Modest Is Hottest

Modest clothing for kids has been all over my feed recently. A mom went viral after shopping for dresses for her seven—and ten-year-old girls. At first glance, the dress looked like a cute spring dress. Upon further inspection, there were cut-outs in the middle. She was surprised that a dress marketed for a 6-7-year-old girl had seemingly unnecessary cut-outs at the waist. She admits that she dresses her children more modestly and conservatively.

However, her question was, “Am I overreacting?” Personally, I don’t think she is, but I saw that the discussion was not one-sided.

Lots of discussion focused on how it wasn’t a big deal and why put body consciousness and over-sexualizing on a child when it’s an inch of skin. Others made a helpful comment that sometimes cut-outs in clothing are helpful for the accommodation of things like a G-tube. Many agreed, saying there wasn’t a reason for the peek of skin and that little girls should dress like little girls.

As someone who dresses fairly modestly themselves, I encourage this in my children. Shopping for clothes, especially bathing suits, can be difficult with all the cropped lengths, short hems, and cut-outs. This may be a reflection of where we shop or the larger trend, but I have to make conscious choices in clothes rather than picking out what is cute or fun. Kids don’t necessarily need to cover from head to toe, but they don’t need to dress like young adults.

My perspective comes from two things: my religious background and, unfortunately, getting unwanted attention and comments as a tween. Am I wrong for pushing my beliefs and experiences on my kids? Maybe.

But I make sure to avoid the cringe-worthy “modest is hottest” phrase and focus more on self-respect and feeling comfortable in your skin and your clothing.

I would love to hear more from other moms and parents of kids growing up and clothing conversations. Do you even think about modesty in kids’ clothing? Do you feel strongly one way or the other? Let me know in the comments.