In answer to all those slutty brides out there!

[breakinglight11]

I am amused by the ads for "modest wedding dresses" on Facebook. Is the average wedding dress, a floor-length gown for a formal, often religious family occasion, all that immodest? I mean, I want mine to be midriff-baring, but given the designs I typically see I'm rather in the minority there.

But no matter! You don't HAVE be one of those slutty brides out there in their whorish off-the-shoulder sin-slips. You can keep your base female form from inspiring any wickedness until the end of the ceremony where you'll safely enter into the legal dominion of a man who can lock you away from the lascivious eyes of slavering, impulse-driven beasts.

Heehee. ;-)

Also, why do all the social sites show me so many ads for wedding stuff? Why does the Internet seem to think I'm getting married?

Comments

[laura47.livejournal.com]

the bride in the wedding i'm in this summer was looking at modest wedding dresses, because she just isn't comfortable in plunging necklines and strapless dresses. the only dress she even owned previously was a bridesmaid dress, and she generally wears BDUs and pretty gender neutral clothes. She wouldn't be comfortable in a whole lot of wedding dresses I've seen (and while most of them were floor length gowns, they are often very skimpy on top), and it has nothing to do with not inspiring lust in anyone, or her being "owned" by her husband (she's a very independent woman.)

I've also been to weddings where the bride's dress had an open slit practically down to her belly button with her breasts taped in place, and that was what she was comfortable in, and it was great. Just because someone wants to dress modestly it doesn't necessarily imply anything else.

[valleyviolet.livejournal.com]

You can buy or have made all sorts of dresses that have different necklines or hems. Everyone has different taste. That's what things like the offbeat bride are all about.

The folks who push particular necklines, sleeves, and hems as "modest" are pushing a very specific agenda about what showing womenflesh means and it is not very pleasant.

I for one am not a fan of being told that if a man can see my knee suddenly all of his actions (whatever they may be) are my fault. If you read the modest clothing proponents carefully, that is what they're saying. "Immodest" clothes are somehow blinding men to the point where they lose the ability to distinguish right and wrong and are no longer responsible for their actions (it's the slut who wore the clothing, it's her fault, you see). Which is a load of rationalized crap.

If you want to wear a long skirt, wear a long skirt. I certainly do. I wore Victorian day dress to my wedding. But don't let people tell you it has anything to do with being "modest". If you want to walk down the street in pasties and a thong the men who see you will still be responsible for their own actions.

[laura47.livejournal.com]

I don't think I actually disagree with you on anything. I wasn't really talking about the cultural institutions around modesty (which is a valid and interesting topic, just not what I was talking about here.) My point was that there is nothing wrong with wanting to have most of your skin covered when you get married, and just because you want that does not mean anything else. In this instance, this bride is a raised-athiest, software engineer, abortion clinic escort, flaming liberal.

[valleyviolet.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean any particular comment on the bride you mentioned. My point was more to say, having a high neckline doesn't mean she has to look at it as a "modesty" issue or search for "modest" dresses to find what she wants. Styles change over time, and everyone has different tastes.

I love older clothing, but I try to stay as far as possible away from that particular clothing movement, even though their taste sometimes intersects with mine.

[laura47.livejournal.com]

On rereading, I am probably being overly defensive of my bride (this bride? I'm her maid of honor, so I'm rather involved), possibly because various friends thought it was hilarious when she was looking at mormon dresses (because she was having trouble finding what she wanted elsewhere). My apologies to you and Phoebe for being overly defensive.

In the end, she got a pretty blue prom/bridemaid dress and got some alterations and got a shawl to wear for the ceremony. Covered shoulders signal "serious" to her and bare shoulders "party", so we're all covering our shoulders for the (entirely non-religious) ceremony and letting loose for the party. :-)