The Puritans who spawned our American love affair with Victorian ideals would be rollin’ in their grave in 1943 when two Frenchman, Jacques Heim and Louis Reard, created the bikini. Prior to their artistic creations, women wore a variation of a culottes in dress form [I can’t believe I mentioned culottes. Sorry, I’m from the 90s.]
Since then it’s been a cultural battle to expose more and cover less.
Don’t believe me? While in France two years ago, I sat on a public beach with my sister and brother-in-law feeling like a PRUDE because I was in one-piece swimsuit on a topless beach. Yes, topless. It wasn’t a special beach for the nude, it’s the culture. But that didn’t mean I would join the party, if you know what I’m sayin’.
With that being said, modesty is more than what we wear. It’s a condition of our heart. I’ve seen immodest women fully covered yet exude coquettish, flirtatious, and sexual behavior around men. Modesty is deeper than our attire.
And if you see me at the beach and think my swimsuit high enough in the chest or low enough at the bottom, I’m blaming the French! 😉
- Where are you from and what is acceptable?
- Does your culture contradict the instructions of parents, spouses, or friends who tell you to put more clothes on?
- How do YOU handle the issue of modesty?
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