The Attire of an Harlot

A very popular and wealthy dress designer was asked where he got the inspiration for his dress designs. He said that he visited the red light districts of a city and observed how the prostitutes dressed as they plied their trade. They knew how to attract men and to arouse their desire and became his models for design. And so in the Western world today many women flaunt their bodies, dressing like prostitutes. Women go to bars dressed seductively and drink with the men. Their dress may seem to be an invitation and many end up being raped later in the night. Too many women give a mixed message to men. They dress in a way to arouse men but then cry, ‘Stop!’ This does not excuse the sinful action of such men!

Ladies, your dress and conduct give a message to men. Modest, attractive dress will lead men to treat you with respect, not as a sex object. The sex drive is very strong; handle with care!

Aleesha Kahn married a man from Bangladesh and lived there for some years. She became a Christian after her marriage broke up. She gives her impressions of returning to the West. ‘I had lived under purdah in Bangladesh, not to the extent that I wore a burqua or remained sequestered in my room. But I did dress modestly, I had very limited contact with men who were not relatives, and I was always treated with respect and decorum. For me, living in purdah, far from being a restriction, was liberation, because for the first time in my life I was not judged on my appearance or mode of dress. I was not subjected to catcalls or wolf whistles from building sites and passing trucks. I found pleasant relief in not being hit on when I ate lunch in the cafeteria. During my time in Bangladesh I forgot what indignity women in the West put up with, if I’d ever known it. I was not surprised to discover that a number of Western women, particularly in Britain, are adopting Islam. Among new converts in the U.S, women outnumber men four to one’, SCP Journal, Vol. 26. p 47, 26th March 2002.

Is it not a sad commentary on our culture when the Islamic world looks down on the ‘Christian’ West as immoral and corrupt? Should not we who are true believers encourage modest, godly dress among our women, rather than marching to the drum beat of a pagan society? We need to heed the exhortation of Peter given to women long ago. ‘Do not let your adornment be merely outward … arranging the hair, wearing gold or putting on fine apparel … rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God’, 1 Pet. 3. 3-4. ‘Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised’, Prov. 31. 30.