Protecting Our Daughters With Appropriate Clothing

Woman in White I by Boscoe Holder, from Lovely Whatevers

Modest clothing provides protection and respect: two things that are highly valued in our society today.

We are responsible to help our daughters dress in such a way that will not just protect them, but give them a clear conscience. (They should not willfully dress provocatively.) We have a duty to teach our daughters to dress in a modest way; a way that does not attract a dangerous kind of attention, but rather, will draw respect. Modesty is one way they can protect themselves from the prying eyes of those who wish to do harm. It is also a way to be treated with dignity.

Please also be sure to read another article on this subject  here http://homeliving.blogspot.com/2009/05/protecting-our-daughters-by-protecting.html

Like our Heavenly Father , earthly parents should guard their children jealously and protectively, just as they guard their homes and their valuables. When the Bible speaks of God as a "jealous" God, (Exodus 34:14), it simply means that he guards and protects and oversees what is His, and does not want His teachings usurped or changed by others who would claim they are experts or authorities; those who would teach things outside of the teachings of the Bible. Parents need to have the same feelings towards their children and be "jealous" over them, so that they will grow up in safety and security. This certainly applies to the styles of clothing we allow our children to wear.

There are always those who claim that immodesty has nothing to do with the way others behave. They insist that girls have a right to wear shorts or short skirts and tight, low-cut, suggestive, strappy tops or garments resembling underwear, in public , and that if anything happens to these girls, they are completely without fault. (Keep in mind that much of this clothing was considered underwear only 75 years ago.)

These same people understand the concept of protecting their personal belongings, such as cars and houses, by securely locking the doors. They understand the purpose of closing the drapes on the windows of our homes, for privacy and safety, but they refuse to understand this in respect to the safety of women. Are not these young women more valuable to them than material possessions? Why then, is it so difficult to apply the same principle of protecting them?

Would anyone in their right mind leave their house and car open all night and then, after their possessions had been damaged, stolen, or destroyed, claim that they had a right to leave it out, unprotected, and that they were not at fault in the matter? While insurance can replace some of these material things, damage to our daughters cannot be replaced by any earthly insurance plan, except the one given to us in the Bible: women should dress modestly. (Ist Timothy 2:9)

Cars, houses and possessions can be recovered, repaired and replaced, but a daughter lost because she was not protected, cannot be replaced. Teaching our daughters to drape themselves in modest apparel is an ounce of prevention against future adverse influence and harm, both spiritually and physically.

Sweet Serenity by Joyce Birkenstock, from Lovely Whatevers

Before electricity and refrigeration were available in the northern wilderness areas, it was necessary to store food away from wild animals, in a cache. It looked like a tiny cabin on stilts. Would it have made any sense to insist on leaving the food in a box on the ground, knowing that it would attract wild animals, and then claim to be a victim of animals that were just doing what animals do when they catch the scent of food? For some reason, people have a mental block when it comes to protecting our daughters from danger, yet they understand perfectly well how to keep their watches, cellphones, wallets, and even their own food, safe from those who would be lured to it or from those who lack self control.

Being “in style” seems to be one of the biggest barriers to modesty. Some women assume that modesty means they have to dress like pioneer women. Most stores have very immodest clothing, and it is difficult to find anything modest and feminine. Older women also have difficulty finding appropriate clothing to wear. It is tempting to wish we had lived in an earlier era, when women's clothing covered them better and had more beauty and elegance to it, but by using the technique of dressing with the same standards of previous eras of modesty, girls can still wear beautiful clothing that seems to be in style.

Afternoon Tea by Paul Fischer, from Lovely Whatevers

Since the Bible promises us that there is always a way out of any temptation, (Ist Corinthians 10:13)there must be a way to dress that is both appropriate and lovely. I have noticed over the years, that no matter what outrageous styles are for sale in stores, there is always some appropriate, modest clothing somewhere to be had. When the prevailing culture paraded inappropriate dress, there were always more beautiful alternatives. You have to look a little harder, but the discerning eye can find it.

Today, many young women are finding that home sewing allows them the freedom of creativity in clothing. They do not have to be dependent on the designers and manufacturers, who do not have the best interest of young women at heart. Sewing provides an endless variety of clothing, at a more reasonable cost. Home sewn clothing lasts much longer than commercial clothing. Sewing allows more choice and more individual freedom. There is no question that modest apparel has more cloth in it! The draper or seamstress can have a far greater range of creativity when there is more yardage to work with.

In the Bible, when the man possessed of devils was healed by Christ, he was found "fully clothed, and in his right mind." (Mark 5:15) Whatever you may think this means, it is interesting that being fully clothed and being of a sound mind are connected, in this scripture. It makes you wonder if the clothing we see on women today is created by designers and manufacturers and advertisers that do not have sound minds or even good sense. We can deliver these designers from their nonsense by wearing garments that drape a woman's body in a more beautiful and modest way.


We live in a nervous world. More and more girls have panic attacks and feelings of uncertainty. Modesty gives a feeling of confidence. When more adequately draped with cloth, young girls do not have to worry about so many flaws they may feel they have, whether it be a little too much weight, or a lack of an even tan, or lines of underwear showing through.

Afternoon Tea II by Consuelo Gamboa from Lovely Whatevers

Modest clothing can also aid in good health. When the skin is covered, it is protected from too much exposure to the elements. Too many girls have become very ill, because they wanted to dress in style and were exposed to the cold for too long. It is time to reject these unhealthy designs and help women get back in their "right minds."


The way you dress will attract the kind of people that are similar to you. If you sew your own clothes, it will put you in the company of other seamstresses, who will notice your clothes. If you dress modestly, other people who dress modestly will notice and they will give you a friendly smile. Being fully and appropriately covered means that others are more likely to be attracted to your face, where your eyes and your expression give a message. If you find that unwholesome types are looking at you and making crude remarks, have a look at your clothing: is it tight? Is it short? Is it low? Is it see-through? Too revealing?


One of the easiest ways to develop modesty is to wear clothing with good fit. If it is too tight, it will reveal every extra bit of weight and create attention to the most unflattering parts of your body. Modest clothing tends to cover these kinds of problems.
One young lady has aptly said, "Modestly is the best policy." Modesty brings respect Dressing modestly always assures you of respect when you travel. Western women need to develop a sense of style and propriety, where clothing is concerned, when they travel. See this site http://www.journeywoman.com/ccc/ccc-i.html and notice the strong recommendations for modest clothing to be worn overseas, particularly in India, where, happily, the women still look very feminine and continue to dress in traditional, modest clothing.http://www.sensibility.com/


Other convincing and inspiring articles on the necessity of modesty are here:


Take the modesty test here and read a dozen excellent articles on modesty:
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/search/index.php?q=modesty&x=6&y=5


http://www.reviveourhearts.com/topics/downloads/index.php?id=9493


http://mrslaurenchristine.blogspot.com/2008/03/modesty-in-christian-woman.html


http://unlessthelord.blogspot.com/2007/03/modesty-and-lack-thereof.html


http://theviewfrommyfishbowl.com/2007/08/06/thoughts-on-skirts/


http://applesofgoldinpicturesofsilver.blogspot.com/2008/10/did-you-ever-feel-like-you-needed-to.html


http://beautywithoutextravagance.blogspot.com/2008/05/its-just-that-simple.htm


Also, another wonderful site for young girls and teens is http://www.purefreedom.org/ /
http://ccostello.blogspot.com/2008/01/here-comes-bridehtml

http://ccostello.blogspot.com/2007/12/modesty-true-beauty-uncovered.html
http://katesgreatkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/05/let-us-be-women-of-virtue-by-kate.html
http://heluvsme2.blogspot.com/2008/03/packaging-yourself-to-be-reflection-ofhtml

http://heluvsme2.blogspot.com/2008/04/modesty-in-dress.html
Look for the Month of Modesty button here http://thesparrowsnest.typepad.com/the_sparrows_nest/
http://www.bygrace3.blogspot.com/ - you can find them in my category listing Modest Dress.
http://milestonesacademy.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-are-we-expecting-world-to-solve.html

http://milestonesacademy.blogspot.com/2008/03/while-we-are-training-habits-of-our.html