
“Forget the rules. If it makes you happy, wear it!”
Those are the words plastered on the wall of a well-known and hip shopping center in downtown Chicago.
As soon as I read that quote I immediately thought of the girls (and women) in that massive city I was exploring.
As I walked around the streets of downtown Chicago, I felt like I was in the melting pot of females who had made that quote the mantra of their wardrobe selections.
Here’s what I saw over the past ten days on my trip:
- Shorts are no longer intended to cover up the body, but to show off as much of the leg and rear as possible. It doesn’t matter your age or body type, just wear the shortest, tightest shorts you can find and you will be a fashion diva.
- Midriff is all the rage. Girls who can rock the tiny crop top *confidently* are right on point. The tinier the shirt, the better.
- Transparent shirts are the best way to show off your under garments. In fact, undergarments are no longer considered a private accessory. Don’t worry about wearing a camisole under your transparent shirt, just wear a hot pink bra and you will be set.
- Undergarments are now optional. If you feel like wearing a tight shirt without anything under it, go for it. In fact, shorts are so tiny these days that you don’t even need to bother with underwear. Forget the rules ladies. If it feels good, do it.
- Wear as little as possible when hanging out in downtown Chicago. If you choose to wear an outfit that decently covers up your body, you may be the only girl in the entire downtown area dressed that way. Modesty and decency are sooo last year.
Sadly, I’m not exaggerating at all when I say this:
I struggled to find more than one or two females in downtown Chicago dressed in a half decent or modest way.
For the most part, every single girl was dressed in clothing too small, too tight, too transparent, and too non-existent to be considered decent clothing.
After seeing the major lack of decency among young girls (and grown women) I couldn’t help but write a post on it.
Ladies, we need to re-introduce the words modesty and respect back into our vocabulary.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Christian or a non-Christian, we as females, need to stop and think about the direction we are heading. We need to think about the messages we are proclaiming about ourselves through the clothes we wear *or don’t wear*.
How much more can we really take off?
What good are we doing ourselves, or the people around us, by dressing in such a degrading way?
I realize that the media, fashion industry and celebrities totally promote this way of dress. I’ve seen it. I get it. They undress and say this is the new “in” and we all blindly follow along without stopping to question where we are going.
Let’s stop and think.
Just because the media promotes something doesn’t make it right. Just because it’s popular and trending doesn’t make it appropriate. Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t make it the best option.
We don’t have to undress and show off our bodies to be cool and hip.
We as girls can be totally fashionable and trendy without showing off our every curve. We don’t have to wear the tiny booty shorts to be in style. We don’t have to show of our entire stomachs to be beautiful.
It seems like we, as women, are losing our sense of dignity and it is saddening.
I want to take some time to remind you of three basic facts about your femininity:
1. You are a Lady.
You aren’t an object. You aren’t an animal. You are a beautiful creation crafted from God’s hand. You were formed to be feminine and breathtakingly beautiful.
2. You are Valuable.
You were created with value. You were created in the image of the King of the universe. You have a Maker in Heaven who cares about you more than any guy ever could. You don’t have to prove your worth to anyone. No one can add a single bit of value to your life. God already says you are completely valuable in His sight.
3. Your Body is Precious.
You have the body of a female. Beautiful, soft and full of lovely curves. Your body is different from the male’s body on purpose. You are unique. You are designed to be a woman. You are precious because God is your designer. You (if you are a Christian) are a daughter of the King. You are precious because you are His child.
Let’s raise the bar and set a higher standard.
Girls, we don’t have to give into the pressures of our culture. We can raise the bar. We can set higher standards. We don’t have to tramp around in clothing smaller than our underwear.
We can dress in a way that reflects virtue, honor, and respect for ourselves and for those around us.
Remember, just because the culture shoves a certain “fashion trend” down our throats doesn’t mean we have to accept it.
Just because everyone’s doing it doesn’t make it right.
If you are interested in honoring God in the way you dress I would highly encourage you to dig deeper into this topic.
We (Girl Defined) have written several blogs on this topic and I would encourage you to read them, pray over them, and raise the modesty bar in your own life.
The Naked Truth About Why We Wear Clothes
When Looking Hot Gets You More Attention
Guy Thoughts: Come on Girl, Keep it Modest
Who will join me in raising the bar and setting a modest fashion trend?
I want to challenge you to join me (and Kristen) in setting a new fashion trend. If you are one of the few who wants to go against the grain of pop culture and dress in a way that reflects decency, modesty and respect, leave a comment below.
I would love to hear why you’ve chosen to dress decently and respectfully. Share your thoughts below and we can talk about this some more.