The Christian Attire
A common question, in which people often disagree with the answers, is how should Christian's dress
Introduction
Many denominations have some type of definition of "appropriate" Christian attire. These definitions range from women not being allowed to wear pants (like Pentecostal) or restrictions on the fit—or tightness—and the length of the garments. Some forbid make-up, tattoos, jewelry, and even certain hair styles. There is no real consensus of what is appropriate for Christians in terms of attire and appearance.
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Examples of Godly Dress
The easiest (and most logical) way to answer to the question is to look for the examples God has given us in the Bible. So what does God say about how we dress?The Garden of Eden
God created man naked and Genesis 2:25 tells us neither Adam nor Eve were ashamed of their nakedness.And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.Genesis 2:25 KJVNot only did sin bring lust into world, it also brought doubt and self-consciousness in to the world. Adam and Eve weren't worried about what they looked like at all. This represents God's original design for mankind.
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After the Fall of Man
The first thing we are told about Adam and Eve after they eat from the Tree of Knowledge is that they have become aware of their nakedness.And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.Genesis 3:7 KJVWhen God expels them from the Garden, He makes a "coat of skins" to clothe Adam and Eve, according to Genesis 3:21.
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.Genesis 3:21 KJVThe King James Study Bible defines coat of skins as a tunic[3]. Tunics were popular in many ancient societies, most notably in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. In ancient Greece, there were several types of tunics, each designed to suit the wearer. Men's tunics were made of lighter material, as they were more likely to be outside. The lengths varied and often one shouldered[2]. Roman tunics (which would have been worn during Jesus' day) were similar to Greek tunics. Men's tunics were about knee length and represents both the shirt and skirt.[4]. Ancient Eygptians also wore tunics, which like the Greek and Roman versions, was simple in style and tied at the waist[1]. Most likely the tunics worn by Adam and Eve were similar to those of Egyptian, Greeks, and Romans, without the bells and whistles (dyes, belts, broaches, etc).
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Other Genesis Examples
While jewelry is not spoken of in a particularly fond light by Paul, we see several examples of jewelry permitted in in the Old Testament. In Genesis 24 and 25, we see that Rebekah—the wife of Isaac—has jewelry, including a nose ring! Later, in Genesis 35, however Jacob's family removes their jewelry before going before God for repentance. This implies that removing the jewelry showed humility or sincerity.Interestingly, Judah's daughter-in-law (Tamar) is mistaken for a harlot because her face is covered (Genesis 38). I think this lends a lot to the argument that attire has changed over the years. It may not be the garments themselves that God is concerned with, but the reason prompting us to wear such a garment.
Paul's Letters
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;1 Timothy 2:9 KJVComing soon...
Discussion
Many people quote Paul's words about modesty to define Christian dress and it almost always applies only to women. I think there is a lot to consider here.Fashion Show
If you grew up in a Southern church, you are probably familiar with the words "Sunday Best." This phrase is used to refer to church clothes. People reserved their best attire for church and it was considered disrespectful to show up to God's home in soiled, tattered, and otherwise substandard clothing. It is/was expected that you brought your best self to stand before God. To a certain extent this makes sense, but where I think Paul's word "modest" may apply is the fact that this principal lampooned into a fashion show. The best example I can give is of a friend several years ago. She announced that she had purchased her Easter dress, but she still didn't know where she would to attend church. Her focus was more on picking out a suitable dress for the service than actually attending service. Each year during Easter I see tons of pictures on Facebook that show people's Easter get up, but I see very few people researching the origins of the holiday, noticing that Easter and Passover don't always overlap, discussing Jesus or the sermon preached... No, people want to show off their Easter suits and dresses. It doesn't matter if the dress isn't tight and doesn't show off any skin, the problem is where your mind is.While men are capable of this type of behavior, it is more likely that women will turn church service into an opportunity to sport the latest and greatest fashion. It is girls who will pick on people for wearing the same outfit twice or hold expectations that each holiday requires a new dress. Perhaps Paul meant modest as in not flashy, not trying to one-up each other like a fashion show.
What Does Modest Mean?
Even in the usual interpretation of "modest," what does modest mean? The knee length skirts I own are considered modest and maybe even conservative in today's western society, but I would be considered "fast" 100 years ago for showing my legs (and without stockings, at that!). Even today, in Middle Eastern countries, that might be considered risqué. What is considered modest in our era is not what would have been considered modest to Paul. Does this mean we should dress as they dressed back then, or does this mean we should dress modest for our era?God created us such that in a perfect world, our nakedness was normal. Clothes are to hide the shame of sin. I think the question of how a Christian is to dress is actually rooted in why you choose to dress the way you do. Are you dressing for attention or for comfort? Are you trying to out do someone or simply replacing worn clothing? I think we should be mindful of how others will perceive our attire, not because our attire dictates who we are but because it is taken as a clue to who we are. You wouldn't show up to a corporate job interview in sweatpants and a hole-y t-shirt would you? You wouldn't head to the gym to work out in a suit and tie.
Women, Sexuality, and Modesty
As I mentioned at the start of the discussion, often these "rules" seem to affect women more heavily than men. Many use this as an argument against God, citing it as an example of misogyny. I think that one thing people neglect is the fact that men and women are different in terms of how they are attracted to each other. When I see a shirtless male model, I don't immediately think of sex. I may find the model attractive, but I don't suddenly feel overcome with lust. Most men, however, do feel overcome with lust when they see a half-naked woman. Why? Because God created woman for man and not the other way around. Don't get me wrong, both genders experience lust and we both take the first step based on physical attractiveness. The question is what draws our eyes. Studies show that men tend to be attracted to breasts, and hips (both associated with sex/sexuality), while women tend to be attracted to eyes, height, and build.[5] For women, wearing tight or low cut clothes accentuates the breasts and hips which essentially sets up a man to become lustful. Nothing a man wears can accentuate or hide his height. Men do not often wear skin-tight clothing. I agree that shirtless male models are not far off from half-naked female models, but I also don't think women look at a man's chest the way men look at a woman's. Build is concerned with shoulders, jaw-line, width of the body, etc. not just abs. Studies have proven that women just aren't affected the same way by nudity as men.[6]So does that mean that women have to hide everything, cover from head to toes, and are responsible for their own rape if they don't? No, that's not what I'm saying at all. Whether you are butt-naked or covered from head to toe, you are still a human being with rights. Since rape is about power not attraction, you're at risk to be raped no matter what you do if a person is a rapist. The rapist is always responsible for his/her own actions. I'm discussing the spiritual and mental side of what you wear, and what you can control. Let me expound some. Depending on your experiences and the people you are around, different attire will be considered "appropriate," "distracting," and/or "distasteful." Some men may see you in tighter clothing and not be phased in the least, while others may have their eyes bulge out of their head. American TV is full of sexuality, so we have become used to seeing women in scantily clad outfits; that changes what we consider "modest." Take the images below, we see what Americans would likely consider "over the top," "normal," and "modest," but the image labeled of "modest" from an American perspective may be "over the top" in the certain parts of the Middle East. As you dress in the morning, you know if your community will describe your attire as modest or not.
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| What an American might consider "over the top" Photocredit: Nicki Minaj |
What an American might consider "normal" Photocredit: Kohl's |
What an American might consider "modest" Photocredit: Kohl's |
You can't be expected to know who will react in what way for everything you wear. However, you do know that if you wear something with a plunging neckline, eyes will wander. Similarly, someone may tell you what you are wearing is distracting (that goes both ways). A man may say to a woman that he is distracted by her attire or a woman may say so to a man. Sometimes it may not be with words, but with actions. I think in a situation where you work with or spend a lot of time with a particular person and they have expressed discomfort (lustfulness) with your attire, it would be ungodly to continue dressing in a distracting manner. That being said, some people are just easily distracted and will be distracted no matter what you wear.
People rant and rave about the provocativeness of an outfit, yet Tamar was fully covered, even her face and mistaken as a prostitute! I think this is a large hint that the amount of skin shown is not the sole cause for people to think you are "improper" or "ungodly."
Cross Dressing, Pants, and Skirts
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| Photocredit: Lupita Nyong'o (I do not own this picture) |
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| Photocredit: Da Brat Ablum Cover |
In Deuteronomy 22:5, Moses states that there should be a clear distinction between a man and a woman. Essentially, he frowning upon the need to ponder and guess the gender of the person you are speaking to. I have definitely met people that I have had full conversations with and been unsure of what pronouns to use during this conversation. Our exterior should reflect our gender so that no one is thinking "is this a he or a she?" as we converse. Like the idea of "modest," what constitutes men's clothing and women's clothing has changed greatly over time. For instance, women's jeans used to be tighter than mens, but now that the it has become fashionable for men to wear skinny jeans, I have seen men wearing tighter pants than mine. Does that mean suddenly all of my pants are actually "men's" pants and unacceptable to wear? I don't think so. I think there is a combination of things that cause you to look feminine or masculine, and I think Moses was referring to this whole combination. Actresses like Lupita Nyong'o may have short hair, but you would never look at them and think "is that a woman?" because their style is obviously feminine. Then you have rappers like Da Brat who were very tomboyish in style, but still, one would never question if Da Brat was male or female. I think Moses was instructing us to make our gender known through our appearance.
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| Photocredit: Unknown |
Of course that does broach the question of cross dressing. Is there a difference between a Scottish man wearing a kilt, a man of Jesus' time wearing a robe, and a man wearing a dress? As I said earlier in the post, depending on where you live and the culture surrounding you, will depend on whether you view an article of clothing as "feminine" or "masculine." In American culture, dresses and skirts are definitely seen as "feminine" whereas pants are not really seen as either. As with much of the law, I think this rule pulls heavy on intent. Take RuPaul, for instance, he is a notorious drag queen. In wearing women's clothing, he is presenting himself as a woman when in fact, he is a man. This is a false presentation of one's self, a lie, and thus against God's command not to bear false witness. When a woman wears jeans, is she trying to pass herself off as a man? Sometimes, but not necessarily. When Jaden Smith wore a skirt for his clothing line, was he passing himself off as a woman? Probably not, though in many of the shots he did look like a woman. Many people try to turn this conversation into a pants vs skirt issue, but everyone wore robes when God enacted this code of dress. That means there were female robes and male robes, just as there are female pants and male pants. Since today there are no male skirts outside of kilts, it would be considered cross-dressing and against God's command for a man to wear a skirt (unless of course he is wearing a kilt for a tradition occasion[7]). The same would be said of heels; low heels on dress shoes and boots are normal in men's apparel but a stiletto heel is not considered "masculine" by our culture. Neither were worn in Jesus' day. What I mean to say is that today's society definitely defines certain things as feminine (high heels, makeup, purses, dresses/skirts, etc.) and others as masculine (ties, tuxedos, suits, etc.). I presume God excepts us to honor those boundaries. In the case of wearing unisex attire such as flip-flops, t-shirts, etc., I think God simply expects your overall appearance to reflect your gender.
Survey Says
While researching the topic, I saw that one blogger did a poll on what the guys in her high school bible study group considered "modest" (see the article here). Now, one thing that does irk me is that 1) no one ever asks girls what is immodest of men but we always ask men what is immodest for women, and 2) the survey is limited to high school boys. I think that lustfulness is it's peak in high school, older men may find some of these items more modest than their younger counterparts. Since it made me curious, I decided to make my own poll. Below is a link to a poll to assess "modesty" please add your input. Once there are enough responses, I will add graphs and analysis of the data. (Please take both polls if you have the time: one is to assess how people view modesty for women and the other for men).References
[1] "Ancient Egyptian Tunic". Albany Institute of History and Art. 2015[2] Fowler, Robin. "Ancient Greek Clothing". Ancient History Encyclopedia. January 18, 2012
[3] "Genesis 3 Footnotes". King James Study Bible. Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1988
[4] Gill, N.S. "Roman Dress". About.com. 2015
[5] Soriano, Nori. "Male Attraction Vs. Female Attraction". Match.com. 2016
[6] Kastleman, Mark. "The Difference Between the Male and Female Brain. Net Nanny. 2016
[7] A History of Scottish Kilts. Authentic Ireland. 2016
[8] Fisher, Helen. . Psychology Today. 2011 [9] Jackson, Wayne. "Does the Bible Forbid a Woman to Wear Slacks or a Pant-Suit?" ChristianCourier.com. 2016
[10] "What does the Bible say about cross-dressing / transvestism?". GotQuestions.org. 2016
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