How should a Christian Woman dress

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Does it matter how we dress?
Does it matter how we dress?
Does it matter how we dress?
Does it matter how we dress?
Does it matter how we dress?
Does it matter how we dress?
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What can people tell about you by the way you
dress?
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What does God say in the OT?

• Numbers 1538-41
• Blue border on garment - to distinguish them from
  the nations around them, and to signify that they
  were God's peculiar people and to help them
  remember to be obedient and not go after the
  world.
• Deuteronomy 225
• Women should not dress like men, or men like
  women for God saw this as an abomination
• Isaiah 316 24
• God is displeased with the jewellery and hats and
  all manner of clothing for pride and display

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What does God say in the NT?

• 1 Timothy 29,10
• God is concerned about what we wear modest
  clothes, without flirtation, fancy hairstyles and
  jewellery, or unnecessary adornment
• 1 Peter 33,4
• God is more concerned about our characters, and
  we are more attractive to Him if we are righteous
  in our behaviour.
• Revelation 198
• From the beginning garments have represented
  character

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What does God say to us today?

• Ellen White, Gods end-time messenger gave much
  counsel on various subjects, Including
• Education
• Healthful Living
• Diet / Exercise
• Rest / Recreation
• Sabbath keeping
• Publishing
• Work of the ministry
• Health care work - sanitariums
• Family life
• And Proper Dress

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Is God still interested in what we wear?

• The people of God are not now required to have a
  special mark placed upon their garments. But in
  the New Testament we are often referred to
  ancient Israel as examples. If God gave such
  definite directions to his ancient people in
  regard to their dress, will not the dress of his
  people in this age come under his notice? Should
  there not be in their dress a distinction from
  that of the world? Should not the people of God,
  who are his peculiar treasure, seek even in their
  dress to glorify God? And should they not be
  examples in point of dress, and by their simple
  style rebuke the pride, vanity and extravagance
  of worldly, pleasure-loving professors? God
  requires this of his people. Pride is rebuked in
  his word.
• 2SM 473-4

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Overview of the Dress Question at the time of
Ellen White

• Fashion at the time of Ellen White
• Hoops, corsets, long skirts trailing in the dirt
• Corsets laced tight to compress waist- actually
  displacing the organs. These extreme fashions
  promoted much disease.
• Bare shoulders arms while body heavily dressed-
  also promoted disease.
• Awkward, extravagant, un-healthful!

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Wasp Waists Hoop Skirts ! These actually
contained wire cages hung on the hips below the
compressed waists! Normal breathing was
impossible. Imagine the filth picked up in the
streets! (Horses!)
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DRESS REFORM WAS REALLY NEEDED!!
But the Devil wanted things to go from one
ridiculous extreme to another!
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American Costume Bloomer Costume

• Advocated by the feminists of the day, masculine
  trousers, boots and jacket with very short skirt
• True it certainly was better for health-- but God
  said it was an abomination, too much like a man.
  It was also worn by the spiritualist movement.
  Even then, Satan was mixing health Spiritism!

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American Costume A Joke- but an accurate
portrayal. It was Womens Lib movements that
got women smoking!!
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Satan is the designer of Womens Fashions But
God stepped in with a Better Plan for His
People! Simple, Neat, Practical, Modest,
Healthful and Convenient! What a Blessing the
Reformed Dress as given by God would have been
for our people if only
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The "Reform Dress" (1) Made by a precise or
definite pattern (2) From 8-10 inches from the
floor (3) High neck, arms and legs covered. The
latter by lined, full pants tapering at
the ankle-reaching below the "short dress." (4)
It was loose-fitting so as not to reveal the
woman's form top or bottom (5) It was healthful
and modest (6) Inexpensive, and made of durable
material (7) Convenient (8) Raised much
prejudice (9) This dress was discarded.
Instructions were given later not to promote the
short dress with long pants unless we had the
word of the Lord for it.
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Adopting the Reform Dress

• God would now have His people adopt the reform
  dress, not only to distinguish them from the
  world as His "peculiar people," but because a
  reform in dress is essential to physical and
  mental health. 1T 525
• To those who consistently adopted the reform
  dress, appreciating its advantages and cheerfully
  taking their position in opposition to pride and
  fashion, it proved a blessing. 4T 635

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Reform Dress Rejected

• Some rejoiced and found it a Blessing.
• Some others wore it but
• Compelled others consciences
• Failed to adopt it properly
• Wrong material and colours were used, with lack
  of order/neatness
• Extra trimmings added Tried to mix in fashion-
  even adding small hoops!
• Complained, murmured and made it a grievous yoke
• Those who rejected it
• Fashion had so strong a hold upon them that they
  were slow to break away from its control, even to
  obey the dictates of reason and conscience. 4T
  635-6
• Result
• In a vision given me at Battle Creek, January 3,
  1875, I was shown the state of things which I
  have here represented, and that the wide
  diversity in dress was an injury to the cause of
  truth. That which would have proved a blessing,
  if uniformly adopted and properly worn, had been
  made a reproach, and, in some cases, even a
  disgrace. 4T 637

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Result of rejecting the Reform Dress

• I saw that our sisters were departing from the
  simplicity of the gospel. The very ones ..who
  claimed that they would not be influenced by the
  spirit of the world, had now taken up the
  fashions they once condemned.
• Their dresses were arranged with all the
  unnecessary adornments of worldlings in a manner
  unbecoming to Christians and entirely at variance
  with our faith. Thus has been developed the pride
  of heart indulged by a people that profess to
  have come out from the world and to be separate.
  Inspiration declares that the friendship of the
  world is enmity with God yet His professed
  people have expended their God-given time and
  means upon the altar of fashion. 4T 637-8

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Who should we follow?

• God designed the reform dress as a barrier to
  prevent the hearts of our sisters from becoming
  alienated from Him by following the fashions of
  the world..
• Will my sisters accept this style of dress and
  refuse to imitate the fashions that are devised
  by Satan and continually changing? No one can
  tell what freak fashion will take next.
  Worldlings whose only care is, "What shall we
  eat, and what shall we wear?" should not be our
  criterion. 4T 640
• God allowed the Less Objectionable Dress to be
  promoted.

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The "Less-Objectionable Dress" (1) Made by no
definite pattern or style. (2) No precise length
given but was longer than the "short dress"
(longer than 8-10 inches from ground) and still
avoided the mud of the street. Approximately
ankle length the dress meets the shoe or ankle
or boot, and covered the inside pants or
leggings. (shown open here to reveal the inside
pants)
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(3) It was modest, covering the arms with a
loose-fitting jacket to cover the upper front
body. (4) It was healthful. Lined pants or under
pants could be worn underneath the skirt to keep
the legs at an even temperature without being
exposed. The dress covered the pants completely.
It was also loose-fitting, not revealing the
woman's form (top or bottom). (5) Inexpensive and
durable material (6) Convenient most of the
time. (7) Raised less prejudice. (8) This would
forever put the subject of dress lengths to rest
as far as the Testimonies were concerned. (9)
Notice that it was the SHORTER Reform dress that
was 8-10 inches from ground. The Less
Objectionable Dress was LONGER about to the
ankle- but should fully clear the ground!
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CONTINUE- PART 2 DRESS FOR HEALTH!
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