The Startling Reasons Why I Started Dressing Modestly ( And Why I am Taking It More Seriously Now)

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Hello Mamas, hope all is well! In connection to my previous post about modest dressing, I would like to share with you the startling reasons why I started dressing modestly and why I am taking it more seriously now!

I love that modest dressing or modest fashion is becoming more and more popular these days. Even blog posts dedicated to the topic are becoming more and more.

There are a lot of reasons why I started dressing modestly. Mainly, I believe that clothing should be for modesty and not for showing off the body.

What is Modest Dressing for Me?

Modest dressing for me means dressing in a way that does not show off my body, especially the sensitive parts like cleavage, butt, or a lot of upper legs. For this, I love wearing modest clothes and avoid wearing clothes that are too tight, too short, or too revealing.

I also avoid wearing sleeveless tops, or dresses, not because I think they are not modest, but because I feel uncomfortable wearing them. When wearing my sleeveless pieces, I always use a bolero or something similar to cover my arms.

Dressing modestly can be a great way to express yourself and show your unique personal style. It doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fashion for modesty – you can have both!

By combining comfort, confidence, and creativity, you can create a look that is classy, timeless, and modest. Modest dressing can be a fun and rewarding way to express yourself, and help you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

Why I Started Dressing Modestly

Though I didn’t know about the term modest dressing when I was still single, I always have the “dressing appropriately or properly” mentality, maybe it’s due to my rural upbringing.

I’m never into very short shorts, just like the ones very common these days where part of the butt is already showing off, and clothes that are revealing the cleavage.

1. My dressing style changed as I get older.

As I got older (I’m 40 now), I am no longer comfortable exposing much skin. Wearing shorts (let alone short shorts!) and sleeveless ones are no longer exciting for me.

I feel something is lacking, or that my legs or arms are bare when I tried wearing my shorts and sleeveless on some occasions, so, I decided to get rid of them.

I still wear shorts though as part of my sleepwear during the summer.

Crop tops and tank tops are a complete no-no for me because they make me feel bloated and instantly give me a stomachache (panuhot in Visayan).

I’m still finding my personal style up to now when it comes to dressing. But I am more drawn now to clothes with longer hemlines and longer sleeves, maxi dresses, long skirts, and flowy, comfortable items.

2. I feel very comfortable when dressing modestly.

I love wearing dresses and skirts during summer because I feel like my legs can’t breathe when wearing jeans during the summer making me very warm and uncomfortable.

I have dresses in different lengths, some are knee length, some midi dresses, and a few maxi dresses.

As the summer started, I was putting on my summer dresses and skirts (some are short skirts) one by one to feel how comfortable I am with each item and getting rid of the ones that I don’t feel comfortable with.

Unfortunately, the knee-length dresses I have didn’t make the cut because I feel very uncomfortable wearing them.

I feel very conscious, especially when I sit down on the Church pew because the hemline of the dress moves up exposing the knees.

So, I keep on trying to move them down, making me anxious and taking away my focus and concentration from the Mass.

So, I put the knee-length dresses into the “give it away” storage.

And same with my other sleeveless items because I am no longer comfortable wearing them. The ones I decided to keep I always wear with a bolero or something similar to cover my arms.

3. Comfort over fashion.

It’s definitely comfort over fashion, especially now that I have small kids.

It’s just so convenient and comfortable to run after them or carry them in public places when I am wearing modest clothing because I don’t have to worry that when I bend my butt or my cleavage will be showing.

When I was single though, it was obviously fashion over comfort!

I remember going to a party wearing very high heels to look taller (even if I am not used to wearing heels).

It was difficult to walk, but I tried to make it work to look good in the photos, and after the photo session, I took them off and change them for the flat shoes that already prepared because I know I’ll surely need them.

Then we also had singles gathering in our community where there was a bit of dancing afterward.

I was wearing my silver flat shoes that were garterized at the back. The garters were hurting the back part of my feet and starting to form blisters, but I carried on just for the sake of fashion.

I was even awarded “best-dressed of the night” or something if I remember correctly.

Grrrrr, the things I did for the sake of fashion and looking good even if it’s already hurting!

But definitely no more “fashion over comfort” now. It’s all about comfort, comfort, comfort!

4. I feel confident and worry-free.

Because I feel comfortable with the modest clothes I wear, it boosts my confidence, too.

I am now confident that no matter what position I do, like sitting with cross legs or with legs apart (which I do unintentionally most of the time), there will be no worries that unnecessary body parts will be exposed, especially when in public places.

5. My husband is into modest dressing, too.

I love that my husband and I are on the same page when it comes to dressing modestly. When I wore the knee-length dress to Church, I commented that I find the length of the dress a bit short.

I showed him when I sit on the bench why I didn’t like it because it was showing my knees. He agreed, and it was a confirmation that I have to get rid of it. I already did!

6. I want to be a good example to my boys and my nieces.

We have 2 toddler boys and I want to be a good example to them in the hope that when they grow older, they’ll choose girls who are also into modest dressing to have relationships with. 

And also I have 5 beautiful nieces (4 from my brother’s side and one from my husband’s side), so, I want to be a good example to the young ladies of the family and to the teenage girls and young people in my circle, too.

7. I don’t want to panic and feel ashamed when someone rings the door very early and I am still in pyjamas.

I used to have sleeveless, bit sexy pink sleepwear. One day, my husband went out to work and reminded me that there will be a delivery man coming to deliver some materials. Before heading out the door, he jokingly said “don’t open the door with that pyjama”. Of course, I didn’t!

But it happened many times already that I was still in pajamas (because I was a late riser when kids were still smaller) when delivery men ring the door for delivery.

I panic, get a towel to cover me (by hanging it on my shoulder and stretching the other side for cover), open the door, and receive the package without even having the time to fix my “I woke up like this” hair.

Then the same thing happened many times when my FIL comes to spend time in the bee farm or the garden.

He rings the bell to borrow the key to my husband’s car to go to the bee farm or say hi before working in the garden. I have to grab a towel again to cover myself, before opening the door.

I already got rid of the dress sleepwear a long time ago.

And just before the beginning of summer, I got rid of my pajama sets that were super shorts and “very sleeveless”.

I changed them for longer shorts (above the knee though and the only shorts I have) and shirts with sleeves.

Now, I no longer panic when someone rings the door even when I’m still in pajamas because my pajama sets are modest enough. And I don’t have to grab a towel for cover, either!

RELATED POST: 23 Uplifting and Inspiring Quotes About Dressing Modestly

8. I want to dress modestly as part of trying to be a good Catholic.

I am a cradle Catholic and I am sure that it influenced my style of dressing, especially since I grew up in a rural village in the Philippines where most, if not all, especially the older people, are very conservative.

Now that I am older and married to a fellow Catholic (who decided to get baptized when he was 35), we are trying our best to practice the faith and be good Catholics.

And I believe that dressing modestly is part of the teachings of the Church and there are Bible verses that support the teaching (I’ll find out more about them and share them with you later on).

9. As a way of imitating the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A week or so ago before I have been hospitalized for E.coli infection, I started reading the book 33 Days of Morning Glory as my guide for the Act of Consecration to Jesus Through Mary.

After making the consecration on the 34th day, I want to exert more effort in imitating the virtues of Our Blessed mother, including the virtue of modesty (which includes dressing modestly).

P.S. The Imitation of Mary book is also a good read for those who want to learn more about the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As a Christian woman, I believe that dressing in an appropriate way is an expression of respect for our heavenly Father and a way to demonstrate our faith.

Dressing modestly is also an act of self-respect and a realization that true beauty lies within. It is an outward reflection of an inward commitment to honoring the Lord.

In the Bible, there are numerous verses that speak of the importance of modesty and how it is closely related to respecting God and His commands.

By dressing modestly, I am not only demonstrating my faith, but also my love and respect for God and to myself.

The Reason Why I’m Taking Modest Dressing More Seriously Now!

Now that I have already shared with you the reasons why I started practicing modest dressing, let me share with you the ONE experience that made me decide to take modest dressing more seriously now!

It was a recent experience that happened 3 weeks before the end of #1’s school year and 2 weeks or so before I was hospitalized for a right kidney infection due to E.coli.

The normal class at school was already finished, but the kids are still going to school for different plays (like recycling, music, etc). On the first day of the “special class”, I went to pick #1 up wearing a black and white knee-length summer dress that balloons at the bottom (I don’t know the correct term).

I didn’t know that the kids should be picked up at the other gate farther up the road instead of the usual gate.

I arrived at the usual time, but when it was already 4:30 pm, no kids were coming out of the gate. I was thinking maybe they got late at coming out. So, I waited, but no kids showed up still.

Then after like 3 minutes or so, one mother was trying to catch my attention and said that I need to go to the other gate.

I saw the teacher and #1 (the only kid left) waiting at the gate. I waved my hand to signal to wait a little bit, then I drove the car closer.

I got out, picked #1 up, and asked sorry to the teacher for coming late because I didn’t know I have to come to the other gate.

We said our goodbyes, and I ushered him to his car seat and fastened the seat belt.

Then I walked to the front of the car to go to the driver’s seat and when I was exactly in front of the car, the wind blew and blew my dress all the way up!

What a horror! My underwear was totally exposed and I rapidly move my hands to bring down my dress.

I looked around and felt relieved that no one was around (everyone already left since I was late). It must be the reason why I got late to spare me from shame!

I got in the car and told #1 what happened.

And at that instant, I told myself that I’ll get rid of all my knee-length dresses and will review my wardrobe to make sure that all my clothes are modest enough to avoid the experience or similar ones from happening again in the future.

Final Thoughts on Why I Started Dressing Modestly

I am still in the process of building my modest wardrobe. But I’m doing it slowly, so I won’t feel the financial part that comes with it. And besides, I am still trying to find the dressing styles that I truly like.

I still have tops that are not sleeveless, but only have a tiny bit of sleeves. I want to get rid of them, but because I have several, it will be expensive if I get rid of them all at once.

I will replace them, slowly, and I will take my time to really find clothes that I really like, so I can enjoy them for a long time.

How about you, are you into modest dressing, too? If yes, what made you get started? If not yet, would you want to try it soon? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

Dressing modestly is a great way to feel more comfortable in your own skin, and it is also a great way to stay true to your beliefs. I hope that you will join me in dressing modestly and that you will also share this philosophy with your friends and family.

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