My BIG IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This blog shares my opinion on jeans, leggings, and modesty. This opinion is not universal and I do not mean to say that my guidelines for modesty are for everyone. I believe that we all have our own way of dressing and determining what clothes to wear. I do not intend for my guidelines to be used as a judgment or comparison mechanism for how others dress. I do not think that what one wears determines the goodness of that person or their religion. I believe in friendly comments and an open mind! In my first blog I wrote about how I stopped wearing leggings as pants (for the most part. Read that here) and why I deem them immodest when worn as pants. However, in my modesty guidelines, I stated that I am okay with wearing jeans (I used to HATE jeans by the way). This is a question that I have asked and is something I’m sure you may be wondering, too: “Jess, how are jeans any more modest than leggings.” I’m glad you asked! Let me tell you how. First, I would like to say that I do not believe all jeans are modest.
So then…How are jeans more modest? Jeans are more modest than leggings because they have pockets (albeit sometimes fake or very shallow. Why??) that skillfully cover the bum. How is this modest? It covers those darn panty lines that love showing up when one wears leggings as pants. I find that I can wear just about any pair of underwear I want with jeans and not have to worry about panty lines. Leggings, however, tend to require certain underwear (thongs and thin panties) so that the lines do not show. The reason this makes leggings immodest is the fact that leggings are too thin and are prepared to show off what one has underneath. This includes one’s underwear, one’s outlined bum, and one’s crotch. These areas are intimate and are not meant to be a show and tell to the world. I find that jeans, when they fit right and are thick enough, do a good job of covering these areas. Many have also asked “is it really appropriate to be showing off your legs at all? Shouldn’t you just wear a skirt?” My answer: No. BUT I love a good skirt! Let me elaborate: This is where my personal preference and beliefs come into play (not that they weren’t in play before). I think that leggings as pants are inappropriate because of how much they reveal in intimate areas. I think that some jeans can be worn so long as they fit well, are without rips, are of a higher cut (I prefer them to sit on my hips), and are not skin tight or baggy beyond control. These are my personal beliefs that you may or may not agree with. I think it is important for everyone to come up with their own guidelines for clothes that work for them! So, what are my guidelines on jeans? YES to jeans that sit on my hips or higher NO to jeans with rips or tears in them (especially in the legs, bum, and crotch) YES to jeans that are of a nice thicker-than-leggings material with pockets (so as not to worry about my intimates showing) NO to jeans that reveal anything when I bend over YES to 1-2 pairs of jeans that fit WELL (because I don’t want to have a ton, and only need one or two) NO to white jeans (they are basically see through) and... NO to jeans that have stains or drawings on them! My bottom of the line rule is that if I wouldn’t wear it in the classroom as a teacher on a casual Friday, I probably shouldn’t wear it anywhere else but at home or other private places (or even at all). Here are some examples of jeans to give you a visual of my guidelines. Would I Wear It?Thank you all so much for reading and I do hope that this was helpful to you in some way. Remember to leave a friendly comment down below and I will catch you in my next blog!
~Jess
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Dedicated to my friends
who knew the answer all along My HUGE DISCLAIMER: I am in no way stating that there is only one right way to wear clothes and that my guidelines are for everyone to follow. I do not believe that what one wears determines the goodness of that person or their religion. I do not believe that people who wear leggings as pants are bad people. I wore leggings as pants and sometimes I still do. The guidelines listed in this blog are simply guidelines. I do not believe there is one set of correct rules for clothing that applies to all people. I do not think that guidelines are forever. Change can be good. These are my opinions and only mine. I am happy to and encourage others to have other beliefs from my own that best fit them. Lastly, please do not think that your clothes are the end all be all to determine who you are as a person! I honestly never thought I would be writing a blog on this topic. I’ve seen it written again and again about everyone’s opinion on the matter. I usually disagreed with those opinions. In fact, I loved leggings. Unlike jeans, they fit my long legs and my wide hips with ease. They’re slimming and go with just about anything. So why on Earth would I ever say that leggings are not pants? Well… I’ll tell you. I suppose it all started in high school. I dreaded the days when I would have to try pants on in the fitting rooms of retail stores. I had just finished middle school, where I strictly followed the dress code of no bra straps showing, no tight clothes, and no shorts shorter than your fingers tips when arms were at your sides. But this was high school, and there were no pressing dress codes. So, leggings came into my life and I no longer had to worry about pants being an issue or the crying that came from trying on clothes that never fit. Fast forward to my junior year of high school. My at-the-time boyfriend and I broke up and I felt exposed emotionally and physically. I became aware of how I dressed and how I could cover myself more, or rather differently, so as not to feel like I was allowing others to view my body in such an intimate way. I began wearing only skirts. I talk about that experience here and address if I still wear only skirts today. My senior year of high school I went back to leggings and have been wearing them up to today. So why am I of the leggings are not pants opinion? WELL… My college is notorious for dressing with ripped clothes and minimal coverage. It is eye opening to see people walking by in the dining hall wearing a bra as a shirt or jeans with rips on each side of the bum. Three people during one of my meals walked by in tight leggings where I could see a little too many intimate details of their rears. I looked down at myself and thought surely my leggings are thick enough to be pants. And honestly, they are fairly thicker than what those individuals were wearing, but not thick enough to be pants. That was it. I decided that leggings are not pants and I need to take a journey to modesty. So what does my journey to modesty look like? You can see that here. But below you can find my guidelines: NO to leggings as pants YES to jeans (but how are those more modest than leggings? I write about that here) NO to showing cleavage YES to tank tops NO to revealing tops (crop tops, fish net, etc) YES to wearing clothes I LOVE in a modest way: Skirts, shorts, pants, dresses, and tops. and... YES to leggings as pants WHEN at home! AND THAT’S IT! Simple guidelines that I can change or adapt as needed. I am excited for this journey and if you would like to watch it go ahead and subscribe to my Youtube channel here where I show you modest OOTDs (outfit of the days) and more! Thank you all for reading and remember to leave a friendly comment down below! ~Jess |
Life can get stressful! My goal for this blog is to inspire others to step away from that stress and honor God with their lifestyle in the way He intends them to.
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