Modestia

I was surfing the net today and I came across this blog written by a woman named Rebecca who is very passionate about modest yet fashionable apparel. It's called Modestia. This is a very awesome blog and it strikes at a topic that I seem to be becoming more interested in. Can we as modern day women still be stylish and not leave little to the imagination? Modestia emphatically answers, YES!

Rebecca states her missions quite clearly:

Catholic modest fashion? Oh yes….
As far as resources go for Catholic women, there are plenty of sites for children, tweens, 30-something singles, and moms…but what about those of us in our late teens and 20s?
This blog was born out of a random moment in the Holy Spirit.
“Modestia” literally means “moderation” in Latin, but it is also indicates “modesty” too. The mantra of this blog: Because you can be modest and fab too means exactly what it sounds like. “Modesty” doesn’t mean “frumpy,” just like “Catholic” doesn’t mean “backward prudery.”
I hope you will find this blog to be a resource for Catholic modesty, Catholic modest fashion, Catholic thought on everything from chastity to feminism, and a comfortable environment to express what the late John Paul the Great called the “feminine genius.”
God bless you and may the Blessed Mother watch over you.

As a devout Catholic woman who wants to live and witness to others by example, I do my best to dress as modestly as I can while still looking beautiful and feminine. I am not an extremist who wears long skirts all of the time, but I try to dress in a way that is respectful to me and others around me.
I don't wear shorts, not because I have anything against shorts, it's just because I am very self-conscious about the scars on my legs, so I will always wear either pants, jeans, long skirts, or skirts that go to my knees with pantyhose, even in 100 degree weather. It's just how I am. I prefer shirts that have either long sleeves or 3/4 sleeves. Mainly because it may be hot outside, but a lot of places have the air-conditioners turned to 'arctic' and I get cold very easily. If I do wear a tank top, I will typically wear a cardigan over top of it.
For me it is a style that I prefer. I don't have anything against people who wear shorts, skirts without pantyhose, or sleeveless tops. However, it seems to me that some people dress just to show off their boobs or their legs or their butt in an attempt to draw attention from the opposite sex. The media and pop-culture is telling us that it is ok to show off your body and wear slinky clothes because it is sexy, and we all want to be sexy, don't we? We are constantly being bombarded with adds that feature thin women in suggestive poses telling us that we want to be like her so we should get such and such product. Our children and teenagers are the ones who are the most impressionable when it comes to this. As a result, every year the shorts get shorter, the tank tops get smaller, and our 12 year olds are exposing their cleavage.

I work at a college campus and I cannot tell you how many times I have confused a student for a street walker. I've seen heels the size of a stripper's paired with skirts the same size as a Kleenex. What mother would let their 18 year old child out of the house like that? (But I'll admit, not all of them have been 18...I've seen 60 year olds dress like this too, a little too disturbing.)

The thing that kinda upsets me the most is I sometimes see people dress this way in church. It seems that the Catholic church is the most lax when it comes to a dress code. I kinda understand why, I mean it is better to go to church dressed in jeans then not to be there at all. I will admit, when I go to church straight from work or another function, I will sometimes be in my jeans, but I am always wearing a respectful top.
Seeing people come to Sunday Mass dressed in torn jeans, a tank top with no cardigan showing some major cleavage, or a worn t-shirt I think shows disrespect. We are not only there to listen to the priest give his homily, we are there to receive Christ in the Eucharist and He is really present. You wouldn't wear jeans and a t-shirt to meet the Queen of England, would you? Since we know that Christ is really present in the Eucharist, why don't we dress like we are going to meet Him? Scott Hahn once said in one of his books that treating something that is Holy as a common thing degrades it. I think that some are degrading the holiness of the Mass by treating it as something that is common.

About three months ago at my church, a woman walked up the aisle with her husband and son to present the gifts. She wore a tight sweater that left nothing to the imagination, a skirt that barely covered her butt, and six inch platform stilettos. Hardly appropriate attire in my opinion.
People should put more of an effort of wearing their Sunday best to Mass on Sundays. It is a special occasion and it should be reflected by dressing as such.

Enough of my tirade, back to Modestia. Rebecca gives great exampled of modest dresses worn by celebrities. Such as Cate Blanchett:


And Ginnifer Goodwin:


These dresses are amazing in my opinion and it shows you don't have to bear all to be beautiful! The awesome thing with the vintage trend is that it bring out your femininity and still keeps the good covered.



Modestia has great resources for women who want to dress modestly and still look fashionable. Like she says, 'modesty does not mean frumpy'! I highly recommend this blog and I think a big kudos should go out to Rebecca for her awesomeness!