virtuous fashion

Photo courtesy of PureFashion.com

We can all agree that many young girls today dress like hookers and tramps.  It’s hard to find virtuous fashion these days with fashion the way it is, teen celebrity influence, music videos, and more.

Today, I stumbled on the website of faith-based program called Pure Fashion that works with local leaders, clergy, and lay people to promote the virtue of modesty, protect and preserve purity, and foster an awareness of the dignity of the human person seeking to complement the pastoral programs of the diocese it serves.  According to their website, Pure Fashion encourages teen girls to live, act, and dress in accordance with their dignity as children of God.   They focus on guiding young women ages 14 to 18 to become confident, competent leaders who live the virtues of modesty and purity in their schools and communities. Through an eight month Model Training Program that covers public speaking, manners and social graces, hair and make up artistry, personal presentation, and more, Pure Fashion models learn the importance of living a life in accordance with God’s will and fostering a life of grace through purity of heart, mind, and body. This program culminates in a city-wide fashion show featuring clothing that is pretty but not provocative, trendy but still tasteful.

What is Virtuous Fashion?

The hope of Pure Fashion hopes to positively impact the fashion industry by motivating customers to choose clothing and accessories that are fun and fresh, yet modest and respectful of the dignity of the human person.  They have a set of Modesty Guidelines that include some very sensible suggestions like avoiding tight fitting clothing, plunging necklines and short shorts, along with other guidelines that made me chuckle a bit, like this suggestion:

“In church, sleeveless dresses should be worn with a shrug or wrap to avoid distracting others (we don’t want to compete with Jesus).”

Being a LONG lapsed Catholic and someone who does not consider themself a Christian, in order to see the good in this program I need to hear past the Faith-Based message which I find distracting.  In fact, I almost wish it didn’t have a connection to any religion as I think the message is decent, it’s the delivery that seems a little off-putting…at least to me.  What do you think of virtuous fashion?

Check out this ABC interview to see more.