For today’s edition of Fashion Friday, I think it would be remiss of me to not mention that while I love fashion, I also believe that we have a commitment as Christians to honor God with our dress. We are making a statement to God, ourselves, and others by choosing to adhere to some of the immodest fashion trends of the day that the value that God places on modesty and purity is not important to us. This should not be the case if we truly desire to honor God in all facets of our lives.

As mothers, we can not expect our daughters to model this example if we are not first setting the example for them.

Therefore, I would like to suggest the following guidelines when choosing clothing for ourselves and our daughters.

The Five B’s of Modesty (as originally set forth by my friend, Shari Braendel)

1. No Belly – think bare midriff shirts. However, this also includes shirts that are too short in general. If you raise your hands above your head and your stomach shows, then the shirt needs to be longer.

2. No Bra straps – this includes clear bra straps. Bra straps of any kind are a distraction and draw unwanted attention.

3. No Bottom – Think pants or shorts that show your underwear or when wearing a thong, worse. You get the idea.

4. No Breasts – Cleavage of any kind does not adhere to the 5 B’s. This means even the top of the crease where the breasts are pushed together should not be showing. Men/boys are visual creatures, and it is a natural tendency to wonder what is there when seeing cleavage of any kind.

A note about this. While men have a responsibility to custody of the eyes, we, as women, also have a responsibility to help them in this regard. 1 Corinthians 10:32, “Do not cause anyone to stumble…” We must also teach our daughters the same thing. More on this topic another time.

5. No Bubbling – this refers to whether or not pants are too tight. A little “bubbling” underneath the bottom (one’s rear-end) is okay. The rule of thumb should be if when pulling on the fabric at the base of the behind, it stays put, then the pants are not too tight. However, if the fabric springs back into place…you guessed it…too tight.

I hope you find this helpful, and I wish you a Happy Fashion Friday!

Blessings,