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One topic I see coming up a lot is the question regarding how women should dress. Why type of clothing should a woman wear? Can a woman wear skirts, shorts, t-shirts, etc.? Is it a sin to wear skimpy clothing, short shorts, low cut shirts, or bikinis (swin suits)? These are all great questions.
What Does the Bible Say About Clothing and How Women and Men Should Dress?
In the Bible, God clearly indicates his desire for us to hide our nakedness from others. He helped Adam and Eve hide their nakedness after they sinned against Him. He commanded Moses to give commandments concerning see other people naked (except for a husband and wife of course).
The New Testament also has a few things to say concerning dressing and wearing of jewelry, etc:
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel…” 1 Pet 3:3
So God clearly wants us to hide our nakedness, and keep that for our spouses eyes only. A good rule of thumb is to ask these simple quesions: Would my outfit offend people? Would it attract more looks from the opposite sex? Would this outfit glorify God? Would I wear this to church?
How Should A Woman Dress? Is It a Sin to Wear Shorts, Skirts, Etc.?
First, of course women should be able to make choices of what they want to wear. God gives us that choice. The Bible does give us scriptures to indicate God’s desire for us to be conservative (no fancy jewely, etc.). This doesn’t mean it is a sin to wear jewelry, it just simply means that we shouldn’t constantly be so focused with our outwards appearance and appear flashy.
I don’t see any problem with women wearing jeans, shorts, t-shirts, etc. My wife wears shorts during extremely hot weather. She also wears a bathing suit if we go swimming (although it is usually a one-piece to be on the conservative side).
Also, let me make the point that in the privacy of the home, a woman can wear any skimpy lingerie/shorts, etc. that she wants if she is only around her husband (I certainly don’t have any complaints if my wife does this lol). God gave sex as a gift to a husband and wife, and within the proper context of marriage there is no problem with dressing that way.
But the question is where should a woman draw the line when she is going to be around others in a public setting? How short should shirts, shorts, or skirts be? That is the real question, and my answer is they should not reveal or attract unnecessary attention.
Shorts that cover most the thigh would be fine in my opinion. However, shorts that are so short that they almost show the woman’s rear end should be strongly avoided. The same with skirts/dresses.
Shirts should cover a woman’s breasts completely. Clothing should fit well (It shouldn’t be baggy, and at the same time shouldn’t be so tight that it looks like the woman will spill out any minute.
For those that think it is all a guy’s responsibility not to look, then I say that isn’t exactly accurate. It is human nature to look at a person’s full appearance, and our eyes automatically follow anything they see.
If you look at Donald Trump, don’t your eyes drift to his hair? If someone has a HUGE mole on their face, don’t we tend to l ook? If we see a person missing an arm, don’t we tend to look at it (even though we know we shouldn’t). And if a woman sees a guy with his shirt off, she will probably look (even unconsciously). And if a guy is around a girl with her breasts about to pop out of her shirt, he may accidentally see those too, even if he isn’t trying to.
So by wearing provacative clothing, the woman does in a small way increase the temptation and chances for an accidental look.
It is true that if a man begins looking and then staring and then lusting, he is committing a sin. But a woman shouldn’t make it so easy for a man to see her full body parts. Men don’t have such a great imagination, so if they are covered up they tend not to look so much.
Some people may argue with me on these points. They may say something like, “That isn’t right, if a woman wants to wear a low cut shirt she can. Or short skirts, she can.” They are right, we all have that choice. But out of the respect of each other, both the husband and wife owe due care to hide themselves for each other.
Also, let me make one last point. If there are 2 women that are equally attractive, yet one is wearing a large jacket with baggy sweat pants. The other is wearing a very short skirt and very low cut shirt that is skin tight and very revealing.
They both walk around a large city all day. Which one do you think will get the most whistles, and “hey baby” shouts? The one wearing the least, of course.
The point I am trying to make is that IF a woman is married, she should dress somewhat conservatively as to not attract unnecessary attention. There is nothing wrong with looking nice and wearing nice clothing. But in my opinion it should cover up the serious parts. The husband should do the same. If a woman is not married, that is a little different, but I still hold that she should dress relatively modestly.
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Posted under bible questions, general questions
This post was written by Revelation on December 5, 2008
