Rather than introducing a topic that I have a lot of certainty about, I thought I would talk about one that has often been discussed with my friends and continues to be a realm of exploration in theology: clothing and fashion.
Interestingly enough, the culture wars have shut off enough of people's imagination and thoughtfulness that discussions of clothing are usually relegated to sexuality and commercialism, neither of which I want to discuss today. Instead, I would like to talk about the heart and reason behind wearing fashionable clothing in the first place. The Bible itself mostly uses the word modesty to refer to the richness of clothing more so than how revealing and seductive it is. This is the general direction I would like to take as well.
A lot of my concern over the years with fashion has been its use as a manipulative force to control the behavior of others. Many of my close friends are aware of this function of fashion and try to wield this force for good. The power of a good impression allows the wielder to enter the private realms of people's lives in order to work good rather than be locked out at the front door. In some sense, this approach to clothing is biblical, like in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, which mentions "I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some." The idea, in essence, is that we become what is appeasing to others so that they may welcome us as friends. Additionally, there would be an undertone to this same message that Christians are called to a minimum of appearance so as not to hurt their witness to others.
The trouble seems to be when we forget why we donned the uniform of fashion in the first place and use the same manipulative means for our own ends. Additionally, it seems troubling in the first place that loving and serving others should require the use of manipulative techniques.
Both the good and the evil of this issue run back to the heart of fashion: beauty. In the Bible, we see God adorning his temple and the created order itself with awe-striking magnificence. The good Lord ravishes us with beauty and has designed us to seek the same out in others (i.e. Song of Solomon). Beauty is restorative, healing and bringing back hope to dark and desolate people. We were hard-wired for beauty. When we use beauty to manipulate others, either offensively in entering social circles or defensively in deflecting negative attention, we take steps away from truly beholding beauty in awed silence as intended. Even more complicating is the fact that we use clothing and fashion to communicate all sorts of non-verbal messages, such as ties for expertise and professionalism and suits to signal the difference between formal and semi-formal attire. Thus, we use fashion to signal, manipulate, and awe in our business, romantic, social, and public contexts. My fear of manipulation and the oppression of the weak make me afraid of using fashion. On the other hand, I know that encounters with God in nature and dressing well can boost morale, hope, and self-esteem. So, in conclusion, how do we use and treasure such a powerful resource to grow instead of corrupt our souls?
