thanks for this testimony. The old expression “clothes make the man” may not be perfect but does express that our clothes often affect the way we are regarded. I too am regarded very differently when I am in My clerical attire and when I am on my day off and just wear a casual shirt.

Thank you for posting this! It needs to be brought up much more often in parishes, at the very least in the parish bulletin. Europe is quite modern but I’m grateful that their churches are still in their right mind about proper clothing.

You are right. In the Holy Land there is some of this too. Don’t walk into certain holy sites in shorts.

In Italy and other countries they won’t let you set foot inside a Catholic church unless your shoulders and knees are covered

Very brave of you Msgr. Let me help a little, the ladies can get mad at me instead. Decent women and girls whould dress decently at all times. They should dress as if Christ were standing by their side – and indeed he is. When I was in school in the fifties the rule was full skirts, hems no heigher than three inches above the ankle, loose blouses, no exposed arms or brest bones, this all applied to the cheer leaders too. Looking back at the old year book, the gals still look great to me. Beyond that the particular plague today seems to be shorts, tight slacks, form fitting dresses, etc, plunging neck lines, bare arms, foundation body skulpting under garments designed to arouse interest ( what other purpose could they have). All these things should be avoided by decent females of all ages.

I whole hearty agree with you! I was very shocked last summer woman carring our lord to the alter wearing tank top very short shorts! Mass looks just like pit stop on the way to picnics or school sports events! Is it to much trouble to show how much we love our Lord by taking time to dress up for him. Is lack of proper dress showing that they don’t care. Lack of love. Wish US Bishops would set a dress code for Sunday Mass. And week day Mass! Proper apparel can be bought very cheaply benefit others. Good Will ,Salvation Army! Women watch the length on skirts dresses. Don’t make priest have to divert his eyes there are only so many places he can look! EWTNVatican have very good dress codes!

i wish! modest nice clothes could be bought , at almost any price, easily. its just not true in some areas. you have to really hunt, and go out of your way, *especially* if you are not size 6-12. i am a size and most Goodwills don’t have any clothing i would be willing to wear in my size. oh i have found a few treasures, but “easily”? not hardly click over here now.

take a look in most clothing stores, the clothes for most people of any size are appalling, and for plus size ladies? i have a choice, wear sack or something skin tight. There is a REASON i learned to sew again.

I do wonder, sometimes, if there isn’t something I can do to distinguish my “Sunday best” from what I wear the rest of the week

i have also had to learn where the Muslim stores are in order to find skirts of a modest length in some seasons! right now i am fortunate that a plus sized store had a decent dress at a reasonable price, and all i had to do was change the buttons on it. but that was a real find.