Did you know there is a Christian dress code?
You’re probably wondering what I mean by a Christian dress code. Are we supposed to wear some uniform and all look alike? No, but there is a standard in God’s Word for how Christian women should dress, and if we are serious about being a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, we need to understand what that standard is.
We all have dress codes, whether we realize it or not–a basis upon which we choose what we will and will not wear. For example, there are certain styles and colors that I don’t even look at when I go shopping because I know they won’t look good on me or I just don’t like them. I’m sure you do the same. Our dress codes go through changes as we go through stages of our lives. But I believe it’s fair to say that we all have dress codes. And your dress code falls into one of these two categories. It is a Dress Code by Design or a Dress Code by Default.
Dress Code by Design:
This is a dress code that you have thought through and made some decisions about what you will and will not wear. It is based upon your own values and morals, as well as your understanding of the effect and impression your clothes make.
Dress Code by Default:
This means that you have assimilated a dress code without really thinking of the implications. You’ve let others do the thinking for you and have accepted their conclusions and choices about what looks good and therefore what you want to wear. Where does your dress code come from?
- What your friends are wearing?
- What you see on today’s stars or models?
- What you find prominently displayed in magazines and stores?
- What your mother told you to wear or not to wear?
- What you need to wear to make the right impression?
- What you think you have to wear to attract the boys/men?
- What you believe to be appropriate dress for a Christian woman?
We do have biblical guidelines that we need to understand as we determine what our dress code will be. Here is what we learn from the Bible about clothes and God’s principles concerning them.
God invented clothes. He clothed Adam and Eve after sin entered the Garden of Eden. At first Adam and Eve never had to wear clothes. Nakedness was not shameful and clothing was not necessary. But they immediately recognized the need for covering their bodies after sin entered the picture. It was the first effect of sin–shame and a need to cover up their nakedness.
God’s dress code from the beginning has been to cover our nakedness. And God designed the clothing to cover the whole body, not just the private parts. Clothes were not for revealing the body’s shape or drawing attention to body parts; rather they were intended by God to take attention away from the body.
Here are two other passages that define what the Christian dress code should be:
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. (1 Timothy 2:9-10)
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (1 Peter 3:3-4)
The principles we find here are:
- We should dress modestly, with decency and propriety.
- We should not wear clothes or accessories for the purpose of trying to draw attention to ourselves or to “show off.”
- Inner beauty is far more important than outer beauty and it should be far more highly desired that outward things we do to look good.
Let’s ask the question: What does it mean to dress modestly with decency and propriety? Though styles have changed from generation to generation, modesty never changes. Modesty may take different looks but it will always be modest, no matter what generation we are in or what the current fashion may be.
Modest clothes do not exploit a woman’s body or features. Modest clothes will not display body parts for the purpose of drawing attention to them. Not only does modesty require that certain body parts should be completely covered, but also that the shape of our bodies should not be unnecessarily and immodestly emphasized with tight fitting clothes.
Dressing with propriety means dressing appropriately. It means there is a difference in the way we dress for a sports activity, for a casual event, and for more structured, formal occasions, such as worship. But all occasions call for modesty in our dress, whether we’re on the beach or sitting in church.
Modest dress will not say “sex” or “pride” or “money.” But it certainly can say “good taste,” “attractive,” and “pretty.” A Christian woman should want to do the best she can with what God has given her. There is nothing to be gained spiritually by looking drab or dowdy. Our clothes don’t need to scream “Christian.” But they should quietly say “modest,” “appropriate,” “carefully chosen.”
Modesty is not first an issue of clothing. It is primarily an issue of the heart. If you find yourself rebelling against the idea that there is a standard of dress required of you as a Christian woman, and if you want to wear those low-cut fashions that reveal cleavage or the tight pants or short skirts that reveal shape, then I would suggest you may have a heart problem, which is evidenced by the way you dress. Anytime we rebel against biblical principles, it is because we don’t want to obey God. We want to be our own god, if you please, and live by our own standards.
I realize that is a strong statement, but I believe it is biblically sound, and with all my heart I urge you to think about your own attitudes toward what you put on your body. If you find yourself rebelling against God’s standard of modesty, are you willing to pray about it? That is step one.
What do you think are the motives for the fashion industry when they design clothes for women? It is to sell clothes, to make money. Often they look for something so different, so outlandish, so pushing the envelope, that it will catch the attention of the buyers and movie stars and that will sell their fashions.
Young women are particularly influenced by the idols of the day. And few if any of those idols dress with modesty. In fact, they dress to achieve the sexiest look possible. Modesty is not one of their criteria.
Why do we have to mimic women who dress immodestly? What makes us slaves to what the fashion industry produces? Why can’t we be independent and make choices based on what we like and what is appropriate?
Most of us think of ourselves as very independent and we don’t like the idea that someone tells us what we can and can’t do. Why, then, would we allow the often debased and impure examples of Hollywood and the glamour industry to tell us how we can dress?
I would say a word to mothers and fathers of young girls. Please begin when they are very young to teach them to dress modestly. Fathers can have a strong influence on how their daughters dress by taking an interest, complimenting them on appropriate clothes, and setting clear guidelines and boundaries. Often I look at young girls and think, “How did your mother let you out of the house looking like that?” Maybe it’s a fight you just don’t want to tackle, but you have a responsibility, as a Christian mom, to role model modesty yourself and insist on it for your daughters. It is possible to dress very “cool” without being immodest.
Let’s look at our responsibility as women to our brothers in Christ in the way we dress. Paul wrote to the Romans:
Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.(Romans 14:13)
A Christian man has written:
“People feel afraid to ask Christian women to cover themselves up; we’re scared they’ll think we’re judging them in self-righteousness. We’re scared they won’t like us anymore or that they’ll blame us and say that it’s our problem, not theirs.”
“It’s difficult for men to find a good way to say that they’re offended when women dress immodestly at church. It’s difficult because if he says it, he sounds like a member of Sexaholics Anonymous. There is no standard way in evangelical circles for Christian men politely to ask Christian women to be more modest.”
I know this is true, because many men in my church have discussed this with me. It may be hard for a man to express this concern, but I can do it for them. Women, we have a responsibility to help our brothers in Christ by dressing modestly. And while they are responsible for their thoughts and actions, I believe God will hold us accountable when we knowingly dress immodestly for the purpose of looking sexy.
Do you want a man or a boy to be attracted to you simply because of sexual desire or lust? That’s what prostitutes do. Or do you want to attract a man because he sees something much more valuable in you than just outward beauty? What kind of man do you want to attract? The way you dress sends that message.
