Skirts are mandatory solely to subtly remind the flock that it is a patriarchal organization. "Who wears the pants" in this case, is a literal reference to "any swinging dick."
The J Dub Culture of Skirt-Wearing
by mummatron 77 Replies latest jw friends
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Lady Viola
I don't understand the skirt policy either...
But I do like to wear skirts. I usually wear high waisted pencil skirts or tight dresses Mad Men style...
I just ordered this dress... Soooo cute!
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jeckle
ruff ruff owooo! ou lala lady viola you have my complete attention!
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Pams girl
OMG I WANT that cherry dress! Go with my cherry tattoo!
I wasnt never told nt to waer trousers. It was a casual remark to my study teacher like "Why do you wear skirts if its not scriptual" and she said "its more befitting to us, and emphasises our feminine nature" etc...and yep, I fell in line cos I didnt want to be the odd one out.
After all my WT went in the bin, I threw away all my KH clothes, they were more suited to a 80 year old than me. Great to be free, in so many ways!
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BoleynGirl
I was aged 18-21 during my time as a Dub, and I always wore skirts to meetings. It didn't really bother me until later, when I was out and looked at some of the photos. I dressed like a 40 year-old woman!
There was another young sister about 16 in the congo and she often turned up to book study in business pants (the dress at book study was always regarded as less formal because it was held in someone's house). People raised eyebrows, but I don't think anything was said because technically there was nothing specific either in the Bible or the WT that said "no pants". I only saw this with reference to Bethel.
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Band on the Run
Many corporations insist professional women wear skirt suits. Everyone is so afraid that I doubt if it is challneged much. A friend of mine worse trousers to come to work during a large blizzzard. She was chastised, yet she would not have been able to get her car out in a skirt. No clients could see her.
I have a hunch that if anyone challenged these rules, they would fall. It is a matter of subjugation more than fashion.
I know where I worked the partners could not have enough secretaries in skin tight pants. It was considered vular for a woman in their social class, though.
I was marked for wearing eye makeup and doing my nails in pink. It isn't about makeup but defining women as the other and the less.
Typically, the men enforcing these rules make not much men and have no worldly status. I'm tired of blaming men for everything. Feminism is everywhere. Its influence is keen. I would focus on the women who give up their power to dress as they please.
Show me in the Bible wear women must wear dresses and skirts.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Pants are from the devil!
EVERY JW, man or woman, should be wearing a modest Christian skirt... just like Jesus!
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Hortensia
it is just bullshit patriarchal stuff. I didn't wear a skirt for nearly 30 years after leaving the org., but I wear them now in the summer, they are more comfortable. Slacks are more modest, however, unless you wear the waist down around your pubic arch.
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NewChapter
BOR said: Show me in the Bible wear women must wear dresses and skirts.
Hmm, if I remember my history, men in the bible kind of wore dresses themselves! With blue thread and fringe along the hem.
NC
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thetrueone
This comes from old religious traditions, given that wholesomely modest cloths should be worn by woman at church or in this case the Kingdom Hall.
When you think about it woman wearing pants as appropriate and respectful wear didn't really take in to main stream fashion until the late 1950's.
A woman wearing pants prior were seen as lowly workers on a farm or something similar.
Of course the WTS. religious power house is controlled by men, who've instituted on what their members are to look like in their organization,
just as well as men.
There is an intentional outside image that the leaders of their organization are trying to present, dress by its members is just one single element.
Likewise if you went to an American stringent Baptist church, you might get very precarious hairy eyes staring at you if you wore pants to one of their
church meetings.
What I'm trying to say is that this no pants policy by the JWS is not indigenous to their religion alone there are many other religious organizations that
have even more stringent rules for dress.