As any Catholic girl knows, modesty is one of the toughest battles in this culture to fight. And it’s not just the issue of trying to dress modestly, but there’s another battle as well. There’s the opposite side, which is more like, “How do I dress modestly and do it with taste?”
We all have morals, and we all have standards that we need to meet. The problem becomes when someone else has maybe more sharper ideas on what modesty means then you do.
Modesty, in a large sense, is imperative. You can’t shorthand the modesty rules, especially if you are trying to live out your faith in a way that makes people respect you. No one is going to take you seriously if you are trying to tell them you are a good Catholic girl with morals and values and you want to tell them about Jesus if you are wearing something skanky.
But not only is it a necessary decision for everyone to make, it also needs to be a personal decision. People can sit and tell me that I need to wear long skirts and turtle necks until their faces turn blue, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it. Because that’s not my personal decision. And I don’t knock those who do believe that modesty consists of that dress code.
Modesty is a personal decision, and everyone at some point needs to decide, “Okay, how do I wish to evangelize to the world by the way I dress?”
Before I go farther, I just want to make something clear. This DOES NOT mean you need to resort to maxi skirts and turtle necks as your only options for looking modest. If that is your idea of modesty, than good for you, you made that decision on your own. But what it does mean is to come to an understanding that if I want to dress in a way that people will listen to what I have to say, I need to decide in how my attire will affect that decision.
Here’s an example. I’ve heard the saying before, “Dress like Mary.” Now, the way I interpret that saying is this. What it doesn’t mean is that you need to begin wearing veils and layers and layers of clothing. More than likely, it’s making the point that the Blessed Mother probably dressed the way more teenage girl’s dressed for her time, but in a modest and attractive way.
So the message I’m giving is, yes, dress in the fashion of today, but do it tastefully and in an attractive way. There are ways to manage it. Modesty in Today’s Society is an example of how to dress in a way that still respects your body and helps others to respect you as well.
