Styles and Fashions

Bill Echols
East Orange, New Jersey

"In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety ... which becometh women professing godliness" (I Tim. 2:9, 10).

The above instruction on dress is just as vital to a woman's spiritual welfare as is baptism, communion or any other commandment of the Lord. Yet many women in the Lord 's church allow the styles and fashions set by sinners to determine their apparel. Many of the creations of the fashion salons are not that which becometh women professing godliness. Instead, they are the productions of men whose minds are filled with corruption and think of the woman's body as being built for display and seduction. Women who are Christians should consider carefully any attire they adorn. The standards of the Christian should be much higher than the standards of the world.I am told that the women's dresses of today are so short that it is impossible for them to sit down without revealing more of their body than is becoming to women professing godliness. Such attire may be perfect for women without morals or conscience, but not for children of God. Even in the assembly of saints, some women are reported to dress in this ungodly fashion. This is not to say that such attire would be proper in other places as long as it was not worn to the assemblies. Of all the women on the earth, members of the Lord's body should be modest, not only in the assembly, but at all places and at all times.

The women of the church should be very careful of the manner in which they dress themselves. If the women cannot or will not choose clothes that are befitting their confession of Christ, I believe their husband fathers should select their clothes for I and make them dress properly.

The women of the world are not ashamed to reveal their nakedness. Instead, they glory in their shameful practices. No woman is complimented when men look and lust upon her. Let all such lasciviousness be put away from the Lord's people.

Truth Magazine, VIII, 1 p. 1a October 1963