Long Skirts = Matronly?

If you normally wear skirts that reach below your knees, reach your calves, or that don’t cling to your body, you may have heard this phrase before: “Why don’t you wear shorter skirts? It will make you look much younger. You’re hiding your beauty with such long skirts.” The saddest part of this sentence is when it is said by people who also profess the same faith we do. It makes us question if we really are being so old-fashioned when we choose to wear modest clothes.

When we analyze the history of fashion we see how trends come and go and how they are adapted over the years. In 1947 Christian Dior launched the famous New Look and popularized the long skirt and cinched waist. This piece was desired and coveted by women of all ages. Years passed and the miniskirt and pants became popular items in the female wardrobe, making the midi skirt an item almost exclusive to the Christian wardrobe. However, fashion has restored the midi model and today we can find several options in stores of all standards, and what was once part of the Christian wardrobe, today is an item desired by women of all ages and styles.

Hearing people debating against midi lengths inside the church makes me reflect that in reality, this is the desire of convinced but not converted people. It often happens that we accept the Gospel, but we don’t want to allow ourselves to be changed by it, and with that, we create myths of what is right or wrong, beautiful or ugly, tacky or stylish, or we start to give more value to the fashion of the world. But, dear ones, even the world is offering more decent options than we often present. This should scare us, make us reconsider our conduct because instead of being a light and an example to the world, we are using it as our pattern without recognizing that even the world of fashion considers modest wear elegant and sophisticated.

It is not my role to convert your heart to see the beauty of midi fashion, nor to say that I have no difficulties in keeping our standards or even to affirm that all my clothes are an example of modesty. This article is also for me and my struggle with the process of sanctification and dress reform!

I want to include some inspiration to reflect what I mentioned above about how “the world” is wearing more modest options than we do at times and pull it off elegantly and stylishly… (True, they don’t always wear these clothes, they wear items that we don’t, but I want you to focus on the model of the skirts they are wearing despite not believing in dress reform!)

And lastly, here are some of our writers who love their skirts:

I hope these looks can inspire you to see midi lengths in another light and reflect on how you can wear beautiful and stylish clothing that isn’t tacky, and even better, direct attention to God with what we wear.