One's dress may may say a lot about a person, his or her attitudes, personality, character, virtues, and morals. They can create a positive or a negative impression. Dress is particularly important among young women as men size them up. Does her dress show her purity, her dignity, and her inner beauty, the kind of girl a decent man would want to be his lifetime spouse and the mother of his children? Or does she come over as easy pickings, a temptation eliciting lustful desires for a one night stand?
Interesting is that many if not most young men, who boast in locker rooms about their sexual conquests, admit that they want their wife to be a virgin......a beautiful aspiration, but a terrible double standard. Starting with dress, can our youth aspire for the ideal: "That on the wedding night, for the first time and always, he exclusively for her and she exclusively for him". Unrealistic? Should it be? At worst, young men and women can indeed firmly resolve to become secondary virgins by waiting until that wedding night. Such discipline would mean greater faithfulness and stronger marriages later. Statistics show that the divorce rate is 50% greater among couple who have cohabited before marriage. The modest dress of only one beautiful young woman of conviction, as a wonderful testimony and example, would be a big first step in changing our oversexed culture, one person at a time.
The Wall Street Journal published an article by Jennifer Moses, titled "Why Do We Let Them Dress Like That? Women of a liberated generation wrestle with their eager-to-grow-up daughters.......and their own pasts". This article generated all kinds of comments apparently because it touched a sensitive cord and Laura Ingraham ask the author to be a guest on her national radio show. See (click on)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703899704576204580623018562.html
Leah Darrow was rising fast in the fashion industry and was the cover girl of Model Magazine.......only to discover that she was losing her soul. God is now using her to promote chastity in talks all over the country, mostly to high school and college audiences. See the article on Leah Darrow "From 'America's Next Top
Model' to Lobbyist for Chastity" in the Catholic Register posted on
their website on January 13, 2011 at
http://www.leahdarrow.com/
http://www.leahdarrow.com/work-with-me/
Befriend her on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leah-Darrow/320247047930
http://www.leahdarrow.com/work-with-me/
Befriend her on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leah-Darrow/320247047930
| Leah Darrow |
Many parents have battles with their daughters over modesty, more so with prom dresses. Often there's confusion over what is and what isn't modest. Former
top model, Leah Darrow and
other models are involved with http://www.purefashion.com
which promotes fashionable yet modest dress......chic fashion with modesty
and purity. Perhaps through this website they can help parents and daughters to resolve these conflicts and bring some clarity to the confusion stirred up by our oversexed society and culture.Leah endorses the work of Linda Przybyszewski, University of Notre Dame professor who teaches a class called, “A Nation of Slobs” and her mission is to revive the lost art of dressing. CBS News featured her in one of their programs titled "Dressing Down a Culture for Refusing to Dress Up. See
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57585174/dressing-down-a-culture-for-refusing-to-dress-up/ Her students are amazed by the beauty of the fashions of yesteryear as shown in the following photo. Can we learn something from the past that we can use and improve on for the present and apply it to the reality of today.
 |
| Fashions of Yesterday: Is there something to learn? |
Modesty Guidelines
...as mentioned on the Laura Ingraham Show
Laura Ingraham’s interviewed author Jennifer Moses ( click on listen to audio) on her nationally syndicated radio show regarding her article in the Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2011: Why Do We Let Them Dress Like That?.Fashion Show Clothing Guidelines
Pure Fashion models are more than just fashion models; they are ROLE MODELS!
Our goal is to show the public that it is possible to be stylish, cute, and MODEST! Pure Fashion clothing styles flatter the figure, without drawing undo attention to any particular area.
Always and Anywhere:
Shirts
- Necklines are four fingers below the collarbone.
- Material is opaque, not sheer, very thin, or spandex.
- Shirts draw attention to the face, not the bust line. They can be ruffled, be-jeweled, patterned, etc, but the bra is not seen in the back (if visible, the shirt is too tight).
- The back is covered: no strappy backs, halter, or backless garments.
- Tank tops are worn with a shirt, jacket, or sweater over them.
Pants
- Can be form-fitting but not too tight, especially in the seat or thigh area.
- One should be able to pull pants away from the leg—and not just because the material is spandex (that doesn’t count).
- When the arms are straight down at the side, the bottom of the shorts is below the longest finger.
- Panty lines are not visible. If necessary, pantyhose or a “thigh shaper” can create a smooth appearance in the clothing.
Skirts
- Skirts are four slender fingers above the top of the kneecap.
- Be attentive to see if a slip is necessary.
Dresses
- From the waist up, dresses follow the shirt guidelines.
- Dresses need sleeves or two-inch wide straps. Wraps go nicely with dresses that have straps.
Note
Undergarments should never become outer garments.More Clothing Guidelines
On the runway
- When modeling on a raised runway, hemlines appear much shorter, so skirts and dresses should be no shorter than at-the-knee length.
- Care must be taken when entering or exiting the stage in a skirt or dress.
- The brighter the better is a good rule for runway clothing. The audience is coming to see a show and bright clothing adds pizzazz.
- Heels are best on a runway. Ballet flats or wedge shoes do not show as well. Practice is needed to walk elegantly in heels. Heels that are too high detract from the overall impression of the model.
- First impressions are important. How do you want the audience to remember you? Dress accordingly.
- All clothing is always crisp, clean, and stylish in a Pure Fashion Show! Accessories can be colorful, flashy, extravagant, or tailored. Accessories add an important component to the overall impression of the outfit on stage.
On the job
When buying clothes and dressing to express your personal
dignity as a young lady, remember to consider what you will be doing in
them! People sit, stand, lean over, walk up stairs with others behind
them, and sit at tables facing speakers, bosses, or teachers. How do
your clothes or lack of clothes appear to someone seated alongside,
above, and below you in all of your daily postures?
Some pitfalls:
- Blouses and shirts that are too loose can be as immodest as tight ones. If the neckline droops from the body when a woman bends over, everyone can see the body parts the blouse was designed to cover.
- If the armpit is too loose, think about the view of the person standing alongside.
- Blouses that button sometimes have see through gaps between the buttons, so if there is a side view to the inside, this may not be the blouse to buy or wear.
- Is the blouse too tight and comes unbuttoned easily? Wear a slip or tank top underneath.
- With arms lifted overhead when looking in the mirror, does the back or belly show? If so, a longer look or a layer underneath is necessary.
- Many of today’s V-necks have plunged to all new “lows.” They can even become more revealing when worn by young women of short or medium height. Layering ensures that private parts remain private.
Summer fun
- Undergarments can do a good job of protecting modesty during the warm summer months.
- Try an extra lined bra for the months when it is too warm to dress in layers.
- Choose a bra that has a little padding in the event of a chill.
- White jeans or shorts require a selection of undergarments in a nude shade.
- Pure Fashion recommends one-piece bathing suits. Cover-ups can be a nice addition to add mystery.
At the mall/everyday dressing
- Let the clothing be a testament of your dignity as a young lady. What you choose to wear can affect your behavior.
- Be careful about dressing “grungy” even if it is modest. It can be perceived as a lack of self-confidence.
- Attend to the current trends in clothing, but don’t allow yourself to become enslaved by them. Fashion-forward dressers usually select one or two items from each season to coordinate with their existing wardrobe.
Shoes
Not all shoes are modest. Some speak a whole language: extra platform
or overly strappy heels might be sending the wrong message:
- Make sure that heels reflect elegance and classiness and not “sexiness.”
- Be sure that the shoes match the occasion—casual shoes with casual occasion and classy shoes and pumps with classy or elegant occasions.
Summary of Pure Fashion Guidelines:
1. When buying clothes and dressing to express your personal dignity as a young lady:
Remember that first impressions are important. People who never have the
opportunity to speak to you can still see you. How do you want them to remember
you?
Remember that first impressions are important. People who never have the
opportunity to speak to you can still see you. How do you want them to remember
you?
2. Remember that individuals live in many different positions. People sit, stand, lean
over, climb up stairs with others behind them, and sit at tables facing speakers,
bosses, or teachers. How do your clothes or lack of clothes appear to someone
seated alongside, above, and below you in all of your daily positions?
3. Blouses and shirts that are too loose can be as immodest as tight ones. If the
neckline droops from the body when a woman bends over, everyone can see the
body parts the blouse was designed to cover. If the armpit is too loose, think about
the view of the person standing alongside.
4. Blouses that button sometimes have see through gaps between the buttons, so if
there is a side view to the inside, this may not be the blouse to buy or wear. Is the
blouse too tight and comes unbuttoned easily? A full slip or tank top may need to be
worn underneath.
5. With arms lifted overhead when looking in the mirror, does the back or belly show?
If so, a longer look or a layer underneath is necessary.
6. When going upstairs at work or school, a short skirt will show the upper thigh to
those below you. This is not a body part for a dignified woman to openly expose in
public.
those below you. This is not a body part for a dignified woman to openly expose in
public.
7. Many of today's V-necks have plunged to all new “lows.” They can even become
more revealing when worn by young women of short or medium height. Layering
one’s tops ensures that your private parts remain private.
8. Make sure that undergarments are doing their job protecting modesty during the
warm summer months. Try an extra lined bra for the months that it is too warm to
dress in layers. If wearing light colored pants, ask yourself, how thick is the fabric
and how loose are the pants? Also, choose a bra that has a little padding in the event
of a chill.
9. Let the clothing be an advertisement of your dignity as a young lady. Be careful
about dressing “grungy” even if it is modest. Typically, how you dress and how you
behave will correspond. If dressed sloppily , one’s actions are more likely to be
sloppy. If dressed like a young lady, you are more likely to behave like a young
lady.
10. Finally, walk, stand, and sit with dignity. Think of yourself as a person who deserves
Sources
of Possible Interest
http://www.courageouspriest.com/mass-attendance-dress-code-msgr-charles-pope
- Dress Code at Mass
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