Do Catholics have to 'blend in' with our clothes?

[CatholicLeanne]

This isn’t meant to be another thread on modesty and how much we should cover up and everything, however I was just wondering are there any other factors that would make an outfit ‘immodest’ by being too flashy or outlandish? What I mean is, even if you’re wearing something that covers your body sufficiently but stands out and it would draw attention to yourself. Is it wrong to wear something like that? For example I tend to like clothes that aren’t very mainstream and a lot of people would find ugly or weird. Nothing revealing or immodest but mostly old-fashioned stuff (like long floral skirts, button-up blouses and a hat or a vintage headscarf) that you don’t see a lot of people wearing. I don’t want to draw attention to myself but at the same time, I don’t want to dress in a style that I find ugly if I don’t have to. Is wearing clothes that aren’t mainstream or ‘normal’ a sin?

 

[Catholic_Boi3285]

St.Francis de Sales in his book Introduction to the Devout Life he says he would like his spiritual children to wear what is appropriate to the place they are in but with modesty.If you wear modest clothing that you enjoy go for it.Even if you stand out most people will probably compliment you.The reason for his advice on blending in is to prevent vanity.He says you shouldn’t be overly adorned excessively but be temperant in what you wear.I would say you’re fine and dont over think it if you’re not being vain.

 

[Irishmom2]

It is not a sin to wear clothes that are old fashioned, or original, or vintage. They are your personal style. As long as they are modest, you are free to wear what you consider to be stylish and what you are wearing. If you are not wearing things to be vain, there is no problem. However, that is a fine line to draw, for we all care about what we wear and how it looks on us, some going so far as to always wear what other people consider to be the current fashion.

(I myself am a fan of Edwardian clothing, for the lines and for the details that are missing from clothing today. Most of the clothes today are streamlined and devoid of detail, making it difficult to find clothing I like. )

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Unless everybody wears a uniform, by definition, if you have a crowd of people, by default somebody is going to be the “best” dressed or the most “interestingly” dressed, or whatever. Not a sin.

If you were dressing to attract undue attention to yourself (ie “showing off”), like for instance, you’re going to a wedding and trying to outshine the bride, then yes, that could mean a massive insecurity, or attention seeking or in extreme cases it can be a sign of Borderline Personality Disorder.

On a slightly tangent note, I’ve seen some speculation around the Web about how the quarantine will affect fashion in the future.
It’s been real fun to schlepp around in sweatpants and jammies-all-day, but when the venues open up again, will we be all “never again restricting and formal clothes “ or will we be like “never again sweatpants!”

 

[Margaret_Ann]

mostly old-fashioned stuff (like long floral skirts, button-up blouses and a hat or a vintage headscarf)

I love old-fashioned stuff! I have my late mother’s hats, handkerchiefs, and even some of her clothes. Last fall I got 2 new full length skirts and got compliments from my coworkers!

 

[Irishmom2]

Here is a very interesting video that discusses wearing vintage/historical clothing and the mindset of why it’s done.