History of Dress-es

Since we're on day 2 of this dress dare, and we may be facing some questions from those around us who notice that we've suddenly stopped wearing pants, I figured it may be helpful to share some of what I have discovered about the history of women's dress, and the changes that have occurred in the last century.

In a letter dated August 9, 1838, a Freemason (known enemies of the Church) wrote to another Freemason, "in order to destroy Catholicism, it is necessary to commence by suppressing woman...but since we cannot suppress woman, let us corrupt her..." Less than a century later, this was followed by an article in the International Review on Freemasonry, 1928, that states, 

"It is necessary to corrupt that our boys and girls practice nudism in dress. To avoid too much reaction, one would have to progress in a methodical manner: first, undress up to the elbow; then up to the knees; then arms and legs completely uncovered; later, the upper part of the chest, the shoulders, etc. etc." Almost a century later, let us look around. Scary, huh?

 
The Blessed Mother knew very well what the Freemasons were trying to do, and what was about to happen. When she appeared to Blessed Jacinta at Fatima (1910-1920), she warned, “"the sins which bring most souls to hell are the sins of the flesh. Certain fashions are going to be introduced which will offend Our Lord very much... the Church has no fashions; Our Lord is always the same..."

Around this same time in the 1920s, Coco Chanel was causing quite a ruckus in the fashion world with her bob haircut and clingy clothing. This was also when designers Yves Saint-Laurent and Courreges introduced the pantsuit, but these styles didn't catch on until the 1960s. In the 60s, the trend of the voluptuous woman was slipping away as the popularity of models like Twiggy inspired a more straight, boyish shape. Then came the birth control pill, breastfeeding was seen as repulsive, and the "feminist" movement took on a whole new form. Women suddenly began wearing the pants.

This new fashion trend sparked advertising agencies to prepare marketing research. They tracked the path that a man's eyes take when looking at a woman in pants. They found that when he viewed the woman from the back, he looked directly at her bum. From the front, the man's eyes didn't go to her face, or her chest, but rather dropped directly to her most intimate area. Advertisers found a way to apply the Law of Closure and the Law of Good Continuation, which basically state that men's train of thought naturally fills in gaps, so if a woman is wearing pants, which separate her legs, his eyes will follow up her legs and finish the picture in their imagination. These studies led marketers to use images like that of Brooke Shields, who became so well known for her Calvin Jeans ads.

I will conclude with just one story of a saint, who is now incorruptible, from the last century. A Canadian woman was visiting Italy, and had the honor of having her confession heard by Padre Pio. Only she was refused absolution because she sold slacks and pantsuits in her dress shop in Vancouver. He commanded her to return home, dispose of all of this stock, and not give any of the items to people who might wear them. He said if she wanted absolution she should then return to Italy. He said her alternative was to seek absolution elsewhere but he told her he would know whether she'd done it or not. Now, who knows if Padre Pio would do this same thing in this generation, but his shows just how scandalous this fashion was! Have you seen pictures of Padre Pio's incorruptible body? I'm pretty sure he was quite serious with his advice and the fact that he would "know" if she carried it out or not.

 
So, there are the facts, the history, and the evolution of dress in the last century. We are not saying pants are evil, but there must be some reason that women for centuries before us never wore them. I guess we'll find out in the next month, how we feel going back to the days where women wore the skirts and the men wore the pants. Given what the Blessed Mother said to Jacinta, I think Mary would be quite pleased that we’ve chosen to honor in this way. Dare to dress!

For more history and the Church's views of modesty, read "Dressing with Dignity" by Colleen Hammond