modest pants

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cathy2
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Cathy2

Guest
Hello,
we had this topic before, but i’d like to open a whole new thread to one special question:

do you think, a woman wearing pants is dressed modestly ? I myself love pants and wear them every day: They are comfortable, you can move without taking care of rising hems and you never need pantyhose anymore, sheer ankle-highs do it for me!

Find attached a photo of me in one of my favorite pants outfits; does anyone think, wearing pants this way could be immodest?

bilder-hochladen.net/files/thumbs/5snw-i.jpg

My own opinion is, pants in general are even more modest than skirts/dresses, because i don’t show leg in them!

Greetings from Europe !
 
Cathy2 said:
Hello,
we had this topic before, but i’d like to open a whole new thread to one special question:

do you think, a woman wearing pants is dressed modestly ? I myself love pants and wear them every day: They are comfortable, you can move without taking care of rising hems and you never need pantyhose anymore, sheer ankle-highs do it for me!

Find attached a photo of me in one of my favorite pants outfits; does anyone think, wearing pants this way could be immodest?

bilder-hochladen.net/files/thumbs/5snw-i.jpg

My own opinion is, pants in general are even more modest than skirts/dresses, because i don’t show leg in them!

Greetings from Europe !
Click to expand...
Why would anyone think pants are immodest in the first place?
 
“Why would anyone think pants are immodest in the first place?”

Like everything else, they can be modest or immodest. I have seen plenty of immodest ones - they are the ones that leave nothing to the imagination! I mean those that are skin tight, that outline the buttocks and the crotch. There are also pants that are made of material that is too thin and can be seen through. I have seen people wearing white pants and, clearly, black panties… Anything like these examples can lead others to lustful thoughts and are, therefore, immodest.
 
Ugh, I am dealing with this right now. I do not think that pants are any less modest that skirts. Some pants are immodest, some skirts are immodest. Personally, I love wearing ling flowing skirts. But reality is I work in a laboratory, I wear scrubs (usually) and a lab coat, and its dang cold here right now, so I stick to warm pants around the house.

However, my oldest daughter informed me she will not be confirming with her class. The reason, she has been told she must wear a dress or skirt or she cannot participate. She is not happy about wearing any kind of skirt, or for that matter she doesn’t wear shorts, 3/4 sleeves, tight sleeves, tight pants, capri’s… She has some sensory issues and can’t stand the feeling of things rubbing her wrong.

Modesty is dressing in a way so as not to call attention to one’s self, and to keep the body appropriately covered. There are many different ways to do this. You cannot make hard and fast rules. If pants were immodest, then the church would have said so.
 
flyingfish said:
Why would anyone think pants are immodest in the first place?
Click to expand...
The subject matter caught my attention, since I have 4 daughters. But, to answer your question: I’ve seen many, many women in pants that I considered immodest because the pants were tighter than skin-tight.
 
While it may be easy to make some bare minimum rules (e.g., no mini-skirts), sometimes it’s hard to make a judgment about something when it’s being described to you. With some outfits you just have to figure it out once it’s in front of you.

This whole topic of modesty in dress reminds of Justice Stewart’s remark about defining pornography - “I know it when I see it.” 😦
 
*I like your outfit too…perfectly modest and attractive. 🙂 I wear pants suits for work more than skirts…I like skirts very much, and when the weather gets very warm in Florida (it’s been chilly lately) I will wear knee length skirts…and sundresses with little sweaters. My dd is 13, and she wears jeans and tees a lot…she likes the faded ripped jeans…I can’t believe I PAY to have them look this way. I say, take a pair of jeans and rip ‘em up if you like this look…’‘mooommm, they’re not the same.’’ 😛 She does not wear them for church…but they are not immodest…oddly enough. I wouldn’t permit her to dress immodestly. She has never liked skirts, but she wears a dress now and again, if we go out for a nice dinner…she wore one to a wedding last year, but her style is tees, jeans, and a light hoodie. Always modest, I think.

I have noticed a type of jeans worn amongst the girls her age, they are very tight, and suppoedly the look. She doesn’t like them…and I think they are just too too tight, and they sit low on the hip so the girl’s belly shows a bit. My dd doesn’t like the look, but if she did…no bellies showing, she knows my thoughts on that.

But that outfit you are showing us is mah-velous. :)*
 
Cathy2 said:
thank you very much ! it presents my daily rules of modesty: wide top and pants, flat shoes, natural face without makeup !
Click to expand...
Do you feel wearing makeup and high heels is immodest? If so, that’s interesting, I’d be interested to hear your reasons why. I go without makeup a lot, but I like to ‘‘play’’ with some color at times…like some eye shadows and such…I wear it lightly, and modestly. I don’t think heavy makeup is becoming on a woman, and if it’s heavy, it might appear immodest. Do you think light makeup is immodest? :o
 
high-heels and make-up are usually worn to attract the opposite sex; thats why i skipped both items some years agao for modesty reasons; would you/do you allow your dd to wear high-heels and make-up ??
 
I don’t think high heels and makeup are necessarily worn to attract the opposite sex, Cathy2. As far as trousers go, whether or not they’re modest would depend on how snug or clingy they happen to be. The trousers you’re wearing in the photo look quite lovely and very modest, if I may. 🙂
 
These threads get ugly fast.

A prize for the first person who says that Mary did not wear slacks :rolleyes:
 
As far as makeup goes, someone actually asked St. Thomas Aquinas the same thing! His answer was that it’s okay if it’s to look beautiful for your husband, but not okay if it’s out of vanity. As far as attracting the opposite sex goes – I don’t see what’s wrong with that, if you’re just trying to be beautiful for a potential spouse. At least you’re attracting attention to your face and not any other part! And there are other reasons for wearing makeup as well – to smooth the skin’s appearance on television, to cover acne, to be appropriate for an occupation where it’s expected, to look polished for a job interview … Not everyone needs to wear it, but I do from time to time.

As for pants, I think they’re completely modest, if they’re not clingy or see-through or anything else objectionable. I have heard from Catholics various objections, but I think pants for women are widespread enough in our culture that no one really notices them one way or another. You’re certainly not going to be calling attention to yourself just for wearing pants – though you might draw some eyes in a shapeless denim jumper, just because it’s unusual! I prefer skirts myself because they look feminine and my husband likes the way I look in them – but I have no objection to pants on the ground of modesty. I wear them when it’s cold, when I’m going to be doing sports, or whatever.
 
I never wear pants, though it isn’t a matter of modesty but of preference. I just can’t stand them. However, I do not think modesty requires pants. There are modest pants just as there are immodest skirts. The OP’s pants outfit is modest and very pretty.

I also do not wear high heels or make-up, though that is also a preference rather than a modesty issue. I think make-up can be modest if it’s a natural look, but is immodest if it’s bright and flashy. With heels I think it’s a matter of how high they are.
 
Havard said:
While it may be easy to make some bare minimum rules (e.g., no mini-skirts), sometimes it’s hard to make a judgment about something when it’s being described to you. With some outfits you just have to figure it out once it’s in front of you.

This whole topic of modesty in dress reminds of Justice Stewart’s remark about defining pornography - “I know it when I see it.” 😦
Click to expand...
Good post! We have to use our minds when we dress (ask why this or that?) and our eyes while and after we’re dressed. One book described it as keeping the focus on the face of the person rather than the torso area. It’s so sick but i’ve seen more than a few ads and billboards that just show a woman’s torso. Is that the way our secular culture looks at women?? Before abortion comes misused sexuality, before that comes lust which is often fanned by immodest dress and behavior.

The front of the pants suit in ? looks ok - altho a littler longer tunic-type top would look better in my opinion. Might be a little short in back. The colors between the clothing and hair, skin, etc., are pleasing to the eye. The cut of the outfit looks good.

We as Catholic women need to “look” different especially in this day and age. Sadly most of what i see at Mass is, to me, scandalous. Low cut tops, tight tops (i can easily guess the bra size), pants from the back that accentuate the buttocks, pants that show the crack of the buttocks … then the skirts that are slit too far up even tho knee length and are tightly fitted and worn with a top that outlines the bosom. It makes me so sad!!! This am at church i got “treated” to some woman’s hubby who had a very difficult time keeping his mind on the Mass (and he was quite a distraction to me - he was standing in front of me so i couldn’t miss it) - he was staring at a woman 2 pews ahead of him and her two daughters (about 14 and 12) - they were all either wearing no underwear or thongs - this poor guy kept looking and dragging his attention back to the front. He was in his later 50’s to 60’s. Sweet Jesus please help us!!!

Women please! Take a mirror and look at your back ends before you go to Mass with pants on and ask someone else to see if the pants are getting caught in the crack. Or else wear long tunic type top that covers your behind.
Women with skirts please watch how you genflect and bend. If your skirt is above the bottoms of your knees you will need to keep track of this - again use a mirror or a friend to help you.

The idea is to look pleasing and presentable not to be an occasion of sin to others.
I think pants can be modest if done properly …
 
sheilathebard said:
As far as makeup goes, someone actually asked St. Thomas Aquinas the same thing! His answer was that it’s okay if it’s to look beautiful for your husband, but not okay if it’s out of vanity.
As far as attracting the opposite sex goes – I don’t see what’s wrong with that, if you’re just trying to be beautiful for a potential spouse. At least you’re attracting attention to your face and not any other part! And there are other reasons for wearing makeup as well – to smooth the skin’s appearance on television, to cover acne, to be appropriate for an occupation where it’s expected, to look polished for a job interview … Not everyone needs to wear it, but I do from time to time.

As for pants, I think they’re completely modest, if they’re not clingy or see-through or anything else objectionable. I have heard from Catholics various objections, but I think pants for women are widespread enough in our culture that no one really notices them one way or another. You’re certainly not going to be calling attention to yourself just for wearing pants – though you might draw some eyes in a shapeless denim jumper, just because it’s unusual! I prefer skirts myself because they look feminine and my husband likes the way I look in them – but I have no objection to pants on the ground of modesty. I wear them when it’s cold, when I’m going to be doing sports, or whatever.
Click to expand...
Would appreciate knowing where does St. Thomas Aquinas say this?

Why do we as women have to “make” ourselves beautiful?? Did God goof and not make us beautiful enough???

To me, make-up is unnatural because this is not what the woman really looks like - it’s a “cover-up”. Why do we have to look “perfect” without any blemishes or “professional”. Isn’t this buying into the “object” status of the culture of death when we just go along with all this make-up, showing off our figures, being stylish, attractive not frumpy, etc?

Are we making ourselves into objects like women in the swimsuit issue of a notorious sports magazine? i think that womens make-up and dress often accentuate and focus on sexuality in an unhealthy way.
Sometimes when i (as a woman) am conversing with another woman who is made up it is hard to focus on the person underneath it (even tho it looks nice) – it can be quite distracting from the woman’s conversation and personhood. I have noticed there is a difference in how i relate to and experience the conversation of other women with make-up and without – but then i do like to be a little analytical sometimes.

Thank you Sheilathebard for your post as it shows what many women now find good and acceptable, and what is odd – “shapeless denim jumper”. What is that shapeless denim jumper? Something that leaves doubt about the exactness of the torso’s measurements?? It seems that there is so much focus with women and “appearance” as if that’s the only thing that matters. It just seems to me that we have forgotten the old cliche that “handsome is as handsome does”. But in our secular culture it’s all about appearances.

Actually as Catholics we are suppose to evangelize the world not the other way around.
 
Makeup and clothes don’t make you beautiful, but if you’re going to wear clothes anyway, why not put something on in a color that reflects your joyful mood? Why not put a flower in your hair? Is a little bit of soft makeup any different?

They’re all just accessories, like adding flowers to a dining room table. Sometimes it just makes you, or others smile! 🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top