Tights are not pants!

     As a parent, I am well aware of current fashion trends. Society’s standards for clothing are still a concern to me now that my daughters and son have children of their own. It is clear that modest apparel is not on the minds of today’s designers. Sometimes it feels like clothing becomes more acceptable as it gets tighter, shorter and more revealing!

     Godly women (and men) are aware that lewdness is sinful (Gal. 5:19). Younger and younger children, particularly girls, are being pressured to dress in ways that even adult women found inappropriate within my lifetime. This is no more apparent than the wearing of tights. Also called leotards in my childhood, they are now often known as leggings. My younger sisters would wear them under pants for warmth. At the time, wearing just a leotard to school would have been embarrassing and immodest.

     It is becoming increasingly common for women and girls to wear just tights in public. Often, they throw on a slightly long shirt or sweater with their leggings. Is this acceptable? If you would not wear just the shirt/sweater without tights, you need something looser to cover your legs.

     Perhaps you wonder why I bring this up. John spoke broadly about the sin of lust of the flesh, (I John 2:16). This style of dress fits that category. The simple truth is that today’s women (and men) need to cover up. Skintight clothing leaves nothing to the imagination, which causes the imaginations of people to go awry. It is wrong for people to look with lust, but it is also wrong to tempt others with our clothing.

     Husbands, dads and granddads know this to be true and need to be frank. Although it wasn’t a “dress” issue, Eli had problems with his children because he “did not restrain them” (I Sam. 3:13). Male family members also need to tactfully speak up.  As much as we want our wives and children to dress fashionably, they do not need to parade their bodies around and incite lust in others. As I often have stated when dealing with this subject, remember that the one who dressed like a harlot was not totally unclothed (Prov. 7:10).   

                                                                                                                                        Chuck