Author Topic: Modesty and how to dress (Read 33127 times)

Raoul76 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 04, 2010, 10:58:13 PM »

I read somewhere that it was a mortal sin to tempt men, but venial to dress out of vanity, to show off wealth, and so on.

I just figured that if the mortal sin is to dress to INFLAME MEN, then it would be venial to dress to make other women jealous or to show off -- such was my deduction. Of course I realize that just dressing to look nice at Church is not a venial sin, there has to be an element of ostentation to it.

If I'm wrong, please correct me. Moral theology isn't my field so much as plots and cօռspιʀαcιҽs. If they somehow impinge on moral theology, then I get interested...

Matthew · « **Reply #6 on:** July 04, 2010, 11:54:28 PM »

God's judgments are not man's.

In one of those "pious young girl" TAN books I read -- a girl who could physically see her guardian angel -- the girl got a very angry scowl from her guardian angel just for looking around at Church. Not for looking at a man, etc. we're talking about "mere" curiosity and lack of mortification of the eyes.

Apply this to dress, and I could see vanity as being an actual venial sin.

Keep in mind how few people are sinless enough to go straight to heaven.

If we want to know what it takes to be perfect, read the lives of the saints. We'd have to be as "extreme" as them to be pure enough to enter heaven directly after death.

Were any of the saints obsessed with not being "frumpy"? Seems to me the female saints embraced "frumpiness" with both hands, so as to have the least chance of offending God. Just as most saints didn't go after choice foods, but rather went the "old potatoes" or "mix in some bitter herbs" route.

It's a question of mortification and orienting one's soul toward a main goal (being with God forever). Every choice you make either helps you or hurts you.

Matthew

MyrnaM · « **Reply #7 on:** July 05, 2010, 07:55:43 AM »

My thinking or idea on this was to get the girls thinking about modest fashions. It seems even Catholic girls desire what they see in magazines, T.V. "so called models", why not instruct them to me models for Christ.

I was hoping with my idea; not do something like this so they might have an opportunity to primp, but to educated them and get them to think, as a Catholic girl I could and perhaps should stand out, be an example, not just follow the crowd.

There are fashions that when put together a young girl could learn to dress according to the culture but modest, and still look very up to date.

That was my intention in suggesting this.

Dawn · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2010, 08:23:03 AM »

I remember reading a book about Pauline Jaricot and her obession with being very well dressed at Mass and how she overcame it. And, in that book she was reprimanded by a parent for looking around at other girls dress.
But, I think what Myrna is trying to say is that girls today have plenty of places to see how to dress like trash. And want the tea to be a celebration of girls and their mothers dressing like ladies. And, I think she means for it to be a place where they can see others dressing like ladies and get moral support for it. If I am off Myrna I am sorry.
But, in this world today, raising two teenage girls I can see where her idea would give encourgement to these girls.

MyrnaM · « **Reply #9 on:** July 05, 2010, 10:44:23 AM »

To quote Dawn

Quote

girls today have plenty of places to see how to dress like trash. And want the tea to be a celebration of girls and their mothers dressing like ladies. And, I think she means for it to be a place where they can see others dressing like ladies and get moral support for it.

Exactly!

I wonder now, looking at what Raoul posted;
Is wanting to look your best a venial sin, I wonder? I doubt the saints wore make up and such, but is that vain, to put on a little make up? I never really thought much about that!

When you read about the apparitations of Our Lady, I read once where she had roses on her feet and a ring on all her fingers. Could that have been a false apparition, perhaps.

Makes me wonder after the resurrection of the body, what will women be dressed like, will we still be women and men or just one sex? Or no sex in particular.