“Why Do You and Your Daughters Wear Long Skirts?”

Although the title of this post reflects a question we have been asked occasionally down through the years, it seems that lately, it has happened more frequently. From an individual at the senior center to a worker at Kroger to a customer walking out the door at IGA, we have very recently found ourselves in conversations regarding our apparel with complete strangers. It was when we were once again asked this question – this time in a comment on social media – that we decided to share our response in the form of a blog post.

Because this subject can be a topic of controversy, I very kindly make the following statements and reminders to others who may happen to come over and read this particular article.

This is a Mother/Daughter blog, not a debate forum 😊. You have come to this blog and are reading this article by your own choosing. If you don’t agree with something that is said, that is your choice. If you feel the need to express your differences of opinion, I encourage you to find your own platform via social media, blog, etc.

This post is in direct response to a question from one of our readers. We could have responded privately but, because of the recent increase in our lives of this particular question, we have chosen to make our response public.

In the following article, when I say “we”, I am referring to my two daughters who are still at home and myself. I am NOT referring to every other lady/girl in the world who happens to wear skirts and dresses full time. I do not know the heart of anyone else and therefore realize that reasons could vary tremendously.

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“Why Do You and Your Daughters Wear Long Skirts?”

Dear Lyn,

Thank you for your question! As I told you earlier, I am happy to respond (although I do apologize for the delay).

Before I address the “why”, I would like to give some reasons that are NOT why we dress as we do.

1. Because we need to work our way to Heaven

Do we only wear long skirts/dresses in hopes of making it to Heaven someday?

Absolutely not! The Bible is very clear about this. Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

There is NOTHING AT ALL that we can do to earn our way to Heaven.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” Titus 3:5

Jesus did it ALL for us when He came to this earth over 2000 years ago and gave His life on the cross for our sins!

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

2. Because we need to meet the requirements of our church

Do we only wear long skirts/dresses to please a pastor and obey a set of rules?

Absolutely not! Because we have accepted Christ as our personal Saviour, we have the Holy Spirit living within us to guide us each day.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” John 16:13

God’s Word is the final authority in our lives. Although we fail often, we strive, by God’s grace, to read His Word daily and apply what we’ve read to our own personal walk.

3. Because my husband/dad asks for us to dress this way

Do we only wear long skirts/dresses because we are expected to in our home?

Absolutely not! How I (Rachel) dress is 100% my own decision. I honestly can’t think of one time when my husband and I have had a conversation about how I should dress. As a mother, however, I have had conversations with my daughters concerning a lady’s apparel. Although I cannot see their hearts – only God can – I do truly believe they share the same personal convictions. Ultimately, however, that is between them and the Lord.

4. Because I was raised this way by my parents

Do I (Rachel) only wear long skirts/dresses NOW because of my upbringing?

Absolutely not! Although I was raised in a Christian home where this was taught, I have been out of my childhood home for over 40 years now. Yes, there was a time when I wore dresses and skirts ONLY because my parents expected it but my reasons for doing so now have nothing to do with pleasing my parents.

So, why do we wear long skirts and dresses?

To Exemplify Modesty

I think we all know that, where women are more affected by touch and words, men are mainly affected by what they see. The Bible speaks of this very plainly in Matthew 5:28,

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

I realize that there are some perverts who will have wicked thoughts no matter what we are wearing. I also know there are Godly men out there who truly desire to resist temptation and have the attitude of Job who said,

“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Job 31:1

Even though we cannot control whether a man looks and lusts, we can control whether or not we are intentionally inviting men to lust by how we dress. Our choices of clothing are based on our decision to strive to avoid wearing what would draw attention to our bodies and/or accentuate private body parts and thus invite temptation. (This may sound a bit humorous – “YOU, tempt a man to lust???” As an older Christian lady, I am not only responsible for myself but also for others who may be looking to me as an example.)

Although your question specifically addressed our wearing of skirts, our modest clothing choices also apply to our tops, blouses, etc. To choose our apparel carefully, we know that our clothing should be modest not just when we are standing but also when we are sitting, or perhaps squatting to reach something on a low shelf in a grocery store, or maybe reaching up to a top shelf, etc., etc. We have found that loose-fitting, longer garments are a wise choice for all of these possible scenarios. On the other hand, clothing that is tight, low-cut, see-through, short, etc. reveals and/or accentuates areas of our body that should be for our husband’s (or future husband’s) eyes only.

For further reading, here is another article on this topic of modesty:

“We Can Cause Temptation” – Mom (inthineheart.com)

To Embrace Womanhood

In the beginning, God created two genders – male and female.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27

Today, despite what some would like for us to believe, there are still two genders – male and female…man and woman. When I was born, the doctor proclaimed, “It’s a girl!” or something like that…I was actually too young to remember 😊. The fact that I was a girl at birth makes me an almost 60-year-old woman now.

I think that if I had written this post a few years ago, one of my reasons for wearing skirts and dresses would have been, “to encourage distinction between men and women” or something along those lines. Today, as I think about what to write, I can’t help but reflect on the current agenda being pushed in our world – the attempt to blur the lines between male and female and eventually erase gender distinction. All of this absurdity has, if anything, strengthened my resolve to embrace womanhood. I am thankful that dresses and skirts are still primarily recognized by the world as the apparel of a woman and my desire is to be associated with that apparel…because I am a woman.

Another reason we wear long dresses and skirts is that we just feel more feminine. We have observed many times that men seem to act like gentlemen and treat us like ladies when in our presence. I am thankful for that and I believe that is the way it should be. I am reminded of a quote by Elisabeth Elliot:

“To me, a lady is not frilly, flouncy, flippant, frivolous and fluff-brained, but she is gentle, she is gracious, she is godly and she is giving. You and I have the gift of femininity; the more womanly we are, the more manly men will be and the more God is glorified.”

Elisabeth Elliot

Lyn, thank you again for your question! I do hope that this response helps you better understand the “whys” of how we dress. Although we fail so very often, our desire is to bring honor and glory to God in every aspect of our lives!