Why Modesty Guidelines Are Wrong

[AugustineA]

I can see where you're coming from, but I don't think he was talking about modesty in church, but modesty everywhere else specifically. I don't think many people would say cocktail dresses are appropriate for church. :P

Fair point

[Lilllabettt]

Let's not be dramatic.

 

There is nothing creepy about a stringently enforced school uniform policy, including the kneel/finger-tip test for girl's skirts and the dollar bill test for boy's and girl's shirt sleeves.

 

I've taught in a few public school districts, all of them urban and struggling, and they all required uniforms. For a reason.

[Spem in alium]

In the case of school uniforms, I can definitely see why there would be modesty rules enforced. A uniform is a representation of a school, so it makes sense that it should be worn respectfully and modestly.
 

At my high school, there was a rule enforced that our dresses needed to be just below the knee when we were sitting. Our sister school had to wear skirts in winter that went to about mid-calf. Given how short many school dresses and skirts are here (some only just covering underwear), we were probably seen as very old-fashioned. 

[Lil'Monster]

This reminds me when I used to attend a non-Catholic Christian school several years ago.

 

 

We had to get a "dress preview" or we couldn't go to prom or homecoming. If it wasn't modest the first time you had the preview then you had to fix the dress and come back for another dress preview the next day.

 

I had to redo my preview a couple of times and both of my dresses weren't that bad at all.

 

 

BTW we couldn't dance at homecoming or prom unless we went to a After party or something.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChristinaTherese]

I've seen a lot of good in regulations for women's dresses in choir and orchestra. I mean, we're generally treated like responsible adults now that I'm in college, but in both high school and college I've seen people try to wear stuff that is just not okay on stage at a concert. I know he wasn't talking about that specifically either, but that's another time certain tests are good. I mean, audience members should not end up looking up a girl's skirt. (And clothing on stage should generally be more subdued than in every day life, true.)

[Anastasia13]

A general guideline should be enough compared to making a woman over 6 feet-they do exist-wear only skirts that reach they ground when kneeling.

[Lilllabettt]

A general guideline should be enough compared to making a woman over 6 feet-they do exist-wear only skirts that reach they ground when kneeling.

 

Do you work in the schools?  Where children, parents, and uniforms are concerned a general guideline is emphatically NOT enough.  A school with an effective uniform policy will have it spelt out in the handbook in detail - for good reason. Experience teaches that explicit direction in this area is necessary.

 

Naturally there are exceptions to every rule. I had a student with a skin condition. She was excused from the part of the uniform code banning colored tights.

[Anastasia13]

Do you work in the schools?  Where children, parents, and uniforms are concerned a general guideline is emphatically NOT enough.  A school with an effective uniform policy will have it spelt out in the handbook in detail - for good reason. Experience teaches that explicit direction in this area is necessary.

 

Naturally there are exceptions to every rule. I had a student with a skin condition. She was excused from the part of the uniform code banning colored tights.

 

I am not objecting to explicit. I am objecting to exact.

[Basilisa Marie]

Do you work in the schools?  Where children, parents, and uniforms are concerned a general guideline is emphatically NOT enough.  A school with an effective uniform policy will have it spelt out in the handbook in detail - for good reason. Experience teaches that explicit direction in this area is necessary.

 

Naturally there are exceptions to every rule. I had a student with a skin condition. She was excused from the part of the uniform code banning colored tights.

 

Hmm, yeah, I think your points about needing a specific dress code in schools are valid. My own issues with the rules are the ways I experienced their enforcement. It always seemed like the ones who were blatantly violating the dress code were given a pass on it (girls with spaghetti straps, boys with beer logos on their T shirts) more often than the girls whose skirt was just barely too short.  So I guess I wouldn't say the code is the problem at all, but the way it is sometimes delivered. As long as everyone can expect to get the same treatment, I wouldn't have a problem. 

[Anastasia13]

Approximately knee length should be good enough.

[CrossCuT]

Let's not be dramatic.

 

There is nothing creepy about a stringently enforced school uniform policy, including the kneel/finger-tip test for girl's skirts and the dollar bill test for boy's and girl's shirt sleeves.

 

I've taught in a few public school districts, all of them urban and struggling, and they all required uniforms. For a reason.

 

Do you work in the schools?  Where children, parents, and uniforms are concerned a general guideline is emphatically NOT enough.  A school with an effective uniform policy will have it spelt out in the handbook in detail - for good reason. Experience teaches that explicit direction in this area is necessary.

 

Naturally there are exceptions to every rule. I had a student with a skin condition. She was excused from the part of the uniform code banning colored tights.

 

 

Oh please. There is absolutely no need to have a girl kneel down on the ground to check her skirt length, gimme a break! hahaha!

I went to private school most of my life where I wore a uniform. It does not take a rocket scientists to see that if a skirt is too high above the knee then they will fail this "skirt test".

There were a few girls who had skirts that were mid thigh....you dont need a skirt test to verify the length.

 

I dont think we need to have girls kneeling down on the ground or having 1 dollar bills placed next to them...use your eyes people.

 

And even if the skirt is a quarter of an inch in either direction, who cares? I dont think a quarter of an inch is going to even be noticeable nor was it likely a plot by the girl to evade the rules.

[CrossCuT]

Approximately knee length should be good enough.

:like2:

 

Yeah, I concur.

 

 

And I just want to mention that Im all for modesty and uniform enforcement, but these ridiculous methods (which I am sure were developed mostly as a shame method) are too much. You dont need them. 

[4LoveofJMJ]

 

I can see where you're coming from, but I don't think he was talking about modesty in church, but modesty everywhere else specifically. I don't think many people would say cocktail dresses are appropriate for church. :P

 

You would not believe some of the clothes I've seen worn to church. Most of the girls I was confirmed with were wearing cocktail type dresses. I don't know how many times they told us the dress code before but no body listened! There were only 5-10% of the girls who were dressed modestly. I'm not talking about a few inches above the knee, but a seriously-don't-bend-over-too-far-or-we-will-see-everything dress on some of the girls.

 

And lets not get into what I used to see going to Mass back in CA. Thankfully people at my new church dress more respectfully.

 

[SilentJoy]

 

 

I dont think we need to have girls kneeling down on the ground or having 1 dollar bills placed next to them...use your eyes people.

 

Maybe I just have a dirty mind, but I interpreted the dollar bill thing as sign language for "Yep, ya look like a harlot."

[CrossCuT]

Maybe I just have a dirty mind, but I interpreted the dollar bill thing as sign language for "Yep, ya look like a harlot."

 

Its a shame tactic. And I do not support it in the least. Especially since there is absolutely no logical need for it when your eyeballs and general sense of decency can suffice. 

 

:)