvious)
my dad usually likes to me and my mom to model our clothes for him, and then he tells us if he thinks they pass a mans view or not…thats such a blessing to have him do that. As i sit here writing i actually have a skirt on i am waiting for him to ok or not ok:) He should be home in a minute.
There are several good places to buy modest clothes. A few online recourses are: Style J, Hannah Lise, Dressing for his Glory ect.
And no, i DO NOT think its a downright sin for a woman to wear pants. (i wear pants to bed, when im cleaning the house, working outside ect) But whatever you do, Aim for modesty, seek to please the LORD NOT MAN!!!!!
LOVE YOUR POST!! And what a blessing to have your dad want to do that!!!!!
My dad doesn’t like us girls wearing pants because he thinks that it shows off our bottoms way more than our skirts and skirts do tend to be more modest than pants even if they are sweat pants. I personally wear skirts all the time although I do wear pants underneath 🙂 You can even wear a shorter skirt on top of some pants and look really cute and modest! 🙂 I do a paper route every day where I deliver 109 papers everyday… on bike… skirts don’t usually bother me. Also you can get them really cheap at second hand stores!
Hi Nicole,
Here is a quote from another thread on this subject:
“This is an issue I have been struggling with lately too and you all have made some great points in this thread. I have argued for several years that pants are fine for women to wear for many of the reasons listed in various posts above, but I’m now attending a skirts-only Christian college and am beginning to see things in a new light. In the town the school is in, there are quite a few conservative, skirt-wearing people and I often see them when I’m out and about shopping, etc, which I never see where I’m from. The thing I realized is that when I see a woman wearing a skirt, I know instantly with 99% accuracy that she is a Christian, and a conservative brand of Christian at that. I realized the beauty in that. Wearing a skirt we won’t blend in with everyone else; we are set apart. People know that we are children of God and we can be a walking testimony at all times. I used to want to wear pants simply because everyone else does and I didn’t want to look different, so I tried my best to find arguments for why it is alright. They were good, and even correct reasons, but for me it was a subtle act of rebellion and worldliness on my part. Now I’m seeing the beauty in looking different. God calls us to be a holy, set-apart people and we’re not to try to look like the world.
There are times to wear pants, however, I believe. Recently, still trying to figure out whether pants are right or wrong, I wore a skirt out to the pig pasture to help load some pigs on a trailer when I normally would have worn pants. Well, by the time I was done, my legs were covered in mud and pig manure and I thought, “That is exactly why I wear pants sometimes.” It’s true that culottes will work in many situations, or even shorts or culottes under a skirt, but sometimes you need something long that will completely cover your legs, especially if it’s cold. Try sled riding, for one!
While I think that most of the arguments used in favor of pants in other posts are correct and it is not necessarily wrong to wear them, I think we still need to examine our motives for why we want to wear them. Are we just trying to “fit in” and look like the rest of the world, or do we really have a good, practical reason? On the other hand, if you wear skirts all the time just because everyone in your church does and it makes you feel holier than other people, then that’s not a good reason either, and you still need to examine your motives. This is not a core issue like salvation and it’s one that the Bible is not clear on, so I think it’s a matter of personal convictions and I wouldn’t judge anyone else for their opinions on it, but I think as with most issues, we need to be careful to examine out own hearts on the matter and make sure that our motives are rooted in our convictions, and not in anything else. It’s all about our heart and why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
https://nogreaterjoy.org/blogs/preparingtobeahelpmeet/is-it-wrong-to-wear-pants/
Also, at the time when the Bible was written, men and women both wore long, flowy garments. The only difference was in their undergarments.
You have a lot of questions! I personally 99% of the time wear dresses that are below the knee. I wear pants at times when it wouldn’t be practical to wear a skirt. Horse-Back Riding, Biking, Hiking, Exercising and such. Personally I feel that for me it is the easiest to be modest if I wear a skirt. I try to wear “modern” modest clothes if you know what I mean. Layer shirts or wear a tank top under a lower shirt.
But I know everyone doesn’t have the same convictions about skirts. I feel that if you are seeking the Lord in this area…..and it sounds like you are… He will show you His will even in this area of your wardrobe! It is hard to say you should wear this and not this etc….. If God is bringing something to your attention it is best to listen:) One thing I have heard said….Ladies how do you know which Bathroom to use in a public place? The one with the sign that has a lady wearing a dress…..Just something to think about.
If you are looking for places to buy skirts, Try Ebay, local thrift stores, Or if you are into sewing sew your own, a great website for skirts is: http://www.newcreationapparel.com
http://www.theskirtoutlet.com
Take care and keep holding onto Jesus!
Hi Nicole! I became a Christian several years ago and I used to wear pants, jeans, etc. A year or 2 ago, the Lord had convicted me about how I dressed. I have friends who still wear jeans and pants that are Christians. I think it is just how the Lord convicts you. For me, personally, I like to wear skirts/dresses that reach my ankles (and that are not tight) , and to wear shirts/blouses that don’t reveal anything when I bend over. Some people are convicted at how they dress, and some aren’t. I’m not at all against those that dress as I used to because the Lord might not convict them as He had me. It is a little disturbing however, when Christian girls/women dress immodestly (on purpose), whether it be a low-cut shirt, clinging clothes or a short skirt. It really depends how your attitude about your dress is. You can tell if someone wants to gain attention by dressing immodestly, and it shows then that they don’t have self confidence. And then, there are people that have such pride how they dress that you can hardly tell whether they want to be known as a Christian, or an I-dress-better-than-you type of person. God doesn’t judge by how you dress, but how your heart is. But, people can’t look at how your heart is, therefore I believe you should dress appropriately so that people know your heart is right with God. So I would just pray about it and ask God if he wants you to get rid of those clothes and if He does, then do it but if you aren’t convicted about it, then don’t worry about it! 🙂 Even if he doesn’t convict you I would still dress modestly because it helps all the guys out to have someone to talk to who doesn’t have something distracting them from the conversation 😉 Just a verse to leave off: “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful fo nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” ~Philippians 4:5-6~ ..God bless you as you walk with Him! He is never a disappointment! 🙂 🙂
this is a modesty survey done within the last few years.
I found it very useful. they basically had guys from 12 to 50+ telling their opinions.
and try to keep a free conscience. if something you are wearing seems wrong for some reason just don’t wear it! It is better to too conservative than too liberal! I also know to get rid of it if my brothers or father says something about it being tight.
beth