Okay, so if you have ever read or heard anything about modesty, you've PROBABLY heard 1 Timothy 2:9 which says, (say it with me) "Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls, or costly attire." Okay, so I'm not going to talk about modesty as much as respect. What does this verse have to do with respect? Well, it says it right there, "respectable apparel", right there!
Okay, so what IS respectable apparel other than not wearing hardly anything? Well, would you have respect for someone who dressed like they just didn't care about anything? It would be a bit hard! So first I'm going to talk about SELF RESPECT! What is self respect? Well, to put it in simple terms, it's respecting yourself. Okay, so I know you probably knew that but still, we do need to respect ourselves! If we're constantly down on ourselves and pointing out all our own flaws, what message are we sending to others? The way that we view ourselves is usually how others view us. Now there's a difference between self respect and self worship, but if I talked about that as well, then this would be a really long article. Maybe even more like a book. If we respect ourselves, then others will respect us. Why? Because we're showing everyone that, "I am someone to be respected!" That is why we should dress in respectable apparel.
Okay, second thing is, "How do I dress respectably?" Well, to quote the grandpa from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Well, get that mud off your pants!" Part of dressing respectably is taking care of how your clothes look. Make sure they fit well, and are well taken care of. No giant holes, or mustard stains. You don't have to wear dresses all the time (although that would actually be kinda fun) but at least show the world that you care about your self image. Maybe not how others think of you, but how you think of yourself. Wear the clothes appropriate to what you're doing or what you're going to. Like, don't wear sweats to church or to a wedding or funeral. Wear them if you're going shopping or something. And even so, make sure they don't look like pajamas, but at least look a little nice. Dressing respectably isn't just about wearing clothes that cover you (although that is important) but also dressing at least a little nice. :)
