Fashion And Godliness

“there is always something that is very moderate and something that is very extreme....
of your appearance and you know that there is something alternative to what you want to wear that you will wear and you are not revealing and you will still do your exercise... sometimes even if you cover the whole body, if a man wants to look at you lustfully, they will still look at you lustfully but you as a person, have you played your part?...”

I had this conversation with a very fashionable and modest Christian lady, we talked about everything from men’s fashion to trends, to fashion events and women’s fashion.

TWTsBlog: What influences your style?

Guest: Growing up as a child, I grew up with a very fashionable mum. She is a very fashionable sweet lady. During my teenage age, I usually hear this saying that “your mum is more fashionable than you girls”. I have a sister, an elder sister. I always thought, what makes her more fashionable than me? but I usually see the way she combines her colours, the way she combines her dress, and she doesn’t just wear anything. Even if it’s not very expensive, she makes sure that she looks good at every point in time. That was one of the biggest influence and second one is

As a child of God, whatever we wear should give God glory. I try my best to make sure that I look good and what I am wearing gives God glory.

TWTsBlog: Do christian leaders, celebrities or even regular people influence your fashion style, do you ever look to people and sometimes, their fashion style influences yours?

Guest: Yea, somehow, I wont say they do. If I see something I like that is very beautiful, I appreciate it. That does not necessarily mean I am picking that thing. It could be an influence to some part of my creativity in terms of dressing but not necessarily “this person did this, I want to do it”.

TWTsBlog:Are there any specific underlying principles that guide your choices of clothing items, fashion items whether consciously or unconsciously.

Guest:It still boils down to modesty, being moderate and comfortable, its that for me.

TWTsBlog: For me, comfortability goes to the next level like, I want to be physically comfortable and also I want to be comfortable in my mind. Not just that the attire, I am comfortable in it physically but also in my mind, I am also comfortable looking that way.

For me also, I feel like looking good is a virtue because by the time you put some effort into doing all of this, it shows that you do care, it shows effort and then, I feel like putting in that effort into looking good is a virtue.

Something else, I was reading the scripture recently and something struck me, Christ was taking about giving and then, treasures in heaven and He said provide for yourselves, (that is, buy for yourselves) bags that don’t wear out, that is, things that don’t get old, that don’t get bad easily. And, I’m like He is talking about giving to the poor and all these things and the next thing He says is provide for yourself, bags that don’t wear out. That means He wants us to get quality items, durable items. That means if you want to get this blouse, don’t go and buy the cheap one, buy that expensive one (durable one) because it will last you for a long time.

(Although, this scripture gives us a picture of how Jesus expects that we make purchases, this scripture was not referring to bags or clothes in the context Jesus uses it but was using an earthly picture to illustrate and bring understanding to something spiritual and of eternal value)

As I read that, I decided that I have to incorporate that into my lifestyle.

Guest: Funny enough, that’s the kind of mum I have, she doesn’t just buy things because she wants to buy it. I can go to my mum’s house now and see a bag that she bought ten years ago and she confidently uses its today because its quality and still good.

Some of us will not have the money to buy that very quality thing but whenever you are buying something and you know you can afford it, because of the durability, just go for it.

TWTsBlog: I feel like what Christ was trying to say was instead of buying five jeans that will get spoilt by next year, buy two that you can use for the next ten years.

So, there is also this popular saying, dress for the occasion.

Do you dress for the occasion? Guest: Ahhh… never to be caught ‘unfresh’. You do not know where you will find yourself at that time that you will need to be very presentable to be in that particular place. So, I think for any occasion, for stepping out of your house, just be presentable.

TWTsBlog: In the same vein of dressing for the occasion, there are some occasions that the “socially acceptable” or popular way of dressing there… For example, if you are going to the beach, would you dress for the occasion of going to the beach.

Guest: Talking about the beach, for me, as a believer and as a Christian, I do not fancy wearing bikini out there revealing my body for the world. There are things you can also wear to the beach that will make you very comfortable and you will still enjoy the moment. For me, I cannot go to the beach and be on just a bikini.

TWTsBlog: This reminds me, I forgot to mention. Something that guides my dressing is, does this particular dress I want to buy or what I want to wear right now, does it cover my nakedness? Going to the beach is still public and my nakedness is still my nakedness whether it is the beach or not.

You know, there are quite some interesting outfits that you enter the gym and you’re like ohhhh!! Would you wear an “Uh-huhhhhh!” dress to the gym or you are still on the plane of cover your nakedness?

Guest: For the gym, you know one thing about this life, there is always something that is very moderate and something that is very extreme. In going to the gym as a believer, as a Christian, you know, the bible says, do not cause a man to sin or lust because of your appearance and you know that there is something alternative to what you want to wear that you will wear and you are not revealing and you will still do your exercise and you will still keep fit, loose your weight. You know, sometimes even if you cover the whole body, if a man wants to look at you lustfully, they will still look at you lustfully but you as a person, have you played your part?

TWTsBlog: So, the whole thing I just hear from you is going to the gym or going to the beach is not an excuse to reveal your nakedness.

What do you consider as nakedness?

Guys, I am not coming for you but sometimes, its now becoming popular that guys would you know, they won’t wear underwear, they will wear a shirt and open like three buttons and just leave it like that then you know just put a really nice neck piece. Its actually quite very fashionable but I don’t know what’s motivating it.

Guest: To look (makes imaginary hand quote in the air) hot.

TWTsBlog: Like they won’t wear underwear.

Guest: Especially white shirt.

TWTsBlog: You see, the image I had in my head was a white shirt.

Guest: Well starched shirt, you’ll now see the cross necklace. They’ll even wear cross and be showing it.

(both laugh)

TWTsBlog: I don’t know the motivation. Guys that are out there, please tell us your motivation. Why do you do that?

Guest: Just the same way we ladies will try to dress and not make you guys lust after our dressing, same way guys should dress and not make the ladies look and like… wow! that’s a chest

TWTsBlog: I think you heard her.

Guest:Just imagine, Jesus was a girl. The bible says that we are created in the image and likeness of God. So, whatsoever you are wearing, you are dressing in the sense that “I am god”, because you are. If you are a god, will you just wear anything?, will you just reveal your nakedness? Will you just reveal those cleavages there? Will Jesus be comfortable with His cleavage going up and down on the street? Or will he be okay with His butt revealing there on the street? People have preferences but outside our preferences, let’s just think, will Jesus do this, will He be comfortable in this? Will Jesus be on a bumshort and go and meet somebody and tell the person “Jesus actually loves you” and at the end would the person give their lives to God or draw closer to God?

TWTsBlog: If you had a front row seat to Newyork fashion week, would you attend?

Guest: There’s a lot of creativity there that you would see and like. For me, when I see something good, I always appreciate it. If I have the opportunity to be in the new york fashion week, I’ll go. I’ll watch the creativity, watch how things are being done. In life, you have the opportunity to sieve what comes in you and stays within you so, if you go there and there are things that don’t really fit into your fashion sense because you know as a believer you are not supposed to dress like this, that’s not what you should pick.

TWTsBlog: Fashion is fashion, you as a person, you now determine how you project that fashion.

What final words do you have for us today?

final words? Guest: Be moderate, be comfortable with what you wear and just see yourself that whatsoever you are wearing, does it give God glory? For me, that’s enough to dress right. TWTsBlog: My final words would be that we need to be intentional about what we do, one and two,

Trends go all around, there are always fashion trends, one fashion trend comes another fashion trend goes. I think the question we need to ask ourselves is, (especially also in reference to attending fashion events like the Newyork fashionweek) what is inspiring this fashion trend, does it please God?
Finally on trends, when this fashion trend is out of style, what’s going to happen to that cloth that we have bought? So, I feel like as Christians we should be aware not to follow the world and its fashion and trends but we should have our own unique style, our own unique dress sense that pleases God and at any time, at any season, we can still go with this flow.

I hope you found this insightful. Please share with someone that needs to read it.

Much love! Besos!!