I just posted about two Mormon sisters knocking on our door at 7 p.m. tonight. They were both wearing long skirts, and it is well below freezing out there. Guess JW's are not the only ones who have a dress code.
jw's view of dress code for women
by megaflower 24 Replies latest jw friends
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dinah
Technically they are going to a business meetings, so...........
That dress codes bites both ways. Poor brothers in ties and jackets in the hot summer. Sisters' legs freezing in the winter. I'm surprised they don't make the sisters wear burkas.
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troubled mind
I havn't worn a dress or skirt since our last meeting two years ago .I hated wearing nylons in the hot humid months of midwest summers, and equally awful was freezing legs in sub zero winters . I didn't mind dressing up for meetings , but they got so nit picky about everything .I hate to be controlled on personal matters .
I do miss seeing my husband and son all dressed up in suits and ties though .
Were any of you ever counseled not to wear your grubby yard working clothes to the grocery or hardware store ? Because we are always in the public eye as JW's and the community should always be impressed with our cleanliness .
We live in a farming community and were expected to change clothes if we had to run to Farm and Fleet to get something to finish our yardwork !
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Finally-Free
That dress codes bites both ways. Poor brothers in ties and jackets in the hot summer. Sisters' legs freezing in the winter. I'm surprised they don't make the sisters wear burkas.
I wish they did in Renforth congregation. Most of the sisters™ had legs like tree stumps.
W
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civicsi00
My wife has always felt this way about the dress code too. I told her she could wear business casual pants but she won't because she would stand out too much (and I'm pretty sure they would take her to the back room and show her what the proper dress code is, LOL). We used to go to the spanish congregations and I don't know about everyone else, but the mexicans are always staring. We're also of mexican descent, so we can talk about them, dammit... lol
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WTWizard
I never could see why they want everyone to dress like it was about 65 out all year long. Above that, and you have those suit coats start getting too hot. And, having the collar button done is extremely uncomfortable when the temperature hits about 80 and it is muggy. Nylon stockings also start getting uncomfortable when it is muggy and it hits about 80 or so.
The flip side is the cold. I personally do not mind the cold. But, the first things to get cold is the fingertips and the toes. If you do not have headgear, the ears will start to nip when it gets toward freezing. Having nice, warm gloves or mittens is very important, especially when the temperature approaches zero. At those temperatures, frostbite becomes a potential danger.
Having to wear dresses sucks in any weather outside the mild conditions found in coastal California. In very hot weather, the stockings are uncomfortable. When it gets below freezing, it is very cold on the legs. And it's dangerous when it gets down to about -30, like it sometimes does in the upper Midwest or parts of Canada. Frostbite can happen in less than a minute if the temperature is -30 and the wind is only 15 MPH, which is common in winter. To insist that sisters go out in field circus in those conditions and then hound them because they wear pants is criminal.
Worse even than that is that they allow absolutely no freedom. Men need to wear white dress shirts all the time, with that collar button done up and ties that fit the image. Sisters have to have their dresses exactly 2 inches below the knee at all times, and it cannot ride up. The slits have to be proper in length. They also hound if the style is a bit too personal. And the standards keep changing, forcing people to waste money to get new outfits every year (of course, they have to throw away perfectly good outfits because they supposedly will not be going back; only to have to get identical outfits a few years later because standards have changed again).
I think the best outfit is for sisters to dress in pants when it is cold. Anything below about 40 degrees F. should result in wearing pants as an option. If the temperature drops in the teens or lower, pants with long underwear is suggested (not required) for comfort reasons. Electric heaters for socks and hands should also be an option in frigid weather. When the temperature approaches -20 or the wind is vicious, people should either stay at home or dress appropriately. Even then, if there is someone that has an unusually high metabolism and is comfortable at those temperatures, there should be no reason why they have to conform to a set standard.
Likewise, when the temperature exceeds about 70, the men should be allowed to remove their suit coats. If it gets to about 80 or higher or the humidity makes it unbearable, there should be no taboo about removing the tie, undoing the collar button, or both. Shorts of reasonable length should also be allowed during very hot weather. I know those old fogeys sitting in air conditioning do not know what it is like to be out in field circus when the temperature is 110 or higher or it is 95 out with extremely high humidity. Nor can they understand going out in field circus when it is -50 with a 80 MPH wind (northern Canada and Alaska can experience that weather). Perhaps, if they are going to assume 65 degrees with sunshine and light winds, people should cancel boasting sessions and discontinue field circus every time a cloud shows up, it gets below 60 or above 70, or the winds pick up.
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Micky4321
I totally agree with the going out in service and having to wear a skirt in zero degree temperature is just insane really. I remember doing that when I was a teenager.
I do agree that there should be some kind of respect when going to church/Kingdom Hall when it comes to what you wear. I don't think it should be dictated however but I have gone with my husband to his daughters/my step daughters church events on occasion and have seen people wearing t-shirts and jeans and thought that was disrespectful. Maybe it's the way I was raised but I also have been in the workforce for many years and dressing too casual is not respectful there either. But really the skirts and dresses are really above and beyond really. I only wear one if I am going to a wedding.
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R.Crusoe
I understand your views. It is a fact though that high testosterone production in younger males cannot be successfully eradicated. It is a natural phenomenon. Some females incite such a rush of it in their attire that it is the cause of much concern in some societies. It is akin to a woman having to sit next to a sweat inspiring male wearing a pair of Speedos whilst holding a Bible in his hand so that maybe she will keep her mind on mundane matters of boredom.
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BlackPearl
The subject of "modesty" for the sisters has had me hopping mad for years. They've stripped away the very femininity that defines a woman. I feel like they stole my and my wife's youthful vigor because of that bullcrap. She had to look like a nun at every assembly and every meeting and every field service meeting, etc. etc.... Dressed to the ankles and up to the chin.
I'll never get those years back!!
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Micky4321
These same men will be going to work every day and dealing with women who are not part of the JW society..oh if only they could control the whole world...lol.