Women's "Jumpers": Yea or Nay

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It’s been a long time since this issue was discussed here, but the pictures of the FLDS women being led out of the compound reminded me of it.

I know that many traditional-minded Catholic ladies wear Jumpers for modesty, and I highly esteem them for their modesty. However, I can’t help but see Jumpers as frumpy things that Protestant women wore on the 19th century prarie or what the FLDS, Amish, and other isolationist sects wear today.

My questions are, does modesty (I’m not talking about cost or any other factor) neccessitate the wearing of Jumpers? Does being modest mean dressing in unstylish Jumpers? (There are no such things as stylish Jumpers, IMHO. I know – it’s just my opinion but take it for what it’s worth.)

Please keep in mind that this is meant to be a somewhat light-hearted thread, so please don’t take anything personally if you wear Jumpers. Any Catholic woman who dresses modestly is a true lady worthy of high respect and emulation! 👍
 
Actually, the now-stock photo on cnn.com of the mother and daughter, faces blurred, in their pink and purple dresses had me vaguely envious for a while. Those looked like some nice dresses! And hand sewn! Dang!

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not a jumper fan, and one of the biggest blocks to a more modest bent to my wardrobe is the frumpy factor, but if someone sewed me one of those fancy dresses, I just might consider it. 😛
 
Though not very stylish, they do have that nice feature of hiding those problem areas many women would not like to reveal…and they’re really handy when one hasn’t shaven her legs in a while…😃
 
Jumpers are but one option for the modest woman. They are not necessary if one doesn’t like them. I have one denim jumper which I just love – I can throw it on over any old shirt or turtleneck, and voila, I’m dressed. It’s almost as comfortable as an old nightgown. Chic it isn’t, however. :o
 
When I first arrived in the USA I was stunned by girls in Catholic elementary schools wearing jumpes. In my country jumpers are not a common fashion, not even in school uniforms. Our little girls in Catholic schools wear skirts or slacks with a polo shirt that has the school’s logo or name.

I recall asking a Sister “What did those poor girls do to deserve those things?” She laughed. I looked a the sister, an IHM, who was wearing a navy blue dress with a short black veil and thought she looked better than the poor kid in the plaid jumper. 😛
 
Modesty is not defined by the number of hideous layers of fabric that a woman drapes ill-fittingly upon her frame. American women are already the most poorly dressed in the world with the typical “uniform” of sweats, hoodies and sneakers. Let’s not ugly up the country even more with Jumpers.
 
Modest does not have to equal shapeless. If God gave you a good figure, you do not have to hide it under a sack.

Personally, I like horrible in jumpers, and I’ve never seen the point in buying clothes I don’t like. (Why spend money on something you don’t like?)

PatienceandLove…that isn’t a jumper in the usual sense because its fitted. It looks very nice. 🙂 Darts are good things.
 
skatepixie said:
Modest does not have to equal shapeless. If God gave you a good figure, you do not have to hide it under a sack.
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And if you don’t have a good figure, a jumper isn’t going to make it look any better. 😃 I’m not thin enough for jumpers – if I wore one, I would probably look pregnant – NOT a way that many *single *women want to look! 😛
 
Here’s a crazy idea… how about it’s nobody’s business but her husband’s what her figure looks like?! If some woman who has nothing to do with you looks like a frump, what business is it of yours? Her husband sees her in the boudouir and knows what she’s got “going on under there.” Nobody else matters.
 
skatepixie said:
PatienceandLove…that isn’t a jumper in the usual sense because its fitted. It looks very nice. 🙂 Darts are good things.
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I know!
I am a big girl, so some darts actually give something like that a nice shape on me.
And I admit, it is VERY comfy! But why would I go for the giant bag look when I can have a slightly more fitted and more flattering version of the same thing?
 
Yes, the husband may see her int he boudoir, but how is she doing justice to the beauty God gave her when she wraps herself in shapeless garb? And how is she glorifying her husband when she is not looking nice for him? And how in the world is she doing justice to herself if she is not taking a few minutes for herself?
 
HOPEFUL_IN_UK said:
Here’s a crazy idea… how about it’s nobody’s business but her husband’s what her figure looks like?! If some woman who has nothing to do with you looks like a frump, what business is it of yours? Her husband sees her in the boudouir and knows what she’s got “going on under there.” Nobody else matters.
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Because as Catholics we should always strive for beauty - it’s an inherent part of our faith.

Take a meal, as an example. One can either present it nicely with a beautiful table setting, or just plop it on a dish. Same food, but it can serve to nourish the senses as well as the body.

Also, the way people care for/present themselves says a lot about how they are in other areas of their life. If I see a poorly groomed woman with frumpy shapeless clothes and hair that looks as if she’s just woken up, then I would think twice about wanting to trust her with anything of importance - I would be worried that she would take the same “care” of my business as she does of herself.

It has nothing to do with size. I’ve seen very overweight women dressed nicely in clothing that has some shape and flatters them, and I’ve seen thin women in horrible shapeless denim jumpers worn with sneakers and socks.

As far as the pattern posted by PatienceAndLove, I don’t think that type of fitted jumper-style is what most people think of when they think of the horrible “modest dresser” styles. I think something like this is closer to what most have seen (and dislike).

As to the poll, I vote NAY. 😉
 
tcraig said:
As far as the pattern posted by PatienceAndLove, I don’t think that type of fitted jumper-style is what most people think of when they think of the horrible “modest dresser” styles. I think something like this is closer to what most have seen (and dislike).

As to the poll, I vote NAY. 😉
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I know that my version of the jumper is not what people think of.
I was posting it as an alternative to the shapeless things.
 
I love jumpers and wear them all the time! I can wear it to morning Mass and off to work or for a casual day. I certainly am not a slave to fashion! They are comfortable and one can even eat a big meal when wearing one:thumbsup:

They are modest in this immodest world. Yes, they do hide the shape of the body but trying to show off the shape of the body might provide an occasion of temptation for someone else and that is to be avoided.

How would Our Lady dress? Some tight fitting pants??? And also I go to daily Mass and so I dress for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Yes, it is proper to dress for the Banquet of the Lord.

I will continue to wear jumpers and dresses and skirts and vests. I dress feminine.
 
Ave_Maria said:
I love jumpers and wear them all the time! I can wear it to morning Mass and off to work or for a casual day. I certainly am not a slave to fashion! They are comfortable and one can even eat a big meal when wearing one:thumbsup:

They are modest in this immodest world. Yes, they do hide the shape of the body but trying to show off the shape of the body might provide an occasion of temptation for someone else and that is to be avoided.

How would Our Lady dress? Some tight fitting pants??? And also I go to daily Mass and so I dress for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Yes, it is proper to dress for the Banquet of the Lord.

I will continue to wear jumpers and dresses and skirts and vests. I dress feminine.
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While Our Lady has expressed dismay at the fashions of today, I don’t think she is saying that we need to go about making less of ourselves.
Are we not made in the Glory and Image of God? Should we not do our best to do justice to His Image?
 
At the risk of sounding like I’ve jumped off the deep-end, I think that our sex-obsessed culture AND exaggerated modesty, which appear to be diametrically opposed to each other, BOTH show traces of Manichaeism and Catharism. 🤓
 
Is this thread about jumpers or about burqas? It would be easy to get the impression from this thread that a jumper is sort of like a burqa, only it comes in plaid and maybe that it is inherently uglier.

Other than putting two layers at the bodice, rather than just one, I don’t see what is particularly modest about the concept. Jumpers can be cut too short, can be worn with blouses that are cut too low, and so on. Sure, many of these dresses are given a cut, chosen in a size, or made with a sturdy no-nonsense fabric that makes them about as sexy as a pair of Birkenstocks, but like the sandals, these choices are made as much for the sake of comfort and utility as much as anything else.

Incidentally, aren’t prison uniforms called “jump suits”? I often wondered if school uniforms weren’t chosen so that we would be easier to pick out of a crowd, were we to escape. 😛
 
Lepanto said:
At the risk of sounding like I’ve jumped off the deep-end, I think that our sex-obsessed culture AND exaggerated modesty, which appear to be diametrically opposed to each other, BOTH show traces of Manichaeism and Catharism. 🤓
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Bravo! When I see a woman dressed in oversized clothes designed specifically to hide her feminine shape, I assume there is a self-esteen problem. I am ridiculously, obsessively modest. Big fan of the turtle neck and well-fitted jackets. I wore pre Vat II jumpers in Catholic school for 12 years. Revisited the jumper in my 30’s, when I was feeling like the most unattractive woman in the world. Wanted to hide all the “flaws” of the female shape. Not anymore! In fact, wearing a pair of modest heels that slightly pinch when I go to Mass is an opportunity to offer up the pain for the “wedding feast of the Lamb”.
They are comfortable and one can even eat a big meal when wearing one:thumbsup:
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And the problem here is that too many women KEEP eating the big meals until they fill out the jumper! 😉
 
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