**the basic idea behind the ‘frumpy’ and ‘unlovely’ dressing is the age old: ‘don’t cause someone else to stumble’ gambit.
Here is a link to a 100 percent cotton (pre-shrunk) tailored slip for $20. I bought mine somewhere else that I cannot remember, but I found a few current sources by doing a google search.
Someone will always stumble.
And there are some who, no matter how rigid the dress standards, will want to take it even further. I’ve met trad Catholics who even start to insist that makeup shouldn’t be worn, women’s hair should only be long, jewelry avoided, etc.
i’ve never been part of the ‘swimsuit’ conversation…thankfully.Someone will always stumble.
As I said, I think there is a strong puritanical streak in the U.S. We’re very much a country of black-or-white, often with no middle ground. When we start having arguments that if someone wouldn’t wear their swimming suit to mass then they shouldn’t wear it to the beach (and if you’ve never seen those, then you’ve missed some of the screwier aspects of “traditional Catholicism”), then I think there’s a serious imbalance somewhere.
And to tie this conversation back to jumpers … If I ever see someone wearing an unattractive jumper you can rest assured that I would never tell them it looks ugly or frumpy, but I wouldn’t ask to borrow their clothes, either.
Try googling “Friends Patterns”. I am not enough of a seamstress to try it myself, but they do have a patternn for a simple design slip which is intended to be made of cotton.
I must admit I’ve never had the “pleasure” of being part of the swimsuit conversation either. My guess is if you wouldn’t wear a swim suit in front of our Lord at Mass you shouldn’t wear one to the beach. Of course I dress up for Mass because that is His house. If I were to run in to Him on the beach and I was in a swim suit, what I was wearing would be the last thing I would be thinking about.i’ve never been part of the ‘swimsuit’ conversation…thankfully.
it sounds rather inane.
i am CURIOUS about the idea behind it though. fill me in if you get the chance.
admittedly, “I” LIKE black and white…for ME it makes things easier.
and thanks for not being so tactless as to tell someone face to face they look frumpy.
it rarely does anything but cause hurt feelings.
Here is another link for a cotton slip from the vermontcountrystore.comThe Mary dress/jumper is very interesting. I have tried my hand at making somethings. I just may have to give this a try. One thing that drives me nuts is why do they not make cotton slips anymore? Cotton is soooooo much cooler in the summer than that satin type material they use for slips today. I have looked for a slip pattern to try and make my own cotton slips. Unfortunately they don’t make them. You can find them for little girls but not women.I ended up using a sundress pattern which worked well. That Mary dress looks fairly easy to make.
I have found that long dresses are far cooler in the summer than any pair of pants/shorts you can wear. Long dresses are loose therefore allowing air to circulate around your body. They also cover you so they keep the sun off therefore keeping you cooler. However, I do still wear my jeans. Nothing wrong with them either.
**quite frankly, i imagine the Good Lord wouldn’t be dressed up at the beach either.
**This might get me in trouble but I think part of it is the victory/puritanical influence that is still very prevalent in the “bible belt”. Modesty isn’t a static thing and any official church teaching you find on it will say that. When women had to go to work in factories during WWII dress were not safe to wear around machinery. It changes over time with cultures. Just look at African Catholic communities.
**i agree that ideas on modesty change.
You’re absolutely right, they don’t. I live in Germany right now in a historically Catholic region, and prior to that I lived in Italy. I’ve attended TLM’s in Italy, France and Germany. No one’s worrying about how many fingers below the neck their blouse is, or how many inches below the knee their skirt falls. And no one worries about a woman in pants. All this obsession on “Marylike Modesty” seems to be a purely American thing.
Agreed
I respect you opinionmy OWN thoughts on the matter are thus:
a dress should fully cover the knees (and extend a couple inches below them) while sitting.
a blouse should show no cleavage.
i prefer my elbows to be covered (even while reaching into a cabinet).
i prefer not to wear open toed shoes.
hose should be opaque.
if wearing pants, my shirt should cover my bum.
again…this is just MY opinion on modest clothing.
I have been quite sick at some of the stuff I have heard come out of many Trads mouths. There is nothing wrong with a healthy sexuality in Marriage. God did create it. It isn’t stuff I have heard from the Pope but many folks think they know more than him anyways. I have been married for almost 5 years and that has always been a real blessing. That isn’t sick it is something God gave to us in his plan.I think much of this is left over from the Jansinist(Sp?) heresy that Pope Saint Pius X tried to stamp out. It is Calvinism in Catholic form.
**Agreed
I respect you opinion
I do think there are some hard limits but over all I view things more more dynamically. What I wear to clean house is not necessary what I’ll walk out the front door in. Just like what I wear to run errands would not be what I go to Mass in. If I’m going to a Monastery I’m even more aware of how I dress. All of that is more out of respect for my neighbor than fear of being immodest.
I’ve also kinda thought dressing like Mary thing was funny. While she and Joseph were married she would have never worn anything remote suggestive ever. I’ve known people that believe its wrong to wear nice things for the “bedroom” because of that.
at home, with just me and the babies, i wear whatever.I’ve been wondering the same thing.
**i don’t think anyone said open toed shoes were immodest except ME and that’s just ME…it isn’t a religious thing and i’m certainly not a trad.