Why What We Wear Matters | Feminine Fashion for Christian Women

Ladies,

Why talk about dressing femininely as a Christian woman? It comes from the truth that God created us uniquely woman from man. Our dress acknowledges and honors this design.

Fashion can be a difficult and overwhelming topic for women so this is a topic I approach with the utmost gentleness. I never want a woman to walk away feeling discouraged on this topic. This should be a fun discovery, not a burden!

First, there is a scripture that is important to know so that we can exercise discernment about what is pleasing to God.

Jesus fulfilled the law we could never fulfill and atoned for our sin on the cross. He was the perfect sacrifice who took away our sins by his sacrifice being accepted by God the Father ONCE for all. What we wear is important but it’s not the way you are saved. Our righteousness is from Jesus Christ alone. Our decisions to honor Him flow from our love for him and is the evidence of our faith.

In God’s design, we are distinctly male and female, and we are told in scripture to dress according to this design. We are to dress uniquely male, or uniquely female.

The heart of this matter is that a woman should not try to look male, and neither should males try to look female.

This is what makes androgenous clothing a problem for Christian women.

The world seeks to blur the lines of the sexes. Androgenous clothing is praised and glorified as attractive on a female. But much of modern clothing can easily degrade women from looking distinctly female and make us look like men and we would hardly notice because we are conditioned to see androgenous fashion as normal and attractive.

You may not be giving it much thought but things you reach for all the time may be completely interchangeable with a man’s wardrobe.

Think about how we got here. Women in many ways are expected to be masculine. Now days just wearing a dress makes people think you are quite odd. I would say this is an example of how we are expected to be masculine instead of feminine. No one bats an eye when you wear an entire outfit that a man could wear. But people will ask you why you wear dresses as daily clothing. Why is that? It’s because femininity became an odd thing or a dressy thing that is only allowed so often. How this happened is a whole other bag of worms. I would say it’s much like eating an elephant one bite at a time. The point is, women have been masculinized to the point that people see feminine style as costumes, or outdated, or uncomfortable for daily wear.

We need to discern all things as Christians, even what we wear.

As Christian women, we should be an example of beautiful femininity to our daughters, nieces, and to a lost world. We should be gloriously and distinctly female.

Choose items that are not translated as androgynous

Androgyny is a word created to blur the lines between male and female. No matter what items you choose, there are pieces that are feminine vs masculine and ways to pair them that are distinctly feminine.

Common items that look masculine/androgynous:

T-Shirts

Beware of the t-shirt. Boxy, shapeless, wrinkly, sometimes even with a plunging neckline. Look at your t-shirts and ask yourself if it could be worn by a man minus the plunging neckline. Many of them could. The plunging neckline does not make it feminine; it makes it immodest.

The Most Feminine t-shirts

Wear elevated t-shirts as opposed to the plain boxy style of t-shirt that men wear. Elbow length sleeves, square necklines, crew neckline, high-low hemline and tulip hemline. These are t-shirt styles that look distinctly feminine.

Button Down Shirts

This is a style that can look straight up like a man’s shirt. Women’s button downs in plaid can look exactly like a man’s plaid button down. Unless the color palette is overtly feminine like pinks and purples, steer completely away from this style as it does look like men’s clothing. There are many womanly looking blouses in fabrics and cuts that are feminine, there is no reason to wear plaid button-down shirts if you want a button-down blouse. If warmth is the issue, layer insulating under shirts beneath feminine looking blouses.

Distinctly Feminine Fashion Features

There are many distinctly feminine styles that will make any woman look feminine: peplum style tops, puffed sleeves, feminine fabrics (prints & colors), belted coats that highlight an hourglass shape, feminine hats and gloves, etc.

Jeans & Boots

Jeans and boots can steer very manly looking. In these clothing items it is all about the right styles. Wear jeans that look like women’s jeans and boots that have a slimmer toe profile. Men’s boots tend to have square toes. Pair your jeans with a feminine top not a shirt that can look manly. Skinny jeans that tuck into boots look feminine.

Accessories

Wear accessories to look distinctly feminine. It could be earrings, a necklace, a scarf, pretty hair clips. These things enhance our beauty, making us look distinctly feminine. Aim to differentiate yourself from the way a man looks. Sometimes a lack of styling with accessories can make us look more masculine, especially as we age but even for young women.

Scent

Showering often and having good hygiene is so important as is wearing deodorant. You can also wear a feminine perfume to take things up a notch as a feminine woman. Be it more floral or fruity, these distinctly feminine scents set us apart from men.

Our design is to be feminine to the glory of God. Embrace being a woman and dress yourself with dignity and grace.

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