It is very refreshing today to see how much the issue of the requirement of modesty in dress among women and girls is raised amidst some of the worst conditions of dress in recent history. This is just a start toward regaining some dignity around the mode of dress of the young ladies of today, and as usual it will have to come from those in the Catholic Church. Among the religions who claim to be Christian, it is only the Catholic Church that has stuck to unchanging moral principles for its faithful to follow.
Still there are many Catholics who are in denial that the way a person (principally a woman) dresses could be an actual sin. In reading different replies and commentaries on the subject I have observed the following progression through some stages of denial of the sin of immodest dress:
1. I’m just dressing comfortably and fashionably. This would seem to be the stage of a pagan female with no moral formation whatsoever. Unfortunately, Catholic teaching on the topic has been so sparse and vague that most Catholics have fallen into this way of thinking. There is really little, if any, thought given to any morality connected with dress. The utmost concern is if they are fashionably “in” so as to be attractive. Of course, that is quite natural. No one, except maybe some heroically virtuous saints throughout history, would want to appear unattractive. Yes, there were some female saints who deliberately made themselves unattractive so as not to cause others to lust. But for the most part, everyone wants to be attractive, and females in particular have a sensitivity about their appearance. Then the next major issue for most regarding dress is comfort. So, if the weather is warm, most females will dress in attire that covers less for comfort without considering they are revealing more of their bodies and the impact that has on men. Finally, the common thought at this stage is that regardless of how I dress “no one is looking at me,” meaning to say there are so many younger more desirable females around that I would not draw any man’s attention.
