Modesty is Unremarkable
By Chris Pelicano (bio - articles - send a comment) | February 17, 2012 4:14 PM
My daughters told me recently that modest clothing is unremarkable in itself, but remarkable in its potential effects. Ironically, the benefit of modest clothing is its transparency, so to speak. Modest clothing attracts attention neither to itself nor to the superficial qualities of the person wearing it. In fact, by not being a distraction or an end in itself, modest clothing allows the character of the person to become more evident.
Indecent fashions tend to reduce the human person to the superficiality of their exposed or accentuated body parts ... saying, in effect, "Look at me, I'm an object. Look at me as an object." On the other hand, prudish clothing, although rare, tends to provoke an opposite but equally superficial criticism that the prude is socially inept, awkward, and out of touch. Both styles miss the truth about the dignity of the human person.
In our cynical culture obsessed with shallow sensationalism, modesty is like truth in advertising: rare but powerful. It's the real deal—and that's what makes it so special.
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Posted by: hartwood01 -
Feb. 19, 2012 8:54 PM ET USA
Our Muslim sisters dress modestly yet you will hear people,including priests state that they are oppressed. I can only speak for the US,but believe me,these women choose to dress modestly,some wear the hijab (veil),some don't. They are relieved to have some freedom from the leer often given to women in this sex-saturated culture. Too bad we Christian women won't follow their example and wear clothing that does not look like we were poured into something 2 sizes too small and too skimpy.
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Posted by: kmbold -
Feb. 17, 2012 6:33 PM ET USA
Now if we just had more of it.
