I believe the guidelines outlined in For Strength of Youth still apply in most situations (e.g. Chastity in marriage, Cleanliness in thought, Integrity etc.). I believe that modesty continues. I have made covenants that include modesty in my actions and dress.
My mom was always very strict about modesty. I played sports in high school and I was always the weird one with a shirt under my basketball jersey. Laugh. It's okay. My parents said it would be acceptable for sports to wear the uniform, but I just thought it'd be easier to follow the rules all the time. (Plus, I have body image issues. I'll just be honest here. I've been sporting "Relief Society" arms for a while now.) I was in Jazz Choir where we wore a sleeveless (is that the right word? tank top) dress. I wore a sweater right up until we went on stage in most cases. I still wear basketball shorts or capris and a t-shirt to the gym.
I often have this phrase ringing in my head: "Never lower your dress standards for any occasion. Doing so sends the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval and that modesty is important only when it is convenient."
I think this statement is so true. I did go through a phase in high school where I started wearing lower cut shirts and tighter tops etc. It was just for attention, to fit in and be stylish. And you know what? It worked. I remember boys noticing me. Talking to me. Girls befriended me. I realized my clothing really did say a lot about me.
I am still pretty conservative about how I dress. You can ask anybody that has ever suffered through a shopping experience with me. And I'm definitely not a fashion expert.
There are a few trends that are really driving me bonkers right now.
Here is one: Leggings and short tops that come mid-thigh or barely cover one's bum.
This post was mainly inspired by talking to my sister who sees a ton of girls in her singles ward wearing leggings at church. This is super immodest to me. Especially if one is an endowed church member. Sometimes, G's glow through.
"Immodest clothing includes short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and other revealing attire."
To me leggings and short tops (or are they supposed to be dresses? I don't get it.) break both of these guidelines-being both short and tight. BYU has this Dress and Grooming Standards poster around campus that has a picture of the typical leggings with short top that says "Where is your hem?" I like it.
I think if you're LDS and going to wear leggings, your top/dress should go to your knees. Leggings at church are just weird. Aren't leggings pants? Is it now okay to wear pants to church? Or if they aren't pants and they are indeed tights, shouldn't you wear a knee-length dress with them?
Reminder that this is my opinion. Not an official church statement.
I don't hate you or condemn you if you don't believe the same as me. It's in style. You want to look cute. Your boyfriend/husband thinks you look hot. You probably do look hot. I even think it's super cute on some people.
I just had to get that off my chest. Whew!
Your thoughts?
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