Modesty Part 3

In high school, I was the queen of hip-hugging jeans and mid-drift bearing shirts that showed my bellybutton ring. I also wore a lot of black eyeliner and red lipstick. In college it was super short shorts and tank-tops (and no make-up because a REAL feminist doesn’t give in to the forced beauty stereotypes). Finally it was in grad school that I got a job at an art gallery and my clothing became very tailored and my make-up found its way back into my purse in a much more tame manor.

  

So, what made the difference? Yes, the job dictated tailored clothing, but even tailored clothing can be immodest. What made me focus on modesty? This was just about the time when I began my walk with Christ. As I read and learned, I realized that I was not honoring God with the way that I was displaying my body. Since I have written a fair amount on modesty lately (read the other posts HERE) I have received a ton of emails about the topic. A number of the emails said the same thing, “I am on a budget what can I do to make my wardrobe more modest?”

This is my attempt at answering all the emails at one time. Let me preface this by saying that what I did not do is go out and buy an all brand-new wardrobe! That simply is not a luxury that most people have. Instead, I thought I would give a couple of tidbits that I found helpful in making my wardrobe more modest. Hopefully this will be helpful. 

For this particular post we will be focusing on women’s shirts and how to deal with a couple of modesty issues. I will try to post about skirts, shorts, and pants at a later date. Why did I decide on shirts first? Because women’s shirts can be incredibly frustrating!

Let’s start with a cami. This can be your best friend. I have a fairly long torso and keeping my mid-drift from showing can be very difficult. I also really dislike being able to see women’s bras through their shirts and a cami can prevent this. I often layer my shirts with a cami like THIS in order to lengthen the shirt. I like a lace cami because it just feels a little more feminine. Something like THIS would work perfectly. I wear this under T-shirts and button down shirts.

I have a friend who is much shorter than I am who struggles with wearing a cami because they tend to end up halfway down her thighs because she is so small. She opened my eyes to the option of a bandeau like THIS ONE. This is worn in society today as a shirt by itself. I think that is a terrible idea, and I do not support it in anyway. However, being worn under a shirt that is cut just-a-little-too-low or that isn't sitting correctly can cover cleavage and it won’t bunch up on your stomach or jeans.

While I understand the thought behind the bandeau it typically only works for smaller chested women. I have a very difficult time stopping myself from readjusting and pulling it up every five minutes. For me, THIS is a better option.

I am a huge fan of cardigan sweaters like THESE They can be thrown over tank tops (which I have WAY too many of) and alternating the patterned tank tops under a solid sweater can give you unlimited options.

I hope that this post has been helpful. I have had a couple people read this and say that it is way too hot for layering and it is so much easier to just go with what everyone else is wearing. I live in Texas. It was 101 yesterday and I wore a t-shirt with a cami underneath and I was plenty comfortable. Hot weather is NOT an excuse to be immodest. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” We need to remember that the way we dress can set us apart and offer a unique opportunity to minister.