"I will therefore . . . that women adorn themselves in modest apparel" (1 Tim. 2:8,9).

In Scripture women are exhorted to dress modestly. Why is this? The answer is to be found in
Christ’s words which form part of the Sermon on the Mount:"Whosoever looketh on a woman
to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). No woman
should dress in such a way that her appearance is likely to arouse lust in a man.

The last several years have seen an almost total collapse of moral values in the world and a
corresponding skimpiness of dress among young women. These attitudes and fashions are making
inroads among the Lord’s people and among the sons and daughters of the Lord’s people. Perhaps
some of the young women who are wearing these skimpy outfits might say, "But we are not trying
to arouse lust; we are only wearing what is stylish and trying to look attractive." Why do clothing
styles change? Fashion designers freely publicize the fact that styles are changed on the basis of
a principle sometimes called "shifting erotic areas." That is, when men are no longer stimulated
by looking at one part of a woman’s body, the fashions are changed to cover that part and expose
another. Those of us over twenty can see how this works. Ten or twelve years ago legs were
exposed (miniskirts); the past few years have seen backs and shoulders exposed, at least in the
summer (sun-dresses). So the purpose of the fashion designers is to design clothes which will
arouse lust even if that is not the purpose of those who wear the clothes. As to looking attractive,
all young women should realize that any young man attracted by immodest dress or behavior
would not be worth having anyway, and any relationship built primarily on sexual attraction is
bound for disaster.

Perhaps no young people are reading this article, but, I hope, parents are. Parents, I urge you to
counsel with your sons and daughters as to the appropriateness of their dress and behavior.
Encourage your sons to discuss what they find attractive in young women and what qualities they
should be looking for, according to Scripture. Encourage your daughters to want to attract
spiritually mature young men and to want to be spiritually mature themselves. Only relationships
with a strong spiritual foundation will survive the wear and tear of the years and bring glory to
God and happiness to the participants.