Clothing and fashion are hot topics in Christianity. There's so much to say on this issue, and many "camps" of thought.
I'm really sorry so much time got away from me that I couldn't explore this topic earlier or lead into it better. But I have a month-long challenge coming up, so I'll dive in.
What I want to focus on here is not the right or wrong way to dress. For sake of argument, let's assume we're talking about whatever modesty means to you.
Given that, how much does fashion influence us as Christian women? How much SHOULD it?
How much does it take away from our confidence? How much time does it dissolve out of our life?
How much does fashion define who we are? Who we are perceived to be?
Basically, how much does fashion "get in the way" of achieving who we were meant to be in Christ?
To explore these ideas, I am about to embark on a month-long challenge. It's based on the One Dress Protest - a fast from fashion.
I'll write more about my personal guidelines for this fast from fashion shortly. But if you care to join in, a friend and I will be challenging ourselves to wear one "outfit" (uniform) for 30 days. Read more about the basic idea at the One Dress Protest blog to get an idea.
Biblically, fasting is important for focusing our mind on spiritual things. Most people fast from food and/or water. Denying one's basic human to focus on the spiritual.
I think there's a strong argument that fashion distracts people from focusing on spiritual things. The need to keep up, the constant self-consciousness replaces God-consciousness.
Therefore, a fast from fashion can be a good way to redeem time that would be spent changing into several outfits each day, redeem money spent trying to have the season's latest, and redeem self-worth with the idea that God doesn't look at the outward appearance, but is interested in our hearts.
When we strip away the need to be fashionable, we can focus our Attention on our Intentions.
I will probably learn a lot about myself from this experience. I already feel a certain level of anxiety, and I'm going to explore those feelings to find out why.
I'll be having my own "One-Dress-Protest" from September 15-October 14, 2011. If you'd like to join in, please do so. Share your experiences and thoughts on the blog, or Facebook!
Do you feel fashion (even modest) has an undo influence on a Christian woman's confidence and effectiveness?
