Dare to Veil? Or not!

Last May, during our 1st dress dare, I wrote a blog on the chapel veil on daring to don a mantilla in mass. While I suggested this tradition as a way of exploring one's femininity in the presence of the Eucharist, I spoke of how it has not been mentioned since the 1917 Code of Canon Law. It has been debated, mostly since Vatican II, whether it is still required of women to veil or not.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, basically the Church's Supreme Court Justice, has spoken on the matter, quite clearly. Recently, a woman wrote him directly, asking for clarification on this issue. He responded:

“Thank you for your letter …The wearing of a chapel veil for women is not required when women assist at the Holy Mass according to Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. It is, however, the expectation that women who assist at the Mass according to the Extraordinary Form cover their heads, as was the practice at the time that the 1962 Missale Romanum was in force. It is not, however a sin to participate in the Holy Mass according to the Extraordinary Form without a veil.”

So there it is. If you are in Tridintine Mass (Extraordinary Form), it is expected that you wear a veil, but in the ordinary form, do whatever you like! If you do desire to wear a veil, there is a real dare to veil campaign going on, interestingly enough!

A Surprising Change

While getting dressed yesterday, I had an unexpected experience. I was going to be out all day and wanted to throw a pair of jeans in the car in case it got chilly in the evening. I hadn't worn my maternity jeans for a month, so I figured I'd try them on first to see which ones fit most comfortably. Turns out, none of them did.

Apparently, in the last month, my legs and backside have expanded with this pregnancy, especially since I had to stop exercising and rest for the last month. It could be that I was also very sensitive to the tightness of pants in general after wearing flowy dresses and skirts for 31 days straight, but these were just not comfortable, nor were they flattering.

While staring at myself in the mirror, stunned at how tight one pair was, I found myself feeling worse and worse about the changes in my body, which is no good! I am someone who LOVES being pregnant. I LOVE IT. While the belly gets a little uncomfortable towards the end, and sure the extra weight makes getting around a little tougher, I find the joy of holding this little life inside my body so outweighs the small sacrifices. However, I was struggling the other day with accepting the extra weight I'd put on. The crazy part is, I had none of these negative thoughts during the month of May.

Not only am I now finding skirts/dresses to be more feminine, but also more flattering, more comfortable, and encouraging of a positive body image.

Cleaning my Closet

I pledged to wear dresses and skirts for a month.  For 32-days (I enjoyed an extra day of the dare since I moved from Australia to the US within the month) I pushed my jeans to the back of my closet, and picked from my rack of flowy, colorful and feminine apparel that I typically reserve for Sundays.

As I was taking inventory of my wardrobe this morning, I noticed that I have several dresses and skirts that I NEVER WORE.  In one month of wearing strictly dresses, I never wanted to wear them!  This means only one thing: time to give them away!

Feel free to join me today if you would like.  If you did not wear it this month, you probably will not wear it this year.  Grab a big trash bag and donate your left-behind dresses to charity, host a dress exchange with some friends, or if you are really crafty you could make a bag or pillow with the fabric.

It really does feel good to make a little more room in one's closet.

Day Ones

So today is "day one" of a couple things for me. First, we can wear pants again! I was actually a little excited only because I'd been wearing the same outfits for a month and missed my shirts that go only with jeans. So I got dressed, got the kiddos ready and went to the store. By the time I got back from shopping I was done with the capris I had picked out to wear. I kept having to pull them up and I realized I didn't have to do that in a skirt. I was very surprised at my realization that I liked wearing skirts/dresses more than pants. Not only did I not feel more feminine in my capris, but I probably looked ridiculous pulling up them up every 20 seconds.

My second "day one" adventure was driving a new car. Okay, not just a car, a 12-passenger van to be exact. With our third baby coming in 2 months and our desire to have a large family, my husband and I decided it would be best to get a large van instead of a mini-van. So yesterday we got it. Let me tell you all it is very intimidating to drive. I remember when voicing my concerns about driving a big van my mother-in-law (who has driven one for over 18 years) said "People definitely get out of your way" and they really do. I have only driven the van twice and I feel that people do watch out for you, maybe not consciously but they do. Driving this van is just another challenge I will have to face with God by my side saying "you can do it". There are lots of positives to having a big van. First, the kids love being up high and are able to see everything around them. Second, there is SO much space. I was used to cramming everything I could into my tiny Civic (which I actually got pretty good at) and now I feel I have all the extra space in the world! Third, we now have a cd player that works right (my civic didn't come with a cd player so I bought a cheap one). Finally, automatic windows and doors (another feature I've been without for 7 1/2 years). All in all this is very exciting and new.

It's Dress Dare Day 31!

I think that calls for a little celebration... Don't you?

Last day of the Dare

Soooooo, YOU DID IT!!! Today is the last day of the dress dare. Some of you have experienced profound effects and some of you have not felt much of a change at all. For the most part though we can all agree that it wasn't that difficult. So, if it isn't that difficult, why not keep it going? Before the dress dare I would sometimes wear jeans with long shirts. I think I will stick to dresses and skirts now with leggings when needed for warmth. This month really has shown me how much dressing like a lady affects me and I like what it is doing. So, comment and let us know how you feel after one month of dresses/skirts. Are you anxious to get back in jeans or are you looking forward to spending the warm summer months in skirts and flip-flops?

Applause

This blog is for all of you who've joined in the dress dare. CONGRATULATIONS! You have reached the finish line. Just one more day and you've made it an entire month without pants. The thing that I think is most worth of applause, is your openness. This dare, does not come easy to most women in our culture, and I think we've all encountered resistance at some point.

Women are made to be receptive. We were created, physically, emotionally, and spiritually to be receivers, and in order to fulfill this, we must open our souls to the Lord, to His grace, and to those He places in our lives to lead us. The beauty of those who've taken on this dare, is that despite whatever attachments you had, you've embraced the challenge to fight that, for the possibility of growing closer to Christ, and becoming more like His Mother. This alone, makes you more like Mary, because she is our model as the Lord's handmaid. She submitted her entire body and life to Him, though she had no idea all that it would entail.

The feast of the Annunciation is my favorite Marian feast because to me, that is where the moment where she chooses to trust the Lord. We are not all given direct questions by angels, as Mary was, but we are all given the opportunity to embrace God's will each day. We are all called to be His handmaids, His brides, to submit ourselves to Him, no matter what the sacrifice. No sacrifice of ours can compare with what He's done for us, but these sacrifices can be redemptive, and fruitful in our lives, both here on Earth, and in eternity.

Even if you don't see the changes that have occurred in the last month, know that you have likely grown. If nothing else, simply offering your body to Christ, to adorn it modestly, and more as Mary would have (since we've never seen her in pants, even in recent apparitions), and to give up an article of clothing that many find easier and more comfortable, can bear great fruit in your lives. I congratulate you all on being open to growing closer to Christ, and seeking out sanctification. Thank you all for joining me as Sisters in Christ! Knowing that we've been united in this challenge, despite living in various parts of the States and even the world, has made me feel all the more connected to the Body of Christ we find in Holy Mother Church.

P.S. One of our readers recommended this article in a comment and I thought it really captured a lot of our thoughts this month...Cardinal Siri, "Men's Dress Worn By Women"

Better later than never

So - a couple days till the end of the Dress Dare, and I'm finally getting into the skirt groove. I think it took me a month just to figure out what to wear for everyday stuff.. and now that I've got that figured out, I think I'll be wearing skirts (if not everyday) definitely more in the coming months.

Living up in the good old North-West (high of 56 degrees today) I've also figured out that socks and shoes really do make a difference in keeping warm. In summer I'm sure I'll be flip-flopping everyday, but for now little sneakers and super cute rain boots (with wool socks) do the trick!

I am still violently against socks and sandals. Not warm, not cozy (although some people say they are, they are mistaken), and they look crazy. I've been writing to Rome to get an official Heresy named for this, but so far no response (they must be really busy).

Cute skirt story (if anyone is compiling a list): I took my daughter to the park a couple days ago and we were both wearing skirts (Clair has been wearing pants and dresses a lot this month, not because she's doing the dress dare, but I for some reason always dress us alike), and this little girl with her dad walk by and she says "Look! They're both wearing skirts!" The dad says something to the effect of "I know you wanted to, maybe next time." (To the dad's defense, it was a rather rainy day - we might have been the only two girls in skirts in our area.)

But - I think it was a cute reminder (ok - maybe the cute part was how cute this little girl was) that others see what we wear and want to imitate us.

Final Countdown

Only .:three:. days to go!

Do an extra twirl {or two} today.  I won't tell.

Dress Dare Effect

So doing this dress dare has had an effect on me in a lot of ways. One of the ways I was not expecting is some sadness after talking with a lot of women about the whole subject of women encouraging other women to wear skirts.

I have had many, many conversations with (mostly) other women about the dress dare. And I've been surprised to discover a lot of deep feelings and often hurt feelings. Basically the hurt comes from women who have been told (or think they are being told) that even though they wear very modest pants, that if they were *really* Catholic/faithful/pious they would wear skirts instead. So they feel put down, hurt, judged, and some even end up going to confession with the "sin" of wearing pants.

Now, just to be clear - I believe I can speak for everyone on the blog when I say that wearing pants is not a sin. And no one here is trying to say that, or make anyone feel like a bad person or not as pious a person if they wear pants. Sin comes in when you, for example, walk out of the house wearing pants (or a skirt for that matter) that is so tight you can almost read where your under lovelies come from, and you KNOW that wearing it will lead another person to lust, and you KNOWINGLY wear it anyway.

Sin is one thing and healthy to talk about, but right not for another day. The dress dare is different, with a whole other intended effect. The dress dare is a challenge that says "ok, given that we're trying to be modest, trying to follow Our Lady and reflect her. How can we do this more? How can we remind ourselves everyday (even if it's annoying because our jeans are right there, calling to us!) to focus on modesty?" In the end, we're asking how can we love others even more. Because modesty has to do with others. If we were on an island by ourselves, we'd wear whatever we liked best and worked, be that sweat pants or a ball gown. But we are challenging one another to love others more through what we wear. Not because wearing pants is not loving, but because we want to do something different, something that classically is seen as feminine and more often easily modest, and focus on it.

I really liked Chantal's post talking about the Miraculous Medal. St. Max Kolbe encourages people to wear the medal NOT out of a sense of duty but out of love. It's a special way to show your love for the woman who said the ultimate Yes to Our Lord. This past week I've really been trying to remind myself that this is why I struggle to wear skirts this month. Not out of a sense of duty, but out of love. Love for others by focusing on being truly beautiful (and therefore modest) and ultimately love for our model of True Femininity, Mary.

The intended effect of the dress dare is to promote Love, something that women do in a very particular way. I'm just now really trying to figure out a way to promote this love in myself and others without hurting other women (the exact opposite of what we're trying to do).

Nightgowns

I have to say I am loving this month of dresses and skirts. As I have mentioned before, I have been wearing mostly skirts and dresses for a while now. Until this month though I did often wear jeans on the weekends. Since not wearing any pants at all I find that I never want to take my dresses off. I used to love getting in my PJ's at night and would often have them on before the sun went down. Now I wait until the last minute to change because I love my dresses. I feel so feminine and pretty. So I decided to go one more these last 10 days of the dare and wear nightgowns to bed. Now I get to feel girly even when I sleep. When I was a little girl I always loved Wendy in Peter Pan because she wears that beautiful nightgown through the whole movie. I am interested to see how I feel putting on jeans again after this month. Who knows maybe the dare will extend further for me.

Confessions of a Jean-Aholic Part II

I have not tried to hide the fact that this Dress Dare is a challenge for me.  We are now more than halfway through, and it is not getting easier!  I am a little disappointed to report that wearing skirts and dresses has not been as "life-changing" as I would have hoped for.  Nevertheless, I have observed some positive (and not so positive) results from taking a part in the Dare.

The most obvious blessing that has come from the Dress Dare for me has been that by purposefully choosing to wear my skirt over my jeans, I have a constant daily reminder of Mary.  Similarly to wearing a cross, miraculous medal, or tying a string around your finger, my clothing helps me to remember to turn to her throughout my day.  No human has ever been closer to Jesus, and I feel that I can put my trust in her to help me walk with Him throughout my days.

The Dress Dare has also given me a boost of energy!  I am a sleep-deprived mommy and part-time dance teacher-- this means that I practically live in my sweats and work-out clothing.  I believe that taking some time out of my day to focus on my outward beauty by planning an "outfit" has actually translated to my inward-beauty, by making me feel more energetic and joyful.

The major difficulty that I have experienced this month is that all of the sudden, I am noticing what everyone around me is wearing.   As someone who really struggles with vanity, this does not seem to be fruitful in my spiritual life.  This passed Sunday at mass, I was distracted for several minutes when I started counting the women in front of me wearing jeans!  I know that God wanted me in prayer and focused on the mass- not on everyone around me.  Although I understand that what we wear can have an impact on our relationship with God and how we are perceived as Christians; there are also much more important things in our world and in our souls to be fighting for.  I suppose I am admitting that I am still not convinced about the significance of wearing skirts.   Has anyone had a similar experience here?

Of course I have not given up...  I have less than 2 weeks to go!  Pray for one another!

Skirt Solutions

{For the active lady}

 

Saba Ballet Stars by Puma, $75

Air Rift Basics, $88 by Nike

Glitters by Toms, $54

Rose by Earth, $88

I almost gave in...

So I had a job interview this morning for a Kindergarten teaching position. It's cold in Fresno (goodness knows why) and I don't have any long skirts that are "interview appropriate" - one long cotton dress - not gonna work. I needed to be able to move around with the kids so I wanted a long skirt, and I didn't want to wear leggings with my dress skirts So I told my husband that I might have to break the dare. Now keep in mind I thought about not telling him about the dare, thought I'd give it a few weeks and see if he noticed or if it affected his attitude at all (just a little experiment,) but when people started joining us I just had to tell him, I was so excited! So imagine my surprise when his response to me breaking the dare it "you better not, I'll rat you out" and then he laughed! HE'LL RAT ME OUT... It was actually really cute and I tried to find out why he wouldn't let me cheat but I couldn't get an answer out of him. Maybe he likes the skirts? So I picked a lower than knee length dress skirt, put on a long sleve black shirt and added a short sleeve purple sweater thing I just bought. Glad I did! Thanks to my husband I didn't cheat! But I could use some suggestions for more foot friendly shoes. I've started physical therapy for my knees and my physical therapist is not a fan of my ballet flats. I found some comfy ones called Bone, but didn't make a purchase yet. HELP!!!

What this Dress Dare means to me

I've always been "one of the guys." I wear jeans and a goofy shirt every day. Seriously, every day. I just don't know how to dress myself well. If it weren't for Chantal's husband telling me "no" every time I unsuccessfully tried to layer shirts I wouldn't even know how to do that. Even my hubby has to remind me not to wear a blue top with blue jeans and occasionally just gives my outfit a weird look because I didn't get it quite right.

So I decided to use this dare not only to wear skirts, but to learn how to dress more femininly. Hubby even suggested I go shopping! And believe me, I did. :) Turns out I actually enjoy wearing skirts and feeling more girly.

Matt has even complimented me on my outfits the last 5 days in a row. That has NEVER happened. And it does make him happy that I'm wearing skirts so that makes me happy too. However, I don't think our 1 year old understands (or even notices) that she's been wearing skirts the past few days. I have to admit, I have had some trouble with the skirt while bending down to check on the baby, or playing at playdates, but the problem is really that I'm not used to having to keep my legs closed all the time (I can just hear my dad reminding me for the billionth time). It's good practice!

I'm really hoping that after this month I will continue to wear dresses (when I' not nursing) and skirts more, especially during the warmer months. No more worrying about finding decent shorts for me!

Keep up the awesome work ladies! (sorry for the dated picture...there are no photos of me in a skirt. Or of me at all recently.)

A Week Observed

Congratulations fellow dress-ers! We have made it one week in our feminine apparel. I thought I would take this blog to share my observations of how this has impacted me so far.

Since wearing skirts and dresses, the most obvious difference is how I move. When I walk, my skirt flows around me, making my walk slightly more delicate, and I feel more graceful. When I sit on the floor with my daughter, rather than sitting with my legs open, I generally sit with legs together, bent over to one side, and my skirt/dress lays on the floor, surrounding me with fabric to place over my legs. It makes me feel, well, more like a princess, more like a lady.

This is one reason why, I think, my daughter, though not even 2, prefers dresses and skirts. In the last week, I have included her in the dress dare, and I must say, getting dressed in the mornings is soooo much easier! She is so young, and yet, 99% of the time, when given the option of pants or a dress, she will choose the dress. When she puts it on, she will generally immediately grab the skirt, do a twirl, and ask for music to dance. This made me reflect more on how these articles of clothing differentiate us from men.

I noticed a few things. One, when going to a restroom, if one can't read the letters on the door, how do you know which restroom to go in? Well, the little stick figure for a woman, is clearly wearing a skirt! Second, it's prom season, and no teenage girl goes shopping for a prom tuxedo. She goes looking for a prom dress! Very few women walk down the aisle on their wedding day without a white dress cascading below them.

So I'll admit it, I feel prettier in a skirt/dress. This week, I never wondered if I was dressed appropriately for where I was going, because I looked, if anything, more presentable than normal. A few weeks ago, I was going to daily mass and afterwards, to the park for a picnic and playtime with Mina, and I felt so irreverent approaching Christ, truly present in the Eucharist in my jean bermuda shorts. This week, I had no such issues. Every day, I was prepared to attend mass, outwardly showing reverence for the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ Himself. Of course I still believed in the true presence when in my shorts, but was a demonstrating this in the way I dressed? If I dress up for Sunday mass, shouldn't I do the same at daily mass? Christ is no less present on a weekday.

So those are just some of my thoughts from this last week. Have any of you noticed any differences or become more aware of anything in your first week?

P.S. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there, and to Our Mother Mary!

Frustration

Ok ladies - so I guess I'll be the first to report.. I wore pants.

A couple of days into the Dare, I was getting ready to take my 16 month old on a plane trip down to visit my parents. By myself. All by myself. To some this might not be that daunting, but as a person who's never been super comfortable flying the friendly skies, and as a mama heading into her 2nd trimester with #2, this was stressful.

So, as I like to do before going on a plane trip (and even without a looming flight) I took my little one to morning Mass the day before the flight. What could prepare me more for a possible 3 hours of screaming than the Good God Himself, crucified and given to me, right?

To also help me prepare, I wore the skirt I planned to wear on the plane. Now, I hadn't worn this skirt since my last pregnancy, but thought it would be my best choice, so I pop it on, get the baby in the car and go.

Let's just say that it didn't go well. In fact, it was horrible. It was cold and raining. Someone had put a sign up that said "Mass not in Chapel today." So I trudge around, after going all around the church/school campus, I find that Mass was indeed in the chapel that day. So I'm late. And since Mass is well attended (yay!) there is only 1 seat left (boo). I sit in the pew where upon my little one starts to poke the old man next to her. Tell her to stop, she freaks out, I take her out. Realize skirt is falling off. Pull up skirt. Back in.

She decides to jump on the kneeler. Falls down. Freaks out. Can't calm her. Take her out. (On my way out, the priest puts something about unhappy children in his homily - which I don't hear totally because someone is screaming in my ear.) Pull up skirt. Back in. A lady has now moved so that I can be by the door. (Thanks!) Little one decides to run up the aisle, and to cry when the lady next to us looks at her. Freaks out multiple times, is taken out. Skirt fixed multiple times. Return multiple times. Think about leaving. Don't leave because I came here for Jesus, dang it, and I going to get Him if it kills me. Wait for noises of Communion time outside, listening at the door. Receive Him Who is Love. Entertain baby for next 2 minutes. Mass over. Almost cry when the priest asks her name.

Get in car. Cry for real as I realize: 1) Little one does not do well in tight spaces. 2) I do not do well in tight spaces. 3) Airplanes are tight spaces. 4) There is no where to take a baby "out" except for 30,000 feet below. 5) My skirt will not stay put. 6) No other skirt will work on a plane. 7) I will have to wear pants. 8) If I wear pants, I will have to say so on the blog and I'll feel like a Dress Dare failure.

Scary thing is that in that state, the thing that made me cry the most was that I would have to admit that I'd failed the Dress Dare - even though with my current wardrobe, I knew that pants were the most modest thing to wear. (Yes, I'm that prideful.) Wear pants on plane. Baby sleeps through half, only cries on descent. (Not bad!)

So, I'm sorry if this post isn't super uplifting. But it is real. And I think it was good for me to remember that Beauty through modest dress is what I am striving for and that skirts are how I am choosing to show that this month, and not skirts first (just to prove that I could) and modesty second. I still believe that skirts are beautiful and feminine and I will continue to strive to wear them for the rest of the month (except when going back home on the plane). However, skirts do not necessarily = modesty, and so I'll strive more to attain the virtue of Modesty than un-bifurcated bottoms.

And for all the girls that are trying this Dare and finding it hard, know that I've said a prayer for you especially tonight.

The Imitation of Mary

As many have mentioned in previous posts the Blessed Virgin is our perfect example of femininity as well as motherhood for some of us. May is also the month of Mary so I was thinking we could read a Marian book, such as The Imitation of Mary or The World's First Love, along with wearing our beautiful dresses and skirts. The Imitation of Mary would be easiest for us moms because they are short, but beautiful, meditations with prays at the end about how to imitate Our Lady in our daily lives. I will say thanks to Occultus Matris (how did you get this nickname?) for giving me the idea with her meditation and prayer post yesterday.

The picture to the right is called Innocence and is one of my favorite Marian pictures. Doesn't she look so beautiful and Jesus and the Lamb look so peaceful in her arms? Just thought I would comment on my own post about the picture.

It is now day 4 of the Dress Dare and I am proud to say I am 4 for 4. I must say that wearing skirts really is comfortable. I really do feel more feminine in skirts/dresses. My sister has taken the dare and said she might start wearing skirts/dresses everyday!

Dress Dare Supplies

Have you noticed that the dress and skirt hemlines are much shorter this season?  I have been having trouble finding attractive skirts to suit my active lifestyle and appreciation for fashion.

I recently came across Vintage Hem, a website that sells cute modern-day petticoats.  I am considering adding one of these to my wardrobe!  This seems like an adorable and fashionable solution to help make trendy skirts more feminine and modest.  I bet they would be great for pregnancy too, when your hemline in front starts elevating inches above the back.

Do you have any favorite feminine and modest fashion finds??

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