Is This Modest is running the last giveaway of a modest skirt for this year. This is a quick giveaway.  You have until the New Year, Jan 1 at midnight, to get in on this all you have to do is to use the RaffleCopter giveaway form below—leave a comment, Tweet, Follow, etc.

But be quick about it, because you don’t have much time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One of the most interesting passages of Scripture on the topic of modesty is the one that we find ourselves faced with this morning—the topic of braided hair in 1 Peter 3:

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

1 Peter 3:1-4 ESV

What could God possibly have against braided hair?

Find out more at Is This Modest…

Why do we expect men and women to be the same?  They aren’t.  I know, that statement may surprise some of you, but hear me out.

Ever since the mid 1900’s, what we’ve expected of women has changed.  She was no longer allowed to think that her life was complete by simply being a woman and raising a family.  Now she had to do all that and have a job outside the home.

What society managed to do was to make being a woman something that was less important.  She was told that she was to be—for all practical purposes—a man, but that’s not the case:

Men and women were meant to compliment each other.  They are not the same, and no matter how much the culture would like to equate them, they will never be the same.

Physically, her brain is wired differently.  As you learn on any ladies anti-perspirant commercial, it may be “strong enough for a man”, but “it’s ph balanced for a woman.”

They have different needs, different values and though there may be some statistical anomalies, there are very strong patterns in each sex. [The Power of Femininity]

The truth is, because of this redefinition, society has been hurt.

• Women in the workforce fill positions that currently unemployed laborers could be filling, thus contributing to unemployment.
• Families have come to depend on two incomes, allowing themselves more debt and expecting more things, which has made us less grateful and more materialistic.
• Men and women have trouble relating, and now that both have external commitments, there is greater chance of growing emotionally apart.
• Many children are raised by grandparents or family at best and complete strangers at worst.

Being feminine or being a traditional woman is not a bad thing.  It’s something that we should encourage—right along with encouraging husbands and fathers to spend more time with their families, passing on to them what is truly important.

Running a website on modesty, I have heard all sorts of reasons of why a woman should wear modest clothing.  Most of the reasons center around what different clothing does to guys that look at it, and a desire not to cause men to lust after a woman.

The problem with this logic is that this takes away the personal responsibility of the man to avoid looking at things that cause them to be tempted—and to resist temptation when it comes upon them.

Islamic and Jewish Clothing Choices

In Eastern countries, much more clothing is worn by women than it is today.  The benefit is that a woman can be fairly certain that the only body that their husband sees in their own—there’s less competition.

The problem is that where there is more clothing, there is also a higher degree of temptation for something that would be innocuous in countries with lower clothing standards.

That is why hearing stories where men in Arab countries have raped women there simply because they were filled with lust because she showed some skin (an ankle/calf or an arm) are all too often—and tragic.  However, it’s the same thing that is happening in our country where women are wearing less and showing more, and men become desensitized to certain amounts of skin.

Cheerios

For example, I was out looking for healthy cereal choices, and I found Multi-Grain Cheerios.  Sounds healthy, right?  (You’re supposed to commend me here, just so you know.)  And what’s on the back?  Two healthy women—you can tell as much because they’re both looking like they have a healthy weight, and the one on the right is showing the top part of her chest—and some cleavage there.

We as a society have accepted seeing the tops of women’s breasts even though seeing that could have an effect on the male mind.

So, Does Slinky Clothing Provoke Rape?

Some people would have you believe that it does.  What it does is promote exactly what it’s supposed to…

Let me put it this way.  Would you buy clothing labeled “sexy” that was a tent?  What do you think that clothing that looks “sexy” is supposed to look like?

If you said “form fitting”, “showing skin”, “low necklines”, or “short skirts—you’re on the right track.  The label is telling you what to expect—of the clothing and of the reactions.

So, if you’re wearing clothing designed to get a reaction from men, and some men are not as good at holding back as others, are you increasing the odds of getting a poor reaction?  Certainly.

Is it all the girl’s fault?  Nope.  It’s both.

It’s the man’s fault for not controlling himself, but it’s also the woman’s fault for wearing clothing that has been labeled with a specific purpose—to excite the sexual appetite in men.

Like the woman pictured above, women should strive for “beauty” over “sexy”.

We’re having our June New Creation Apparel Skirt giveaway over at Is This Modest—and today’s the last day to write a comment, Tweet on Twitter, and or write a post and get in on this great Giveaway.

New Creation Apparel is a big sponsor of Is This Modest, and they have great quality material.

The giveaway is not just for U.S. based readers—it’s also for those from out of country.

So, what are you waiting for, click on the skirt on the right to read all the contest rules, and then get in for a chance to win!

One of the hardest times for a woman to be modest is when she’s pregnant.  Her shape is changing, and by about four months is obvious to just about everyone that there’s a little one that will soon be making his or her appearance.

To compound the problem if you’re pregnant in summer you have the heat and the weight to deal with!

Our culture has started to look kindly on motherhood, and even embrace it.  They have decided that women can still look beautiful when they have a “baby on board” and some designers even go so far as to fashion maternity clothes that feature the belly.

Pregnancy is a wonderful time in a woman’s life, and she shouldn’t be stigmatized  for being pregnant—she should be praised.  But I think that it’s often the case that in the attempt to highlight this precious time some designers go overboard—with items that display the belly, or focus on other areas of the woman’s body that are changing as well.

That’s why it is important that no matter where you shop you take some time to look around.

Kiki’s Fashions is a good example.  If you follow the link above and look at their home page, they feature both the photo above and a photo of an outfit that shows off a pregnant woman’s belly.  I don’t know of many women that would want to go around with their pregnant belly hanging out.  Though I know that it’s rare for a male to be sexually attracted to a female with child, this is still over the top to me.

However, there are many cute and trendy maternity styles in this site.  Some of the tops that they have are quite cute, but they may be paired with bottoms that would not work.

So, besides checking for price—which this store has decent prices (and an extra 20% using the coupon code “blogfriends”), you’ll want to consider how the items will look on you and pair things together that will be both fashionable and modest!

Due to the overwhelming response to our recent post on New Creation Apparel, they have been so gracious to give away a skirt to one of our readers!  Again, let me just put in a little plug for them, since I have been so amazed and thrilled with their customer service and the quality of their skirts.   This is not a company that is just out there to make money! They have an amazing selection of skirts, and the prices are very reasonable. I have been in contact with one of the owners, Sigrid, and I think she would be more than happy to answer any questions about fit or sizing if you are unsure about what size or style you should order. She is a very sweet lady, and has always written me back right away.

Read on and enter here…

Why?  Because today’s maternity clothes tend to draw attention to something that needs no attention drawn to it—your ever expanding belly.

While I’m not one to say that a lady should be ashamed of the baby growing inside her, at the same time pregnancy brings new challenge to being modest.  Specifically in the areas of tightness and coverage.

In order to make sure that you’re modest in your next pregnancy, take some time to shop around.  There are many shops that have modest clothing, or clothing that’s stylish and that are not that expensive.

Make sure you’re happy with the way you look even when that next one is on the way!

In a recent interview with Mrs. Wilt at The Sparrow’s Nest, Christa herself talked about why she started her company:

In reality, Christa-Taylor.com grew out of frustration. After searching endlessly for a swimsuit that just didn’t exist, we designed our own. Under the direction and guidance of my Dad and brothers we started to experiment with different ideas, and eventually the possibility of opening our own Christa Taylor line. With much counsel and much perseverance we launched Christa-Taylor.com on January 15th, 2007, with just 1 swimsuit and 2 skirts. Since then, we have continued to refine and perfect our service and selection. It’s still very much a work in progress, but what an adventure!

What I find comforting as a father about this movement is that women are reclaiming the right to be known for what’s on the inside, instead of just what’s on the outside.  And that they’re coming up with good, practical definitions for what is modest:

We are continuing to develop and perfect our guidelines in our apparel choices and designs. Honestly, this is a very difficult question to answer, as many pieces are case specific. However, we do follow general guidelines such as, no skirt shorter than 23”, no deep Vs, no open backs, key holes, no cheap fabrics, no halter tops, etc.

I believe that they are on the right track.  What do you think?