Whatever Happened To Modest Dress?

“Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” [1]

There are certain clothes Christian women should never wear in public. Ever! Whether it be miniskirts, hip-hugger jeans, yoga pants, or skin-tight shirts, they should be avoided. Christian women have a biblical obligation to dress modestly and to reflect holiness. Immodest clothing is not necessary for a woman to be fashionable.

The world’s attitude toward fashion should not be adopted by the churches of our Lord. The world’s attitude could easily be summarised by the concept, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Leave as little to the imagination as possible.” Twice born Christian women, I don't believe, leave home with such an attitude. Godly women seek to live godly, holy lives; and their desire to honour God will be reflected in how they dress and in their deportment.

I am quite certain that many people will conclude that a pastor should not find it necessary to address this issue of women’s dress. Apparently, the Apostle Paul didn’t get that memo; nor did Peter get that message, if the instructions he includes in his first missive are any indication. God seems quite aware of an inclination of the distaff side of life to use feminine wiles to advance themselves in the world. I’m not suggesting there is a need for Christian women to resort to dowdy dress—there is no premium on “ugly” or on “frumpy;” but assuredly there is a bright line between being identified with the world through one’s manner of dress and being recognised as modest and virtuous because one is a follower of the Christ.

Undoubtedly, there are people who will object to the pastor addressing this subject by saying that because he is a man, he can’t possibly understand how important fashion is. Others might argue, “If the dress offends you, don’t look.” Despite any objections that may be raised, immodest dress is a problem in local churches on Sunday mornings. Women may not have a worldly attitude about modesty, but for whatever reason—because of naivete, carelessness, busy lifestyles, or cultural pressures—it is true that some women unknowingly dress immodestly. And immodesty, whether revealed by a man or whether revealed by a woman, dishonours God and reflects poorly on the membership of the congregation to which that individual belongs.

Mary Mohler told how she once visited a church that had a dress code. “I applaud them that they have the boldness to have a dress code,” she said. “It’s for members only. But if a strong conservative church like that has a dress code, what does that tell you? It tells you that there are problems even in that setting where people are coming dressed inappropriately to worship.” [2] It is undoubtedly time to examine what the Bible says about dressing to reflect modesty. Join me in focusing on what the Bible says ab out this vital issue.

DRESSING TO HONOUR GOD — “Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works” [1 TIMOTHY 2:9-10]. The biblical standard for women’s apparel is that it must be respectable, reflecting modesty and self-control. Negatively, women should not depend on that which is ostentatious or outlandish.

The Apostle states that women should “adorn themselves in respectable apparel.” We need to determine what respectable apparel is if women are to ensure that they are dressing in an appropriate fashion. The word Paul uses that is translated “respectable,” is the Greek word kosmios. One scholarly definition says of this word, that it speaks of that which is “pertaining to being proper or suitable in terms of being attractive— ‘proper, suitable.’ [Gunaîkas én katastole kosmío] ‘women in proper clothing.’” [3] The authors cite Paul’s words in our text as the sole biblical example of this application of the word in the New Testament.

The only other time this adjective is used in the New Testament occurs when Paul is providing the qualifications for overseers. You will recall that the Apostle has written of elders or overseers, “An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” [1 TIMOTHY 3:2-3]. The word “respectable” translates this same Greek word, kosmios. In this instance, however, the scholars point out that the word is, “pertaining to being modest in the sense of moderate and well-ordered— ‘modest, well-ordered, moderate, becoming.’ [Deî oûn tòn epískopon … naphálion, sóphrona, kosmios] ‘the church leader must be … sober, self-controlled, moderate.’” [4]