Let's see.  It is Wednesday, April 4th, 2007.  This is a good day to share some of my thoughts with you.  Today they are regarding an article written by a friend of mine named Fawn Griffin, who has a very "Becky Miller-esque" quality about her, an ability to be strikingly open and straightforward in order to bring home something she's writing about.  Fawn's article is a smashing piece entitled The Ambivalence of Dressing Like a Woman and written for www.uncommonwalk.com, a site put together by a few people who have an interest in writing about the Christian faith.  As several of those who left comments on the article said, I agree that Fawn Griffin should be applauded for her honesty in such a matter as the uncertainty with which many Christian women approach their wardrobe.  "How can I dress modestly and express myself at the same time? Where's the line between wearing a paper bag over my head and dressing like I'm at the beach 24/7?"

Since the comments section is closed (so sad), I emailed her some of my thoughts which I repeat below with some adaptation.  I thought I would post mine here, since I'm overdue for writing my thoughts out about pretty much anything.  For those who don’t have the time to read Fawn's article (it is highly encouraged), I will summarize Fawn’s point that I’m responded to.  At one point she speaks about the affect that women’s dress can have on men and how women can get the wrong kind of attention from guys when they try to dress confidently.  The article ends with this: “Women-we need to assert our femininity and in doing so we will find a natural balance between aggressively promoting it and flaunting it.” Here are my comments:

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I speak mainly to the point regarding guy’s reactions to a girls physical appearance.  If a man has a godly perspective, he is concerned with more important things in a girl’s life than her physical appearance.  Does she love the Lord?  Does she exhibit the fruit of the Spirit?  Is she involved in ministry?  Can she raise kids?  Will she follow your spiritual and family leadership? 

Where the physical appearance comes in for the Christian man is in Proverbs where Solomon exhorts him to be satisfied (physically) in the wife of his youth.  He goes into Song of Solomon type verbiage in order to leave no question as to what he's talking about.  This is one reason why a godly woman should want to take care of her body, because one day she will have a husband who will chose to delight himself entirely in her despite the internal and external pressure towards promiscuity. He will forsake all other women, both more physically beautiful and more ugly alike (as there always will be both) for her.  The stronger the physical attraction between and husband and wife, the easier it will be to do this.  This is certainly not the only reason why a woman should delight in her femininity.  A healthy joy and appreciation for one's beauty is part of being a whole and (internally) healthy woman. But no matter how you slice it, physical attraction is an aspect of any serious relationship.

That said, character is more important, as Proverbs 31 so eloquently tells us.  When a girl spends just as much time on her inward appearance than her outward appearance, she expresses a beauty that is infinitely deeper and one that accentuates her outward appearance.  I appreciate books like Captivating which give women a larger balanced picture of being a woman and being feminine that encompasses more than makeup and dress (I must admit having only read the first chapter, but, it was a very good chapter!). 

It's helpful to remember that much of the female dress today is rooted in the basic assumption that women have every right to and should flaunt what they have.  There are ways to dress confidently and modestly at the same time.  But from the female friends I've spoken with about the subject, I think us guys don't have a clue as to how hard it is for a woman to find modest clothes today, never mind ones that express confidence as well.