If you have ever had to ask yourself
or your friend that question, it probably is too short.
Summer is here and with it comes
the heat, cold ice cream and a lot of time by at least some form of water; the
beach, water parks, the pool, a lake or maybe just your bathtub. And with the
beauty of summer also comes dresses, sandals, shorts, skirts and
swimsuits.
Simply stated, dresses are a cure
to the "I hit the snooze button too many times" kind of morning or for the "I
don't know what to wear to this thing" event. Dresses are just simple and I love
them. The fashion industry has done a great job providing women with a great
variety of style of dresses; maxi dresses, midi dresses, peplum dresses, stripes,
prints, floral, polka dots, etc. There are so many to choose from, but on a
recent shopping trip I became frustrated when I realized most of our summer
dresses are extremely short, which leaves a Christian girl like me wondering “Can I wear this?”
Since it's summer, I don't always want to have to wear
leggings under a cute dress because it's too short. Or I don't always want to
wear flats with a short dress to balance the length to legs ratio. I wondered
why can't they (whoever they are) just make dresses that are cute
but not so short that they resemble shirts.
I did find some cute dresses but again, I would have
to modify them in order to wear them comfortably without worrying about the
length.
Here are few tips I found for
dressing modestly:
1) Include the Lord Jesus in your
wardrobe
- I am in constant conversation with the Lord, whether
it is at work, in the car or at the store I am constantly including Him in what
I am doing. So when I go shopping before I even purchase that
too-close-for-comfort-short-skirt or that cute-but-revealing-shirt or even that
in-fashion-but-uncomfortably-tight dress I just stop, take a moment and include
the Lord in that moment. It is as simple as asking your friend, "Hey, what do
you think of this shirt?" If you ask the Lord, trust me, He will answer you
because you chose to include Him in your daily life.
You will not only save your time (Having to return
the item at the mall) but you will also save your money (You never actually wear
this item and it sits in your closet). It’s better to not have temptation as an
option in our closet.
2)
Include the Lord as you're choosing your outfit for the day
- Many of us have items in our closets, based on our
body types. Depending where we are going, we might have to modify a few pieces
to complete "the look". Sometimes it's throwing a jacket over a shirt, or a tank
top under a dress, or a shirt or leggings under a too short dress, or skipping the
leggings because you are going to the beach. Every day and every moment requires
an outfit. If you include Him in your outfit choices, not only will the Lord
come up with some creative combination of pieces, but He will also gently remind
you to fix certain things before you step out the door.
3) Pray
about it!
- Everything we do stems from the heart. And
everything we do as Christians should be to glorify God the Father. Yes, even
down to how we represent Him in our clothing. Can you imagine a United States
Ambassador showing up to an international gala dressed in scrumpy clothes?
There would be criticism and speculation on our country, because he or she is
our representative.
So pray about it. If you see yourself always heading
towards the skin tight barely there clothing, honestly sit down and ask the Lord
why is it that you want to wear that kind of clothing. Remember: what we put on
our body tells a lot about how we want the world to see us and to treat
us.
4) Ask a
trustworthy Godly friend for an outfit check
- If that person lives with you, it will make it
easier. If you are married, ask your spouse. If you are maybe meeting your
friend, it's never too late, ask her how you look and if it looks good, then
great! If you missed something that you simply didn’t see, then next time you
know for that outfit. I know many people might be rolling their eyes thinking,
"I'm not doing that. I am an adult! I include my friends in my style when I want to. But this is my body and I can dress however I want to." Well, if you are a Christian and you
believe on the Word of God and the Word is your guide, the Bible says that we
are not our own. Our bodies are not even our own, we were brought with a high
price, which is the Blood of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Basics you should always keep in
your closet:
1) Tank tops (Different colored ones are good) but
white, black and tan are basics.
2) Under Shorts (Again for short
dresses).
3) Stockings (It's not your Mom's stockings anymore,
so many varieties now so play around with them).
*Sometimes high heels, bare legs and short skirts or
dresses are not the best outfit combinations. You can always throw on a
skin-colored stocking to make the look more elegant*
4) Leggings (Not a big fan of these for Summer but for
Fall and Winter works great under things)
That is it! I just thought I would share my little
experiences with you all. Hope this helps!