Can you dress differently, while being modest?

[deb1]

It doesn’t sound like you’re deliberately dressing immodestly.

What should we think of these scripture verses though?

1 Tim. 2:9-10 – women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion.

1 Peter 3:2-4 – Peter commands women to reverent and chaste behavior, which includes modest dress. Peter warns against the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of robes, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

How modest should women be then?

1 Cor. 11:14-15 – “Does not nature itself teach you that for a man to wear long hair is degrading to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her pride?

Does this mean I have to get a hair cut?

Read the verses past this one. Paul says something along the lines of that is the tradition here but if there is a different tradition it is all right.(I am badly paraphrasing this)

Paul was very concerned about the image that Christians presented to the outside world. So, if wearing a headcovering reflected positively on Christian women, he encouraged that. The same is true of short hair. The Romans had short hair and Paul obviously wanted Christians to be seen as positive.

 

[ryanoneil]

Thank you for the replies. I had the feeling that those verses were not meant to be taken literally.

Ryan

 

[PatienceAndLove]

When I mean dress diffrently, I mean take things form many different subcultures (goth fashion, punk fashion, emo fahion, urban fashion, etc. modestly - as in no mini-skirts, low cut tops, etc.), and mixing them together (without showing skin). I like to get creative and mix them together, it’s like my “artistic output”.

Wouldn’t that be drawing attention to yourself?

What if you did it for yourself, not because you want attention? Dressing creatively does get attention, because it’s different. But suppose, you do it because it’s expressing yourself? And it happens to cause attention. Is that still being modest? Does that mean I can’t dress like that anymore, and I have to blend in?

I’m seriously confused.

I would say that as long as you are not drawing attention to yourself during Mass, you are fine.
I started veiling because of (what used to be) my extreme hair color. People often times find purple with blue streaks a little distracting So I veiled to help others focus on Christ.
If you are noticing that people, at Mass, are looking at you, commenting, etc… you might want to rethink your clothing when attending Mass. Other than that- have fun!