While Elle magazine hyped Miley Cyrus' entrée into womanhood with another sexualized photo shoot, Marie Claire's current issue gave a nod to a promising trend among tween and teen girls: modest fashion.
Writer Amanda Robb detailed the efforts of the faith-based Pure Fashion program, a program she labeled "Barbizon Modeling Schools for Sandra Dee types." According to the Pure Fashion Web site, it seeks to "help young girls develop into young ladies." Pure Fashion consists of seven monthly training sessions and concludes with a fashion show that highlights modest clothing.
Of the program as a whole, Robb conceded, "In the era of sexting and ‘Gossip Girl'-esque man-eating, there's something intriguing about Pure Fashion, which teaches its young charges that self-esteem isn't measured in terms of inches above the knee."
But fashion magazines lean liberal, and Robb tempered her praise of the program with an obligatory and brainless dig at the idea of Christian modesty: "Faith-based efforts to promote primness can be worrisome; one need only look to Tehran, Kabul and Jerusalem to find the disturbing phenomenon of ‘modesty police.'"
Given that Marie Claire is a fashion magazine, Robb focused much of her report on the conservative clothing styles Pure Fashion promotes. Of one teen's decision to layer "loose-fitting babydoll tops" over "cleavage-covering camis," she wrote, "her wardrobe rarely draws second glances from guys. And that's the point."
Pure Fashion goes far beyond teaching girls to cover their bodies. Robb briefly noted that the program teaches "walking and sitting like a lady" and "the deeper meaning of modesty and purity."
But a quick perusal of Pure Fashion's Web site indicated that the program directors undertand being lady-like is more than dressing the part. "Pure Fashion models will learn the basics of growing into distinguished, capable and respectful young women," the site stated. "Pure Fashion models will also be taught the art of makeup and hairstyling, all the while remembering that grace, decency and dignity are our greatest adornments."
Sure enough, the qualifications to be a Pure Fashion model emphasize behavior over looks:
- A model of virtue
- Wholesome and happy
- Modest in her thoughts, words and actions
- Convinced of her dignity and acting accordingly
- Sincere and unselfish
- Generous and grateful
- Prudent in her decisions
- Kind and gentle with others
- Energetic and enthusiastic
- Stylish yet dignified
- Courageous in defending what is true and right
- Pure of heart
- Obedient to God's commandments
- Committed to Chastity
- Follower of Christ
- Helpful at home
- A leader of many and a servant to all
- Obedient and optimistic
- Proud to be PURE!
There's a market for a program such as this. Robb noted that despite the $450 program fee and the current state of the economy, Pure Fashion "has seen enrollment grow 20 percent over the last two years." A sidebar accompanying the article showed that attendance at Pure Fashion shows has nearly tripled from 3300 in 2005 to 10,000 this year.
Pure Fashion is linked to the Catholic group Regnum Christi, which encourages Catholics to center their daily lives around their faith. But religion aside, Pure Fashion teaches young women to have self-respect, something even the most die-hard fashionistas should agree that will never go out of style.
—Colleen Raezler is a research assistant at the Culture and Media Institute
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it's really amazing
August 20, 2009 - 14:55 ET by candanceLibs scream in rage if the sloppery slope is argued against gay marriage, public profanity, or legal abortion.
But OMO, modest clothing means you're about to put on a burqa!
False Analogy
August 20, 2009 - 15:06 ET by Anneke9"Faith-based efforts to promote primness can be worrisome; one need
only look to Tehran, Kabul and Jerusalem to find the disturbing
phenomenon of ‘modesty police.'"
Tehran? Kabul? Damn straight. Just so long as we're not expected to infer that the Judeo-Christian Western societies that allow these fashion magazines to flourish are equally complicit. But of course, to a Lib, Bush=Hitler, Conservatives=Nazis, Christians=Islamists.
Camouflage conservative in Baghdad-by-the-Bay
Comparing Christians to those enforcing the wearing Burqa?
August 20, 2009 - 15:20 ET by mwbri"Faith-based efforts to promote primness can be worrisome; one need only
look to Tehran, Kabul and Jerusalem to find the disturbing phenomenon
of ‘modesty police.'"
It is very to hard to take such a statement seriously. Robb is seemingly obliviously to the fact that perhaps millions of American professing Christians do not take modestly seriously (they do not dress different from their non-religious peers). And even the strictest Christian sects for modesty are entirely different from the burqa-enforced regions of the world. What does Jerusalem have to do with Tehran and Kabul? Her dig is only effective with people who do not think through issues seriously. Oh well, it is a fashion magazine.
A scary word
August 20, 2009 - 17:13 ET by KC MulvilleI don't care much for fashion, but I like the idea of promoting women to be ladies.
Let's not forget the men, now. For most of its history, Jesuit schools (along with many others, to be sure) considered it a worthy mission to teach young men to become gentlemen. When's the last time you heard that?
I'm trying to remember the last movie that celebrated being a gentleman. "An Officer and a Gentleman?" At best, you could argue it celebrated self-discipline, and while that's certainly part of it, it isn't the whole story of being a gentleman. It also includes respecting and promoting the dignity of your family, friends, and neighbors. Most of Hollywood's movies treat the social graces as so much snobbery, but the whole point of the social graces is to establish an atmosphere of respect. Sure, if the graces aren't backed up by true respect, they're worthless, but when you do have that respect for others, the graces are how you show it.
Promoting gentlemen ... what a concept!
And by the way ...
August 20, 2009 - 17:14 ET by KC MulvilleI am old-fashioned. Proud of it.
Ummmmmmmmmm
August 20, 2009 - 23:46 ET by Lorraine"Faith-based efforts to promote primness can be worrisome; one need only look to Tehran, Kabul and Jerusalem to find the disturbing phenomenon of ‘modesty police.'"
I think there's a middle ground inbetween dressing like a slut and wearing a burka, Geez!
As the mother of a 17-year-old daughter, I can tell you that the way a lot of girls dress today is disgraceful. It seems to me that these girls don't have any self-esteem if they aren't half-naked and screwing around with some boy.
Fortunately, I've never had to have that argument with my daughter, she agrees with me 100%.
We're a non-believer family so religion has nothing to do with it. It comes down to self-respect and wanting to be more than a sex object for boys.
The program sounds a lot like the finishing schools of yesteryear. It's nice to see an organization offering to teach girls how to be young ladies. Now they need to start one for boys that teaches them how to be young men. Chivalry is dead in high school and college these days.