The Modesty Survey II

1)     Girls can dress attractively without being immodest.

Age	Comments
13	Most namebrand clothing stores make attractive clothing that still covers you. You don't have to show everyone your body for them to think you are attrctive. Besides, the first thing Christian guys notice when looking at girls are their face.
15	YES! My friend looked absolutely beautiful in a modest dress. It was not low cut and it went a little under her knees, and she still looked gorgeous.
16	Amen! Here's the key: When you dress immodestly you are saying "look at my beautiful body" to every one. However when you dress modestly you are saying "I am obeying the LORD and saving my most raw beauty (if you will) for the place God has for it". That is true beauty. Yes, the question was talking more about how you look, but it is more beautiful for me to see you dressed modestly because you cannot separate the message from your dress than anything else. That is the best way I can explain it.
19	Girls can be beautiful, noticably beautiful, and guys can notice it, without there being immodesty or lust involved, and this is the good design of God. Jacob, for example, clearly thought Rachel was beautiful in Genesis. But there's no hint that Rachel dressed immodestly, or that Jacob lusted after her. Don't allow the devil to make us think the enemy is beauty. The enemy is manipulation, and the very ugly forces of lust and vanity in our hearts.
19	When your views on beauty have been alligned with the Bible, you will be attracted to modesty. For example: Now I am much more attracted to a girl in a full length dress than a girl in "Daisy-Dukes". Obviously the girl wearing the shorts is probably not the kind of girl that I would want to raise my children (She's wearing clothes that I wouldn't allow my daughter to wear) to me that is not attractive. It may "turn me on" but it's not attractive. (There's a difference.)
20	I actually had a T/A in one of my classes who was a beautiful woman who dressed modestly, and I had trouble paying attention to anyone but her! Her clothing never caused me to stumble and never once did I have a physical reaction to her. Instead, my heart warmed (maybe even fluttered a few times hehe) and it just made me smile. There's also a young woman from my home town who I've known for some time who has MASTERED this art. She is just gorgeous....wait, I'm rambling....sorry. But see what I mean? The women who dress modestly AND attractively leave a much longer lasting impression on men.
26	Girls can dress to be beautiful, what they need to do is avoid dressing to attract. If a girl dresses to be beautiful she will be attractive because beauty is by nature attractive. However, a girl can dress to attract and in the end turn out not to be beautiful or even attractive in the final score.
27	I understand that it takes a lot of effort these days and times to dress attractively AND modestly, but I assure you that we guys sure appreciate it!
40-49	Absolutely! When a woman is dressed modestly, I feel free to appreciate her attractiveness, since I have no trouble with impure thoughts.

2)     Despite rampant immodesty all around us, girls who choose to dress modestly do make a difference.

Age	Comments
16	Yes! They make me think, "That's the kind of girl I want to marry!" Not only that, but their courage inspires me to be pure.
16	It is great to go to church and interact with girls who not only wear modest clothing, but who have modest life-styles and are not always trying to draw attention to themselves. It is such a relief after seeing worldly girls to come to my Christian friends and be able to interact with them in a pure, undefiled way. I can only thank God for girls who consider purity a higher goal than male attention!
18	Young ladies who dress and act modestly make a huge difference. I can also feel safe around them, rather than constantly on-guard. And just seeing them is an encouragement: it helps me realize again that I am not alone in the battle.
19	Since I work in fitness clubs regularly (a very immodest environment), it's so refreshing to be around a female that you're not constantly trying to think about something other than what she looks like naked. Sometimes a girl talks to me and I feel like I can't even keep an intelligent conversation because all I'm thinking about is how hard it is NOT to lust after her. Beware of women who like to see men in such situations... the path to their house is the road to hell.
21	If anything, that makes you more attractive to a good, God fearing Christian man. Good husbands aren't found around scantily clad women. Good husbands are found far away from scantily clad women.
23	It shows us Christian men there are good women with standards still around!
24	They provide "hope" for single guys who are looking for girls with high standards. They help, even if only to a small degree, steer popular culture in the right direction. They allow guys to enjoy their friendship without the distractions that accompany immodest dress.
30-34	They distinguish themselves, the very thing the immodest girls are trying to do. All girls have curves. To a guy looking for more than that, showing curves doesn't tell him anything new. He knows your a girl, he wants a lady.
40-49	A girl that is dressed modestly is less threatening and will have more of a chance to catch the eye of a gentleman. Not someone who will see them just as an object.
50+	I have the utmost respect for women who try to dress modestly. This is admirable, and shows respect for themselves and for their Lord. I really appreciate women who do their best to be modest.

3)     A modestly dressed girl can still be a stumbling block because of her attitude and behavior.

Age	Comments
18	A modestly dressed girl can still be a stumbling block when she is moving an acting in ways that make it clear that she is not modest at heart. This can inspire thoughts in my mind that tempt me to sin, even though her body is covered.
19	Simply put: modesty is more than just clothing.
22	In fact, I couldn't agree more! Attitude, behavior, topics of conversation, and such are THE issue, I would say. THE issue... Through more appropriate, mature, and lady-like courses of action even a less modestly dressed girl can force me to respect her in that way, causing me to not even desire to look at her/think of her in the wrong way because of her virtue.
25	Modesty and true godliness must go together. 1 Timothy 2:8-10 is calling women away from hypocrisy. He's saying that the outward needs to match the inner (and vice versa).
26	A woman is designed to be attractive to a man in more than just her body. The way a woman can move, the looks she can make with her eyes, gestures she can make with her hands and poses she can adopt, all of these can add to the 'feminine mystique' that thing which can make a woman very alluring and even seductive. Whilst I think a woman should learn how to be alluring for her husband, there is a time and a place to exert that power, just as there is for showing parts of her body. A modestly dressed woman can still be immodest and a stumbling block by means of her attitude and behaviour. If she is a flirt or a tease she begins a process designed for marriage, a process which causes a response in men. I think this point is self-evident. Take a good looking woman - she's attractive. Take a good looking woman and have her move seductively and she's a stumbling block. In some ways actions are even more important than clothes. A girl might dress immodestly by accident, but when a girl acts it's by intention. It's no good if a girl dresses modestly but proceeds to tease guys by actions. If a girl doesn't have that intention, I don't think there'd be a problem. So don't worry. If there are girls out there who thought it was okay to cover-up but be a flirt or imitate stuff you might see on MTV or whatever - particularly on the dance floor - please don't.
28	Just as a fruit can be nice from the outside but rotten in the inside, a girl can spend a lot of time and money to find and wear modest clothes but can still behave immodestly which ruin the previous.
40-49	Most definitely. For instance: freely touching men, paying too much exclusive attention, the way she walks (wiggle bottom), her posture (sticking out chest), etc.
40-49	Modesty is primarily a matter of the heart that will manifest itself in a number of areas including dress and attitude and behavior. The dress may give the appearance of modesty but the heart will find a way to telegraph immodesty in other ways such as attitudes and behavior.
50+	This is absolutely true. Immodesty is presented in how you dress, AND in your behavior. What message does a woman send who is dressed modestly, yet sits in the lap of a guy and whispers in his ear? (This is just one example.)

4)     Zipping a form-fitting jacket to just below the chest draws too much attention to the bust.

 

Age	Comments
15	If there is something under it (say a standard t-shirt) then I would say it's ok. However, *yet again* you have to ask yourself, "am I doing this for the purpose of drawing attention to this area of my body?" or "will this cause a guy to be distracted by my chest?"
17	It really depends on the case. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I've seen it both ways.
23	I don't have a problem with it, but some guys may.
25	This isn't so much of a problem as long as you are wearing modest clothing beneath the jacket.
26	I would call this a stumbling block, not immodesty. It does draw attention, but it is not necessarily overtly sexual. I suppose it depends somewhat on what clothing is worn under the jacket. It the woman is wearing a low cut shirt, then this only magnifies that. If the woman is wearing a formfitting turtleneck, then it is simply a stumbling block. The jacket draws attention to the area, whether or not that was the original intention. If I were to give a suggestion, I would suggest zipping it to just over the chest, or zip it completely, or not to zip it at all. There really isn't that much of a different in terms of retaining warmth if a woman zips it to just above the chest as opposed to just below it.
28	It is hard to find an explanation about why a girl would do so if she is not wanting to attract attention to her bust. Fashion is not an argument to be immodest.
40-49	Zippers are even more easily unzipped in the mind than in reality.

5)     It is okay for girls to wear tighter and/or more revealing clothes if they are working out.

Age	Comments
13	Well, it depends if it's a just women working out and no men are around, then I think it's OK. But if there's a women joggging down the street in public in immodest clothing I don't think that's right.
16	While I have no problem with girls wearing shorts or t-shirts while working out, it does begin to become a problem if the clothes are skin tight. Worse yet is if the shirts are low cut. By all means, wear something comfortable to work out in but there is a point where you aren't working out but rather looking for attention.
16	No, no, you must not understand. Modesty does not change with the activity which you are doing. Wearing tight clothing is not necessary to work out. (I never have and neither have my sisters) So tight clothing while working out (as well as working out for that matter) is a preference. We should not let our preferences cause our brothers to stumble, let alone allow our preference to cause us to disobey one of the commands of God.
18	I'll leave it neutral.On 1 side, When i workout, i like to wear clothing that keeps me cool. And i dont think it's fair for girls to have to sweat their hearts out when working out. on the other side. Guys will still check the girls out in immodest ways. Sooooo yeah...
19	Yes. I spent twelve years of my life working out in a gymnastics academy. There are times when girls have to wear more revealing clothes for the necessity of the activity. When girls do gymnastics, they can hardly be expected to wear a jumper. And yet, despite the fact that the girls were in leotards, they never seemed immodest, nor did their clothing seem inappropriate nor a stumbling block. Their attitude had nothing to do with attracting the attention of guys to their bodies; it was simply to work out freely and safely.
22	One of the hardest things for me when working out was the abs machine being placed almost directly across from the inner-thigh muscle machines with the crotch-side aimed toward the front of me. Many women use those machines. Tight clothes in a mixed gender work out room are an open invitation to sin. Too much leg showing can also lead the mind of a guy to what lies between where that leg meets the other one. It doesn't much or that long to make this mental trail.
27	This one is rather difficult. As someone who works out, I know how difficult it can be in loose clothing. However, shorts and a t-shirt seem to work quite well. I don't know if that counts as more revealing. As for leotards, and stretch pants and sports bras, I think those are too revealing. If you can see the outline of underwear under the clothing, it's too tight.
28	I've seen too many women jogging down sidewalks and fitness clubs and it's a serious temptation because I want to look, stare and check them out and then I feel bad about doing it because I'm sinning against God and my wife.
30-34	The standard should be the same whether one is working out, or at school, or at the mall.
40-49	Just as at the beach, the opera and the girls' volleyball game, guys' hormones don't magically shut off at the health club. Obviously, if there aren't any guys around, the rules are somewhat different. Some activities that are co-ed should be segregated.

Until next time!

God bless you!

Daughter of the King