A Balanced View of Fashion

THE Bible says that God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, New International Version) We see beauty everywhere in the world around us. We also perceive it in humans.

The fashion designer aims to enhance our beauty through the clothes we wear. But, as shown in the preceding article, the fashion industry has also redefined beauty. Professor of psychology Ruth Striegel-Moore observes: “We’ve become so used to seeing extremely thin women, we’ve come to think this is what is beautiful.”

Clearly, it would be unwise to let the world’s current concept of beauty pressure us into conformity. In her book Always in Style, Doris Pooser points out that “today’s woman has no need to change or camouflage her body whenever a new ‘ideal’ emerges.” Indeed, why should we allow the media to impose its own  particular stereotype? “How much easier it is being ourselves, instead of trying frantically to change what we have,” Pooser says.

Ageless Beauty

Self-confidence and satisfaction in life depend on much more than looking good. “True happiness comes from within,” writes Judy Sargent, a former anorexia sufferer. “It cannot be gleaned from reading the numbers off of a bathroom scale.” The Bible takes the matter a step further. “Your beauty,” wrote the apostle Peter, “should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God’s sight.”​—1 Peter 3:4, Today’s English Version.

The ageless beauty to which Peter refers surpasses physical charm because of its permanence and its value in the eyes of God. Many centuries ago a wise king observed: “Charm may be false, and prettiness may be vain; but the woman that fears Jehovah is the one that procures praise for herself.”​—Proverbs 31:30.

Although physical beauty may attract more attention today, many people still respect the person who displays Christian qualities. The apostle Paul exhorted Christians: “Clothe yourselves with the new personality, . . . with  the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering.”​—Colossians 3:10, 12.

Fashion by its very nature is transient. At best, the latest style can only adorn us for a while. But any good impression we make will quickly be compromised if our personality does not complement our appearance. Remember, “the fruitage of the spirit”​—including the qualities of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, and self-control—​never goes out of fashion.​—Galatians 5:22, 23; 1 Timothy 2:9, 10.

Admittedly, however, it is appropriate to give due attention to our clothing. Aline, from France, admits that it was a challenge to maintain balance in this regard. “As a teenager,” she says, “I took a real interest in clothes. I wanted to follow the latest fashion because it gave me self-confidence. And if I could buy clothes with a designer label, so much the better.

“But when I grew up,” Aline continues, “I had to learn to take care of myself financially, and I also began to spend much of my time in the Christian ministry. I realized that if I wanted to live within my means, I could no longer be a slave to fashion. I began to buy my clothes during the sales or at outlet stores. I found that I could still dress well​—but at a quarter of the price. The secret lies in learning to buy clothes that suit you, that are practical, that combine well with what you already have, and that won’t quickly go out of fashion. Rather than allow fashion to dictate what I should buy, I now try to decide which style suits me. I wouldn’t say clothes don’t matter to me anymore. But my worth depends on much more than my appearance.”

In a society where image often counts for more than substance, Christians do well to keep in mind the Bible’s sober reminder: “Everything the world affords, all that panders to the appetites or entices the eyes, all the glamour of its life, springs not from the Father but from the godless world. And that world is passing away with all its allurements, but he who does God’s will stands for evermore.”​—1 John 2:16, 17, The New English Bible.

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Real beauty comes from within, not from what you wear

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Choose clothes that are practical and that work well with what you already have