Author Topic: Modesty and how to dress (Read 31681 times)

clare · « **Reply #75 on:** September 17, 2010, 12:56:24 PM »

Quote from: parentsfortruth

Quote from: clare
Quote from: parentsfortruth
How do you explain he's a saint now, if he chastised people for doing something that wasn't even wrong at all?

Saints do that kind of thing.

Really? I would love to hear some examples. :)

St John Vianney (as referred to in another thread) said babies' nappies should be changed very quickly, even in private, so as not to upset their Guardian Angels!

clare · « **Reply #76 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:01:51 PM »

Anyhow, my point is:

A skirt which reaches more than "scarcely a bit" below the knee, ie three, four + inches, is not immodest.

It is therefore wrong to turn away a woman from confession who is not dressed immodestly.

So St Pio was wrong to turn away women whose skirts reached more than "scarcely a bit" but less than eight inches below the knee.

I do not know of any traditional priests who follow his example in this matter.

innocenza · « **Reply #77 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:10:42 PM »

What's the problem with skirts 8" below the knee? Especially if you're wearing skirts that have very little flare, or none. Then you are sure of being adequately covered , whether standing, stretching, sitting, or bending from the waist. And these are eclectic fashion times - you can't say that long skirts are out of style or are never seen in the mainstream environment.

Cheryl · « **Reply #78 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:11:09 PM »

Quote from: Alexandria

Quote
Joan didn't understand your sarcastic wit.

No, but she gave the perfect response and made my point. :wink:

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You aren't by chance a closet N.O.?

Heavens, no! But I suspect there may be some here who are ( :wink:). I haven't worn pants in almost twenty years. :cool:

I haven't worn pants in about ten years, with the exception of wearing them while motorbikin' with my husband. I know of no motorcycle manufacturers that have a side saddle passenger seat.
After all this talk about sheer stockings, came across a new website today that has tons of solid color stockings. Now I can add a little color to my life, instead of having to always wear brown, navy blue, grey, and black. I know what I'm adding onto my Christmas list this year. Oh I almost forgot, I do wear leggings under my skirts and dresses when the weather turns cold. :cheers: I know that I'll probably get my head bitten off for saying this, but except for motorcycling, there isn't anything I can't do in a skirt that I can do in trousers. We go shopping in a couple of Amish communities a few times a year, and you'd be amazed at what those Amish women do while wearing dresses. Last time we went, I saw a girl of about 12 or 13 driving a team of two very large horses pulling a huge buckboard wagon, amazing!

Cheryl · « **Reply #79 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:15:40 PM »

Quote from: innocenza

What's the problem with skirts 8" below the knee? Especially if you're wearing skirts that have very little flare, or none. Then you are sure of being adequately covered , whether standing, stretching, sitting, or bending from the waist. And these are eclectic fashion times - you can't say that long skirts are out of style or are never seen in the mainstream environment.

And even better, the ones at the resale stores are cheap, cheap, cheap! Most of the dresses and skirts I buy at the second hand stores near my home, still have the original price tags still on them. :wink:

clare · « **Reply #80 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:22:43 PM »

Quote from: innocenza

What's the problem with skirts 8" below the knee?

Nothing. I never said there was one.

My point is that there is no problem with skirts which reach 7 or 6 or 5 inches below the knee either.

Actually, there are a couple of problems with them that I find when I wear them (which I usually do).

If I've been sitting down, and then I try to stand up, the hem of my skirt is caught under my heel dragging me down so I have to plonk myself back on my chair! Most inelegant!

They can be a trip hazard on stairs, as well.

clare · « **Reply #81 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:25:59 PM »

I'm still not getting why a woman who is wearing a skirt which reaches 8" below the knee (as Padre Pio's spiritual daughters were bound to wear)... why may she not wear flesh-coloured tights?

She has a skirt 8" below the knee! So why does it matter if she has sheer tights on? Why is no tights preferable to sheer tights?

It does not compute.

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #82 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:29:34 PM »

Quote from: clare

Quote from: parentsfortruth
Quote from: clare
Quote from: parentsfortruth
How do you explain he's a saint now, if he chastised people for doing something that wasn't even wrong at all?

Saints do that kind of thing.

Really? I would love to hear some examples. :)

St John Vianney (as referred to in another thread) said babies' nappies should be changed very quickly, even in private, so as not to upset their Guardian Angels!

How do we know that he wasn't right? Also, that was really related to how an adult should act towards a child, and not a suggestion that would prevent one from going to confession to the priest, I'm sure.

Padre Pio couldn't even see the people confessing because if you know what old confessionals look like, the priest can't see you at all, yet, he KNEW what you were wearing, and sent you out. He also said that it was Christ that was having him turn people away and it pained him to do it. That sounds more mystical than some generic statement from Saint John Vianney about diapering your tot.

Cheryl · « **Reply #83 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:34:53 PM »

Quote from: clare

If I've been sitting down, and then I try to stand up, the hem of my skirt is caught under my heel dragging me down so I have to plonk myself back on my chair! Most inelegant!

They can be a trip hazard on stairs, as well.

Clare, you forgot the embarrassing hazard. You know, the one that happens with a skirt that has an elastic waistband and how after a trip to the ladies, the back of the skirt gets bunched up under the waistband, therefore exposing a lot more then just a little bit of leg.

Alexandria · « **Reply #84 on:** September 17, 2010, 01:46:02 PM »

Quote

If I've been sitting down, and then I try to stand up, the hem of my skirt is caught under my heel dragging me down so I have to plonk myself back on my chair! Most inelegant!

Here's something I learned from being around pre-VII nuns a lot.

Get yourself in the habit of gathering your skirt gracefully to one side before you get up or walk either down or up a flight of stairs. I do it all the time, and I assure you it works.

clare · « **Reply #85 on:** September 17, 2010, 02:24:38 PM »

Quote from: Cheryl

Quote from: clare

If I've been sitting down, and then I try to stand up, the hem of my skirt is caught under my heel dragging me down so I have to plonk myself back on my chair! Most inelegant!

They can be a trip hazard on stairs, as well.

Clare, you forgot the embarrassing hazard. You know, the one that happens with a skirt that has an elastic waistband and how after a trip to the ladies, the back of the skirt gets bunched up under the waistband, therefore exposing a lot more then just a little bit of leg.

Actually, that reminds me of something that happened to me a few months ago.

I had just come out of the ladies' loo after Mass, and was turning to exit the chapel, when the priest came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder and said very discreetly, "You might like to re-arrange your skirt!"

Fortunately, it was quite a voluminous skirt, and I had dark tights on anyway, so it wasn't too embarrassing!

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #86 on:** September 17, 2010, 04:15:32 PM »

Quote from: clare

Anyhow, my point is:

A skirt which reaches more than "scarcely a bit" below the knee, ie three, four + inches, is not immodest.

It is therefore wrong to turn away a woman from confession who is not dressed immodestly.

So St Pio was wrong to turn away women whose skirts reached more than "scarcely a bit" but less than eight inches below the knee.

I do not know of any traditional priests who follow his example in this matter.

If you know another priest that could tell what you were wearing without even SEEING you, then I'd be convinced of what you're saying.

Padre Pio could SEE YOU WITHOUT LOOKING AT YOU. Do you understand the significance of that?!

clare · « **Reply #87 on:** September 17, 2010, 04:24:21 PM »

Quote from: parentsfortruth

Padre Pio could SEE YOU WITHOUT LOOKING AT YOU. Do you understand the significance of that?!

He could bi-locate, I know that much!

Is it a fact that he knew what women were wearing without seeing them beforehand?

I've often wondered how he knew, but he may have noticed them in the queue as he was going to the confessional.

innocenza · « **Reply #88 on:** September 17, 2010, 06:22:46 PM »

Re: covering the legs

Sheer nylon stockings were at one time an innovation, one which was intended to, and generally does, make women's legs look more attractive. Of course, today everything is different; but when I was a high schooler, a few of us girls had a laugh over the fact that a 40ish man teacher was giving one of the girls pointers on how to dress for going up on stage during assembly. He told her, "High heels -- and stockings, no socks!" I remember another girl classmate remarking, "Only slobs wear socks!" Because back then, many of us usually did wear them to high school. I also remember one of the old-time fashion designers stating that a woman's legs should be in sheer stockings for 'femininity', not bare.

It has always been my sense that opaque or thick hose are rather frumpy, compared to nylon. I think this was what Padre Pio was thinking.

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #89 on:** September 17, 2010, 06:44:13 PM »

Quote from: clare

Quote from: parentsfortruth
Padre Pio could SEE YOU WITHOUT LOOKING AT YOU. Do you understand the significance of that?!

He could bi-locate, I know that much!

Is it a fact that he knew what women were wearing without seeing them beforehand?

I've often wondered how he knew, but he may have noticed them in the queue as he was going to the confessional.

The confession lines were hours and hours long. Sometimes, he would spend the entire day in there, and also, I'm sure he didn't count how many people before he said "Oh are you the one in this dress? I noticed you before, your dressed immodestly."

No, no. He knew because it was a gift, and if you read the statement I quoted him to have said before, about Our Lord demanding he turn them away, and being very sad for doing so, I doubt it was because he observed them in queue.