Dress Codes

A few years ago one of the ladies I taught with mentioned that she had bought her oldest daughter a robe to wear over her pjs. Her daughter was coming into her teen years and my co-worker thought it appropriate for her daughter to wear a robe whenever she was lounging around the house -- even though my co-worker had three daughters (no sons). She was brought up to cover up when her body started developing.

I didn't see anything odd about her buying the robe. I understood. I was raised the same way -- only I had two brothers. I don't remember any explanation, but somehow I knew to put on my robe when I got out of bed. Just as I knew to lock the bathroom door.

I guess this incident has stayed in my memory because, that day, as we talked, both of us realized that there was no reason for the robe thing. My daughter was never made to wear a robe -- I had to actually pay her to wear dresses for a while, and then she would wear jeans under her dress. ....I guess that's one of the things that can happen to a girl with three brothers.

Yes, my daughter was raised very differently than me in many ways. To this day I still throw on a robe -- even when I'm home alone, and......I always lock the bathroom door -- I can't do anything if I don't.

I think this training started long before I lived in my mama's house. I had a grandfather who stated he'd rather see any of his four daughters with a broken leg than on a dance floor. And I had a maiden aunt who would walk by me (standing there in my mini skirt), give me one of those looks, sniff, and say, "If God had wanted people to wear a skirt that short, He'd have made knees pretty."

Yep. I think my modesty is the results of generations of men and women.