by Kosher Casual Team | Apr 5, 2017 | Dress, Fashion Philosophy, Modest
When it comes to discussing the topic of modesty in clothing, whose responsibility is it? Is it all on the girls and women, because they are the ones that lead men towards temptation? Many would say that there is absolutely no justification for the way men think towards women, however, we will say that the responsibility is split between absolutely everyone.
In many ways, this ties in with ‘it takes a whole village to raise one child.’ Similarly, it is up to young girls and her guardians to discuss the values of modesty. It is also up to the guardians of young boys to discuss the values of respect. However, this discussion mustn’t start and end at home. The real world is outside of home. It is just as important for discussions of this nature to take place in larger community venues, especially religious establishments.
There is one thing that typically stops conversations of this nature from starting in religious institutions, and that is fear. Leaders oftentimes find themselves conflicted and afraid of potentially offending anyone who might be in attendance. Why? Because then the person might feel uncomfortable to return to the establishment. It’s a difficult topic to address, because the definition of modesty varies between one and all. How can they answer just how fashionable is too fashionable, or how attractive is too attractive?
Modesty is a community effort. Males and females alike need to gently let one another know of their thoughts on the types of garments that send off the wrong kind of message in their area. Young girls need to be taught to treat their bodies as temples, and that their true beauty will only come from their inner character- not the way they ornament themselves.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Let us know in the comments below!
by Kosher Casual Team | Mar 31, 2017 | Dress, Fashion Philosophy, Modest, Modest Fashion
We all know that the fine arts from centuries ago featured women in modest dresses– but did you notice how stunning those dresses actually were? That is even the case in the paintings that depict religious scenes.
As you can see in the collection below, there was a lot of variety in styles, shapes, colors, textures and more. We have to give credit to the artists for managing to capture such details with vivid colors, despite their limitations.
We hope you like the slideshows! We made them easy to enjoy!
by Kosher Casual Team | Mar 28, 2017 | Dress, Dress Code, Fashion Philosophy, Modest
Is it possible to be modest in the beach, without actually suffering inside? Yes absolutely! We’ve previously written about how modest dress codes in tourist destinations, and how to dress for a cruise. Allow us to tell you how you can look modestly fabulous for the beach!
For starters, thank goodness we live in a digital day and age where you can simply order modest active wear, including swim shirts and cover-up skirts. Offhand, you might wonder, “What’s the difference?” The difference is that these items offer utmost comfort and protection for the modest wearer. They are UV protective, fast drying, and are even chlorine resistant. In the case of the swim shirts, they offer a double fabric panel at the chest, which helps maintain modesty after the area comes in contact with water. Best part of all is that these come in many gorgeous colors. No need to suffer in the heat wearing all-black!
There’s a passage we particularly love, from modest blogger TorahCents on the topic of dressing modestly for the beach:
What I do believe is that modesty is not relative to your situation or location. If your standard of modesty is a bikini on a beach, COOL! Then you should feel just as comfortable and appropriate with that on if you had to run into a grocery store or to church for service.
If you don’t, please believe that outfit is not your standard of modesty. It’s something that you have convinced your heart to believe is ok based upon what society promotes. It is illogical to believe that a bikini or one piece is ok at a public beach, but rocking a bra and panties or a leotard is immodest everywhere else. It’s the same thing—the same level of coverage, just made of different material.
What are your thoughts on dressing modestly in the beach? Let us know!
by Kosher Casual Team | Mar 24, 2017 | Dress, Dress Code, Fashion Philosophy, Modest, Skirts
There are many contrasting opinions on what qualifies to be considered modest clothing. That is mainly because some religions have rules and guidelines on it that are far more strict than others. Furthermore, it varies between different sects of each religion, and between congregations as well. Modest clothing styles also tend to vary between individuals that don’t necessarily have religious affiliations. In their cases, it has more to do with culture and personal preferences.
In general, modest clothing refers to clothing that obviously covers the most private parts of the body, and is also relatively loose-fitting and doesn’t cling to the contours of the body. For most people who choose to dress conservatively, they opt for the types of colors that are more natural and earthy- the blues, greens, blacks, whites, and browns. When it comes to brighter colors such as the vivid pinks, oranges, and yellows- it varies between the wearer. There are many ultra Orthodox women who refrain from wearing bright colors and/or patterns, for modesty purposes.
There are also the matter of dimensions of each garment. In many religions, women are not permitted to wear short shorts. There are some in which women aren’t permitted to wear fitted pants at all, and are advised to wear modest skirts. But how long is a modest skirt expected to be? Well, in some cases it is expected to reach the knee. In others, it is expected to go below the knee. Then there are those that require skirts to reach the ankles. Women are generally also told to avoid see-through clothing, skirts/dresses with long slits, revealing bathing suits, and in many sects even tops with revealing necklines.
Rules of modesty aren’t limited to clothes. There are also restrictions on the wearing of makeup and jewelry. In some faiths, women aren’t allowed to cut their hair. Although it may appear a bit much to some, there are also strict rules of modesty that apply to men as well. The guiding principle behind the rules of modesty and modest clothing is to project humility and not spark sinful thoughts and actions on oneself or others.
by Kosher Casual Team | Mar 17, 2017 | Dress Code, Fashion Philosophy, Modest, Modest Clothing Accessories
Ladies and gentlemen- modesty goes both ways. It is not just for the ladies. We’ve previously written about universal rules of modesty for women. That got us thinking- what about men? Are there general, universal rules to modesty (in terms of appearance) for men? The answer is YES!
Granted, it’s all relative. Interpretations of what is considered to be modest varies between different cultures, religions, and of course individuals. As we did our reading, we came across lots of parallels between different religious sects in terms of how men are expected to upkeep their appearance. And of course, we decided to share them with you!
The rules of modesty for men narrow down to two categories: physical appearance, and clothing/behavior. Yes, clothing is paired with behavior, because as we’ve previously written, there is a direct correlation between the two.
Physical Appearance
Men are generally expected to keep their hair short. Although the accepted length varies between religions and cultures, they’re generally expected to keep the hair on their head shorter than women. The modern trends of men shaving themselves smooth for the sake of vanity is generally frowned upon. In most instances, it’s a different story if it’s solely for hygienic reasons around particular parts of the body. It’s generally acceptable for men to maintain a smooth face, or keep facial hair- but the bottom line is whichever route they choose, they have to keep themselves nicely groomed.
Men are also expected to look after their health and fitness across the board. But how much is too much? Well, it’s okay for a man to exercise to be fit and gain some muscle. However, reactions get mixed when a man goes after obtaining an excessively muscular appearance- because again- that taps into vanity.
Things get interesting when it comes to jewelry and other accessories. There are mixed opinions on men wearing earrings and/or excessive jewelry such as gold chains. In most cases, it’s okay for a married man to wear a wedding band, and there are also cases where it would only be okay if the material isn’t made out of gold, because gold is considered too flashy. It is unanimously accepted for men to wear watches, but only if it isn’t heavily adorned. The same applies with religious symbols- he can wear it, just as long as the piece itself is very subtle.
Clothing and Behavior
Because men, in most cultures, play a more authoritative role in society, it is generally expected that they dress modestly to be taken seriously. You just wouldn’t expect an authoritative person to approach their role in clothing that is tight, revealing, or flashy. Elder men are expected to inspire and set an example of modesty for younger men, as well as women and children. This assists in encouragement of modest behavior as well.
Men are expected to speak and act in ways that clearly demonstrate righteousness. Yes, popular culture does make that difficult for younger men of today, which makes it that much more important for those that are close to them to motivate them to get on, and stay on the modest track.
Are their some other general rules of modesty for men that you know of? Let us know in the comments below!
