"For the apparel oft proclaims the man"

D. Joshua

Shakespeare in His drama Hamlet speaks through Polonius these memorable words “For the Apparel (dress) oft proclaims the man”. 

This means that the dress code of a man or woman reflects his personality.  The purpose of clothing or raiment is to cover the body from nakedness.  Ever since the fall of man, apparel was necessary for human beings to hide their shame.

The history of human raiment is an interesting one.  From the leaves of fig tree, and animal’s skin man developed clothes.  Later cotton and synthetic fabrics came into existence. Change is inevitable for human progress and civilization.  Therefore fashion in dress and attire has become part of human culture. Change in fashion was slow in the early days.  It is said that variety is the spice of life. Therefore, we need not resist fashion.  The danger begins when women and men fall victims to provocative dressing.

Immodesty in dress is not a modern complaint.  Peter, the monk in the year 1274 wrote: “as for the girls, they are immodest and unwomanly in speech behaviour and dress (quoted in Jesus is Alive) (falcon 1972)P. 15

The words of a famous Sociologist Prof. Peter A. Soroken is thought provoking.

“The figure revealing dresses of modern women lead men to commit sin” The nudity and semi nudity of women has a devastating appeal to men.  When we think of spirituality modest dressing is an integral part of it.  In the history of Christian Church the Puritans in England were known for their exemplary dressing.  The Bible gives clear instruction about how to put on our raiment.  St. Paul says “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God” (1 Tim. 2:9-10) The MTV  Director recently said that it is they who will decide, what kind of cloth the modern youth will wear.  To some extent they are successful as generation changers of immodest dressing.  Whom will you heed?  The word of God or the agents of hell?