Whenever I write about being Plain outside a traditional plain community, I get a lot of comments here and on facebook about why, and how, someone tried it and left. Well, we all have our own faith-path to walk. Sometimes it was nothing but a notion, a bit of romance, and was not a vocation. Sometimes, though, someone lost their nerve, and couldn’t face a sense of criticism or rejection. But the world will always reject Christians who do not compromise with Satan. That is the way it is and always has been for more than 2000 years.
The last post on this struck a general nerve in the opening description of a young woman who suddenly rejected the Plain life in which she was raised and lived. I was not focussing on her story; it was a mere example of how sometimes people miss the point entirely of Plain life. The essay following on living as if at sea was the focus. But Plain dress makes people nervous.
If you dress Plain, fine. Do it because you are called to it, and if your community doesn’t understand, just keep doing it. You are not as conspicuous as you think. Don’t be afraid to be different. In a Plain community, Plain dress serves the same purpose as a habit does for nuns and monks. It makes people equal. Besides its practicality – and it is practical, especially if you sew, and even if you buy your Plain dress, it is cheaper overall than fashionable clothes – it is a group identifier, and a reminder to the wearer that they are separated from the world. This is the most important part of Plain. Separation. If your faith is accommodating to the world, you will not want to be Plain. Most Christians never feel the call to be separate, even as we are told by the gospels and the epistles to be so. (I recommend the Epistles attributed to Peter.) Early Christians were recognized on the street as such by their unique, old-fashioned (for the time) clothing and their gentle manners. They were also the people hauling the sick and injured and starving out of the alleys and gutters and taking them off to a hospice of some sort. In the first century, Christians were notably different.
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2012, 01, 25 at 5:57 pm
Brenda
Well I dress plain and fashion.. I do both.. Most of the time in the summer its the dress apron and head covering.. Reasons I like it cool to work in… In the winter I where some but not so much I do wear pants I’m always cold and long johns and legging is a must for me… have a great day..
2012, 01, 25 at 6:02 pm
magdalenaperks
The question would be if you do it only for practical reasons or if it is a religious conviction.
2012, 01, 26 at 1:36 am
Brenda
As Our Pastor would say its not what you wear.. We are thankful you walked though the door we don’t judge you on what you wear…
2012, 01, 25 at 7:56 pm
Susan W
“But Plain dress makes people nervous”.
You don’t even have to dress Plain to make people nervous. Modest dressing is enough around here. IN ABQ and surrounding areas, modest dressing and long hair: either in a bun or hanging down or in a long braid is enough to provoke disdainful looks at best or outright stares and audible snickers and comments at worse.
Locally in my own small city, I am mistaken for an attendee of the local United Pentecostal church that is up the street where the members are known to jump, run around the sanctuary and cry during the service. I feel this is out of order. I do have a few acquaintances there but I won’t become a member for if I do, that is implying that I approve of their practices and church doctrine, which I don’t. That is too bad because I do like the people there.
But, yes, modest dressing does make people nervous, not only because it shows that we stand for an ideal, but I think more so and mostly in the past 10 years or more, some people think, since you are dressed like that you are politically aligned to the uber right and part of that voting blocs that are called the “Religious Right”, “Conservative (politically, that is) Christians” or the “Evangelical Christians”, of which I am none of these.
2012, 01, 25 at 8:24 pm
maria
I have never been called to plain dressing. Not the way you have. I have been called to simpler clothing, which is not ostentatious or filled with ornamentation. To me this is a calling, since I come from the world of fashion. I already attract enough attention being a skirt only woman…everything else comes naturally not because of practical reasons but because of a leading from My Creator.
As always Magdalena, your honesty is inspiring.
m.
2012, 01, 25 at 11:12 pm
Michelle P.
I tried for full on two years to ignore God when He was calling me to cover and dress like I do now. If I had known the peace and contentment I feel now, I would not have ignored the call for so long. But mostly it keeps me focused where I should be and sometimes gives me a chance to witness to or just be a silent witness for Christ.
2012, 01, 26 at 1:03 am
Sarah Elliott
Magdalena,
Indeed. The two words that come to mind are ‘Catastole (excuse lousy transliteration) used by St. Peter concerning the type of dress (loose flowing robe – the ‘abaya’ is the closest example we have today, now worn almost exclusively by our Muslim sisters, but until the 20th century, worn by both ME Muslim and Christian women) and the word expressly used to refer to the cloth covering in 1 Cor 11: 3-16; ‘Catacalupto’ (again, appologies for lousy transliteration). In the verses that many mistake for hair being our covering, the word ‘Parabolian’ (yet another appology for lousy transliteration) is employed; by context, example and language, it is clear that headcovering is mandated (not merely for the Corinthian community of the first century A.D.) but for all time; However, due to the Inspiration of Holy Scripture concerning Christianity being a faith for all people in all times, a hard and fast ordenance concerning colour and cut of covering has not been given. for ME Christians, it is very similar to hijab (some elderly ladies at church still wear this in preference to the mantilla that we young things have taken to). for Teutonics and Nordics, it may be the Kapp style, for the various African and Asian groups, it may be a wrap or dupata in keeping with their community, for South Americans, a local covering again…all cultures have their own variant of ‘Plain’ as these questions are universal questions, and God’s word is also universal. A study of the history of costume and fashion will show that pants in the Western context are something to be soberly examined before choosing them as everyday wear; the encyclopedia of Costume and Fashon by Doreen yarwood is a good starting point. There are several other additional titles that provide an excellent history of clothing in the West (the cultural paradigm for most readers of this blog I expect). the Plain dress, be it austeer plain or less so and its derivatives are, in my thinking, best practice for we Western women (as is plain mens’ attire for our Brothers in Christ). Once again, dear readers, never be ashamed of the King’s uniform’.
Blessings,
Sarah,
Australia.
2012, 01, 26 at 5:47 am
magdalenaperks
Both Greek words here imply a complete covering: kata-stole – the overwrap or drape (a full tunic) and the parabolion – the large covering, like something arched, as a veil. I don’t have the Septuagint available – is it the same word for the veiling Moses used when he came down from Sinai with his face shining?
2012, 01, 26 at 3:21 am
joanie
If your faith is accomodating to the world, you said, you won’t want to be plain. Just reminds me of one of the days I went kookoo or however you spell it and ended up wearing something I had stashed away for a kookoo day ( they always come and I should know that). Modest yes, but my own unusual and quirky style. And everyone smiled at me and someone who knew me said I was so much happier dressed that way – I just bounced around. I was beginning to bounce less at that point and shortly therafter some woman told me how beautiful I was ( didn’t I want to hear that??) and I almost cried right there. In fact, the last time I did this – not too long ago – two women came to me and asked me to help one of the women figure out how to wear a scarf creatively for a dinner party that night, as I looked like a woman who knew fashion. I kid you not that this happened. I came out to the car with my long face and my husband knew I had had another crazy encounter. Vanity vanity vanity. Every single time I have fallen into this kookoo mode I have people making over me and then I also see a plain woman wherever plain women are not apt to be seen and I crumble. I suppose it is that I am weak. And often we don’t get to go anywhere for so long besides a quick dash into a store and then it is back to a world where nothing seems to matter but illness. I needed the posts.
Joanie
2012, 01, 26 at 5:11 am
magdalenaperks
Flattery can get to be addictive, can’t it?
2012, 01, 26 at 6:22 am
Sarah Elliott
Magdalena,
This was dredged up from memory courtesy of an on-line Christian friend’s own study of the subject via a Greek interlinear Bible and Strong’s Concordence; (I have access to neither) I can easily ask her to check up the Moses reference. I would give a great deal to have access to the
2012, 01, 26 at 2:23 pm
paulaayn
I don’t know, it must be an American/Canadian thing. I have never received anything but good comments. I’m not as plain as Magdalena. I’m more of a modest/conservative look. Ella and I only wear dresses. Ever since Ella was born I’ve been told how wonderful it is to see ‘a girl dressed as a girl’. I don’t understand the rude comments some women get for wearing dresses.
2012, 01, 30 at 2:34 am
Sarah elliott
Paula,
I think you are correct there; A close friend of my husband and I recently travelled to the US; on a bus, she was accosted by a fellow passenger about her perfume etc; now she only wears it lightly (doesn’t exactly drench herself in half a bottle of Chanel #5) with said passenger commenting that she stank. I know others who a have had these types of experiences, and as for modesty/dresses/covering, the all too regular difficulties faced by many women on several internet fora I belong to (who reside in the US/Canada) reinforce this. Sad, to me, as I have often thought of these peoples as polite and courteous who would never be so rude as to cause such grief to another. Additionally, fellow Christian women appear to be the most toxic of all – VERY uncharitable if you ask me!
2012, 02, 02 at 1:53 am
Venera
I have never had a bad comment made to my face or in my hearing about my clothing. But then again, I truly do not care what others think of my clothing now that I am out of the work world. For nearly 20 years I worked in the legal world where a skirt suit was nearly a uniform for women, especially those of us above secretary level. For quite a few years after I became disabled I did wear somewhat loose pants and modest tops that went to the elbows. As my disability has progressed, I have found that skirts and dresses are just plain easier to deal with. I have worn a cap for a year plus or minus. My grandson was giving me grief about taking time to put my cap on since we were leaving the house right after getting dressed. I told him: “I know it doesn’t make sense to the rest of the family, but wearing my caps helps me and makes me feel better.” They really do help me feel better now, but at first it was Heavenly Father telling me that it wasn’t just a passing flirtation with caps, that I was to wear them.