If you've read the last few posts of mine, you'll know that I love to be exact. I love to get the exact definition, read the exact verse, figure out what the exact meaning is, and make sure it all fits together exactly.

Today's post is going to be a little different, simply because I am discussing something that isn't talked about in the Bible a whole lot. It is the subject of much confusion in the world. Some people write long articles, going back to the Greek and Hebrew roots of every word, trying to prove their case. Believe me, I've thought about doing that. Because if I have a good reason for a certain decision, why doesn't everyone else think it's pretty good too?

The problem is, God didn't always give us exact commands. He often gave us very general guidelines, leaving the freedom for us to make choices that vary from household to household. This is one of those instances. So today, I am going to share my personal reasons for wearing skirts.

First, let's look the one verse that is the center of all of the kafuffle.

Deuteronomy 22:5:

“A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.”

This is a theme that we find often in scripture—dating back from the very beginning. Man and Woman were created differently, with different roles, and God wants them to look different too. I won't write down all of the verses that uphold this theme, because there are so, so many. I heard someone refer to men and women as complimentary. Complimentary colors look wonderful together, yet they are distinct from each other. I think this is a good analogy.

The idea of masculinity and femininity is ingrained into our hearts. When you hear the word “Feminine” what do you think of? What about “Masculine?” I'm willing to bet that they're different. In very general terms, my idea of masculinity is bold and hardy, femininity, soft and pretty.

So even if it is a general idea, everyone pretty much knows what feminine means, and what masculine means.

Another important thing that I consider is modesty, because there is a lot out there that is feminine, and not modest—or modest, and not feminine.

1 Timothy 2:9a:

“...likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control...”

Modesty is hard too, because again, mostly God doesn't give us exact boundaries.

In summary, the two general things that God does require in scripture for women in terms of clothing are modesty and femininity.

So, why have I chosen skirts above pants in my persuit of these traits?

(It goes without being said that many many skirts are immodest. They are either too tight, or too short—or both—or the way they are shaped emphasizes certain points on our figures that really don't need to be emphasized. When I say “skirts,” as opposed to pants, I am not talking about that kind.)

~Shape

I think that pants are just really hard to figure out. Yes, they can be feminine. Yes, they can be modest. But can they be both at the same time? I'm not sure.

Think about it. Women's pants are cut to flatter a woman's figure. If I saw a man wearing women's pants, I'd know it, and I'd be disgusted. So they are feminine. But in my opinion, women's pants are too revealing of the thigh/rear area. I know I feel exposed in them. So I go to the looser pants, but as they get looser, they start working towards the men's section, and that isn't what I want either. Pants are really hard to get right.

Here's an idea I love the look of, and am hoping to be able to try soon. In my opinion, it is both modest and feminine, while wearing pants at the same time.

I would get some cute women's pants or capris, and either wear a tunic, or a dress that would be too short without anything under it. I personally favor the dress idea because I think it would probably be more tailored, and there are so many dresses that are made of adorable fabric, but they're just too short! I see them all the time at the thrift store, and always wish I had something I could do with them. I can't wait to try this out!

~History

This is definitely not the first reason, but as an old-fashioned kind of girl, I tend to lean towards skirts because it was the feminists who first brought women's pants into the scene. I, of course, don't advocate pounds of undergarments and suffocating corsets, as was the style during the women's suffrage period, but nowadays, skirts are easier than they have been for a long time, and maybe ever.

As a side note, many people who think it is weird to wear skirts all the time, call those who do, “Prairie Muffins,” and similar terms, indicating that it's frumpy, and that we need to get out of the past and live in the 21^st century. I'd like to say two things. One, skirts don't have to be frumpy. Many are beautiful—and I have yet to see a pair of pants that made me go, “Ooh! Those are gorgeous!” as skirts and dresses certainly have. (Cute and flattering, yes—just not gorgeous.) One just has to use good taste and learn about which styles suit her figure. Two, about the Prairie Muffin thing, I'd like to say that, though we don't want to go back and exactly copy history, we do want to learn from the mistakes, and seek to imitate the godly examples (of course, adapting to our time-period as needed). Personally, I'd rather imitate an older part of history that we know to be a blessed and godly era, than be “in style” and imitate a culture that is becoming more and more secular every day.

~Personal preference

Skirts are pretty! Skirts flow, skirts twirl, and even if they aren't the only feminine attire to be worn, skirts in this era are a unique women's garment. I love pretty skirts, because they're girly and they make me feel like a princess. Skirts say, “Yes! God made me a woman, and I love it.” I believe that, and I want to say it with the clothes that I wear.

So, while I don't believe that pants in general are to be shunned or avoided, I think there are certain things we can do to make them more modest, while staying feminine at the same time—and vice versa—and I think that lots of skirts do a pretty good job of being those things anyways, so I might as well wear them. :-)

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