View source for Modesty

{{Short description|Dress or behavior to avoid sexual attraction}}
{{About|body modesty|the concept of modesty in a broader sense|humility|the sculpture|Modesty (Corradini sculpture)|the 2007 Spanish film|Modesty (film)|other uses|Modest (disambiguation){{!}}Modest}}
[[File:CaliforniaBeachc1905.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Recreation on a California beach in the first decade of the 20th century, depicting people in modest dress]]

'''Modesty''', sometimes known as '''demureness''', is a mode of dress and deportment which intends to avoid the encouraging of [[sexual attraction]] in others. The word ''modesty'' comes from the Latin word ''[[wikt:modestus|modestus]]'' which means 'keeping within measure'.<ref name="Jennett, Sheila 2001">Jennett, Sheila. The Oxford companion to the body. Eds. Colin Blakemore, and Sheila Jennett. Vol. 7. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2001.</ref>

In this use, revealing certain body parts is considered inappropriate, thus immodest. In conservative [[Middle Eastern]] societies, modesty may involve women completely covering their bodies with a [[niqab]] and not talking to men who are not immediate family members. In Christian [[Anabaptism|Anabaptist]] and similar sects, it may involve women wearing only ankle-length skirts, blouses up to the collar, and often a [[Head covering for Christian women|small head covering or shawl]]. In some societies, a [[one-piece swimsuit]] may be considered modest while wearing a [[bikini]] is not. In most countries, exposure of the body in breach of community standards of modesty, as well as [[public nudity]], is considered [[indecent exposure]] and is usually punished by law.

Nudity may be acceptable in public single-sex [[changing room]]s at [[swimming bath]]s, for example, or for mass [[medical examination]]s of [[military personnel]]. A person who would never disrobe in the presence of the opposite sex in a social context might unquestioningly do so for a medical examination, while others might allow such examination but only by a person of the same sex.

Overall, standards of modesty vary widely around the world because of sociocultural and contextual differences and particular situations.

In 2023, global spending on modest fashion reached $254 billion, with projections estimating growth to $473 billion by 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Karpinska |first=Teresa |date=2025-01-20 |title=Is Modest Fashion a Trend With a Global Appeal? |url=https://www.voguearabia.com/article/modest-fashion-trend-with-a-global-appeal |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Vogue Arabia |language=en-AE}}</ref>

==Body==
[[File:1868-skirt-lengths-girl-ages-Harpers-Bazar.gif|thumb|upright=0.72|1868 diagram from ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'' showing proper girls' skirt lengths increasing as they grow up]]

Standards of modesty discourage or forbid exposure of parts of the body, varying between societies, which may include areas of skin, the hair, [[undergarments]], and [[intimate parts]]. The standards may also require obscuring the shape of the body or parts of it by wearing non-[[form-fitting clothing]]. There are also customs regarding the changing of clothes (such as on a beach with no enclosed facilities), and the closing or locking of the door when changing or taking a shower.

Standards of modesty vary by culture or generation and vary depending on who is exposed, which parts of the body are exposed, the duration of the exposure, the context, and other variables. The categories of persons who could see another's body could include:

* a spouse or romantic partner of some sort,
* a [[friendship|friend]] or [[family]] member of the same sex,
* strangers of the same sex.

The context would include matters such as whether it is in one's own home, at another family member's home, at a friend's home, at a semi-public place, at a beach, swimming pool (including whether such venues are considered [[dress code|clothes-optional]]), [[changing room]]s or other public places. For instance, wearing a [[bathing suit]] at the beach would not be considered immodest, while it likely would be in a street or an office. The context may change during specific events or rituals such as [[Mardi Gras in New Orleans]]<ref name="shrum">{{cite journal|last1=Shrum|first1=W.|first2=J. |last2=Kilburn|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2580408|title=Ritual Disrobement at Mardi Gras: Ceremonial Exchange and Moral Order|journal=Social Forces|volume=75|number=2|date=December 1996|pages=423–458|doi=10.2307/2580408 |jstor=2580408 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="sparks">{{cite journal|last=Sparks|first=Randy|url=http://nuevomundo.revues.org/document3941.html|title=American Sodom: New Orleans Faces Its Critics and an Uncertain Future|journal=La Louisiane à la dérive|date=16 December 2005}}</ref> or during neopagan [[Skyclad (Neopaganism)|Skyclad]] work.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://hoard.billbert.co/Books/Occult_Library/Wicca/Witchcraft%20and%20Wicca%20%5B291%20e-books%5D/Overview%20and%20Guide%20for%20Wiccans%20in%20the%20Military.pdf|title= Overview and Guide for Wiccans in the Military|first1= David L. |last1=Oringderff|first2=S. Drake|last2=Fey|publisher= The Sacred Well Congregation|date=2000}}</ref>

Excessive modesty is called [[prude|prudishness]]. As a medical condition, it is also called [[gymnophobia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12335|title=Definition of Gymnophobia|website=MedicineNet.com|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> Excessive ''immodesty'' is called [[exhibitionism]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hypersexualdisorders.com/hypersexual-disorders/dsm-5-understanding-exhibitionistic-disorder/|title=DSM 5: Understanding Exhibitionistic Disorder|date=21 June 2013|website=Hypersexual Disorders|publisher=Elements Behavioral Health|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref>

==In medical settings==
{{Main|Modesty in medical settings}}

At times of public or private [[emergency]], expectations of modest dress may be suspended if necessary. This may apply to decontamination after a chemical or biological attack, where removal of contaminated clothing is important, or escaping from a night-time fire without time to dress. For example, during suspected [[anthrax]] attacks in 1998 and 2001 in the [[United States]], groups of people had to strip to their underwear in tents set up in parking lots and other public places for hosing down by fire departments.<ref name="archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com">{{cite news |last=Sefton |first=Dru |date=25 May 2002 |title=We'd rather die than take our clothes off, disaster planners say |newspaper=Seattle Times |url=http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=nude25&date=20020525 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030826061554/http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=nude25&date=20020525 |archive-date=August 26, 2003}}</ref> On the other hand, even in an emergency situation, some people are unable to abandon their need to hide their bodies, even at the risk of their life.<ref name="archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com"/>

==In dress==
[[File:Orthodox pilgrim.jpg|thumb|Orthodox pilgrim in the Laure of Kyiv-Perchesk. Pilgrims have to wear modest clothes and women and girls must cover their hair when entering a church or monastery.]]
[[File:Immodest ukrainians bangladesh.jpg|thumb|Three [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]] men, wearing [[Trunks (clothing)|trunks]] and [[Swim briefs|briefs]], attract attention for immodesty relative to the local norm in [[Cox's Bazar|Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh]]. ]]

Most discussion of modesty involves clothing. The criteria for acceptable modesty and [[indecent exposure|decency]] have relaxed continuously in much of the world since the nineteenth century, with [[Little black dress|shorter]], [[Form-fitting garment|form-fitting]], and more revealing clothing and swimsuits, more for women than men. Most people wear clothes that they consider not to be unacceptably immodest for their religion, culture, generation, occasion, and the people present. Some wear clothes which they consider immodest, due to [[exhibitionism]], the desire to create an [[erotic]] impact, or for publicity.

===Generally accepted Western norms===
Appropriate modesty depends on context and place. For example, in [[sex segregation|single-sex]] [[change room|public changing rooms]], nudity is often acceptable.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/britons-bad-being-naked-victoria-coren Why are Britons so bad at being naked?] Sarah Ditum, The Guardian, United Kingdom (16 January 2013)</ref>

In Western and some other societies, there are differences of opinion as to how much body exposure is acceptable in public.<ref>Salmansohn, Karen. "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-salmansohn/the_power_of_cleavage_b_70260.html The Power of Cleavage]". ''The Huffington Post'', October 29, 2007.</ref> In contemporary Western society, the extent to which a woman may expose [[Cleavage (breasts)|cleavage]] depends on social, cultural and regional context. Women's [[swimsuit]]s and [[bikini]]s commonly may reveal the tops and sides of the breasts, or they may be topless as is common on the beaches of the [[French Riviera]]. Displaying cleavage is considered permissible in many settings, and is even a sign of elegance and sophistication on many formal social occasions, but it may be considered inappropriate in settings such as workplaces, churches and schools. Showing the [[nipple]]s or [[areolae]] is almost always considered [[toplessness]] or partial [[nudity]]. However, in 2014 newly elected Pope Francis drew world-wide commentary when he encouraged mothers to breastfeed in church if their babies were hungry.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/12/pope-mothers-breastfeeding-children-sistine-chapel|title=Pope Francis encourages mothers to breastfeed - even in the Sistine Chapel|first=Lizzy|last=Davies|date=12 January 2014|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>

In private homes, the standards of modesty apply selectively. For instance, nudity among close family members in the home can take place, especially in the [[bedroom]] and [[bathroom]], and wearing of only undergarments in the home is common.

In many cultures it is not acceptable to bare the buttocks in public; [[Mooning|deliberately doing so]] is sometimes intended as an insult. In public, Western standards of decency expect people to cover their [[genitalia]], and women to cover their [[breast]]s.

Since the 1980s it has become more common for young women in Western societies to wear clothing that bared the midriff, "short shorts", backless tops, sheer and other styles considered to be immodest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.osisa.org/buwa/regional/fashion-feminists-how-fashion-and-dress-shape-women%E2%80%99s-identities|title=Fashion for Feminists: How fashion and dress shape women's identities|last=Sika|first=Varyanne|date=10 January 2014|work=Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA)|access-date=20 June 2014|archive-date=16 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716235213/http://www.osisa.org/buwa/regional/fashion-feminists-how-fashion-and-dress-shape-women%E2%80%99s-identities|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the United States in the early twenty-first century, public [[breastfeeding]] has become increasingly acceptable, sometimes protected by law.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx |title=Breastfeeding Laws |work=Breastfeeding State Laws |publisher=National Conference of State Legislatures, United States}}</ref> President Barack Obama's [[Affordable Care Act|health care bill from 2010]] provides additional support to nursing mothers, requiring employers to provide a private and shielded space for employees to use in order to nurse.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/09/breast.feeding.society/|title=Breastfeeding rooms hidden in health care law |publisher=CNN|first=Elizabeth |last=Landau|language=en|access-date=2017-02-05}}</ref>

===Gender differences===
[[File:Femmes-Amish.jpg|thumb|Modesty in dress is a relative cultural concept, even in the West, as seen above in the [[plain dress]] of [[Amish]] women on an American beach in 2007.]]
Men and women are subject to different standards of modesty in dress. While both men and women, in Western culture, are generally expected to keep their genitals covered at all times, women are also expected to keep their breasts covered. Some body parts are normally more covered by men than women—e.g., the [[midriff]] and the upper part of the back.

In 1992 New York State's highest court accepted [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] arguments and struck down the provision in New York's ''Exposure of the Person'' statute that made it illegal for women to bare their chests where men were permitted to do so.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/nyctap/I92_0160.htm|title=Santorelli & Schloss v. State of New York|date=7 July 1992|publisher=Cornell University Law School}}</ref>

==Religious traditions==
[[File:Buddhist Monks - Angkor Wat - Cambodia.JPG|thumb|Modesty in dress for Buddhist monks visiting the Hindu-Buddhist temple complex [[Angkor Wat]], Cambodia|alt=]]
{{See also|Religion and sexuality}}

Most world religions have sought to address the moral issues that arise from people's [[human sexuality|sexuality]] in society and in human interactions. Each major religion has developed [[moral code]]s covering issues of sexuality, morality, ethics, etc. Besides other aspects of sexuality, these moral codes seek to regulate the situations which can give rise to [[sexual interest]] and to influence people's behaviour and practices which could arouse such interest, or which overstate a person's sexuality. These religious codes have always had a strong influence on people's attitudes to issues of modesty in dress, behaviour, speech, etc.

===Buddhism===
Modesty (appicchatà or hiri) is the quality of being unpretentious about one's virtues or achievements. Genuinely modest people are able to see themselves as they really are and rejoice in their good qualities without becoming vain or self-promoting, and acknowledge their faults without shame or self-loathing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddhisma2z.com/content.php?id=269|title=Guide to Buddhism A To Z - Modesty|accessdate=9 April 2022}}</ref> 
 
Modesty in dress is important in [[Buddhism]]. The Sekhiya rules of [[Pāṭimokkha|Buddhist Monastic code]], for example, provide guidelines on proper clothing as well as recommended ways of dressing for monks.<ref>[http://en.dhammadana.org/sangha/vinaya/227/75sk.htm The 75 sekhiyas] Buddhism Dhamma Dana (2009)</ref>

{{blockquote|I will wear the lower robe [upper robe] wrapped around (me): a training to be observed.|Code 1.2, Sekhiya Rule|<ref name="Buddhist Monastic Code I">[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/bmc1/bmc1.ch10.html Buddhist Monastic Code I]
Chapter 10, Sekhiya Rules, Thanissaro Bhikkhu (2007)</ref>}}

{{blockquote|I will not go [sit] with robes hitched up in inhabited areas: a training to be observed.|Code 9.10, Sekhiya Rule|<ref name="Buddhist Monastic Code I"/>}}

The 'robes hitched up' phrase above refers to lifting one's 1 or 2 piece cloth robe, thereby exposing either side or both sides of one's body to other human beings in an inhabited area. Such exhibitionism is not recommended to monks. Beyond monks, the Buddhist belief is that modesty has a purifying quality for everyone.<ref>Edward Thomas (2002), The History of Buddhist Thought, Dover Publications, {{ISBN|978-0486421049}}, pp 163, 207-208</ref>

===Christianity===
[[File:Martin Luther Preaching to Faithful (1561).jpg|thumb|A painting of the Lutheran [[Divine Service (Lutheran)|Divine Service]] shows women wearing a [[Christian headcovering|headcovering]]. ]]
[[File:Te_Deum_Elizarovo_Guslitsa_8484.jpg|thumb|Women seen in modest dress outside a [[Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church|Russian Orthodox Christian, Old-Rite]] church]]
[[File:Women converted to Christianity.jpg|thumb|An engraving of Christian women in [[India]] (1869)]]

There are verses in the Christian Bible that discuss the issue of modesty.<ref name="Arnold2022"/> Before the [[fall of man]], "Nakedness was 'very good' from the beginning, but its innocence was corrupted by the fall", a concept taught in {{Bibleverse|Genesis|1:31|KJV}} and {{Bibleverse|Genesis|2:25|KJV}}.<ref name="Arnold2022"/> {{Bibleverse|Genesis|3:8-10|KJV}}, {{Bibleverse|Revelation|3:18|KJV}} and {{Bibleverse|Revelation|16:15|KJV}} discuss that after the fall of man, "publicly exposed nakedness is a symbol of the shame of sin."<ref name="Arnold2022"/> In {{Bibleverse|Genesis|3:7|KJV}}, [[Adam and Eve]] tried to cover their nakedness, though their attempt was inadequate for God and so God properly clothed humans in {{Bibleverse|Genesis|3:21|KJV}}.<ref name="Anderson2019">{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=Cory|last2=Anderson |first2=Jennifer|title=Fitted to Holiness: How Modesty is Achieved and Compromised among the Plain People |date=2019 |publisher=Acorn Publishing |location=[[Millersburg, Ohio|Millersburg]]|page=8}}</ref><ref name="Arnold2022"/> {{Bibleverse|Exodus|20:26|KJV}} and {{Bibleverse|Exodus|28:42-43|KJV}} explicate that God instructed humans to cover their torso and thighs.<ref name="Arnold2022">{{cite web |last1=Arnold |first1=Johnathan |title=A Simple Outline for Teaching on Modest Clothing |url=https://holyjoys.org/outline-modest-clothing |publisher=Holy Joys |access-date=24 January 2022 |date=21 January 2022}}</ref> {{Bibleverse|1 Timothy|2:9-10|KJV}} instructs Christians to dress in "modest apparel" rather than to adorn themselves; in the same vein, [[Saint Peter]] wrote to Christians that "Your adornment should not be an external one: braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in fine clothes, but rather the hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and calm disposition, which is precious in the sight of God" ({{Bibleverse|1 Peter|3:3-4|KJV}}).<ref name="Winger1919">{{cite book |last1=Winger |first1=Otho |title=History and Doctrines of the Church of the Brethren |date=1919 |publisher=Brethren Publishing House |page=218 |language=English|quote=I. We examined prayerfully the scriptural grounds of Christian attire, and found that Jesus and the apostles taught modesty and simplicity of life and modesty in dress and manners. The scriptures bearing on the subject of dress and adornment are of several classes: First. Jesus condemned anxious thought for raiment (Matt. 6: 25-33; Luke 12:22-31). Second. The direct teachings, such as 1 Tim. 2:9, 10; 1 Peter 3:3-5. Third. Teachings on nonconformity to the world in general, and that apply to dress on general principles, such as Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Peter 1:14-15; 1 John 2:15-17. II. Investigation shows that the early church fathers and our own church fathers taught strongly and uniformly against pride and superfluity in dress, and constantly in favor of gospel plainness.}}</ref>

Historically, female communicants of traditional Christian denominations (including [[Anglican]],<ref name="Muir2005">{{cite book|last=Muir|first=Edward|title=Ritual in Early Modern Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zlULqJ70bDUC&pg=PA31|access-date=13 November 2012|date=18 August 2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521841535|page=31|quote=In England radical Protestants, known in the seventeenth century as Puritans, were especially ardent in resisting the churching of women and the requirement that women wear a head covering or veil during the ceremony. The Book of Common Prayer, which became the ritual handbook of the Anglican Church, retained the ceremony in a modified form, but as one Puritan tract put it, the 'churching of women after childbirth smelleth of Jewish purification.'"}}</ref> [[Baptist]],<ref name="USA2012">{{cite book|title=Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches 2012|url=https://archive.org/details/yearbookofameric0000unse_l2p3|url-access=registration|access-date=13 November 2012|date=2012-04-01|publisher=Abingdon Press|isbn=9781426746666|page=[https://archive.org/details/yearbookofameric0000unse_l2p3/page/131 131]|quote=The holy kiss is practiced and women wear head coverings during prayer and worship.}}</ref> [[Eastern Orthodox]],<ref name="Dehejia2005">{{cite book|last=Dehejia|first=Harsha V.|title=A Celebration of Love: The Romantic Heroine in the Indian Arts|year=2005|publisher=Lustre Press|language=en|isbn=9788174363022|page=102}}</ref> [[Lutheran]],<ref>{{cite book|title=The Milwaukee Lutheran, Volumes 26-27|year=1973|publisher=Lutherans of Wisconsin|language=en|page=62}}</ref> [[Methodist]],<ref name="Morgan2010">{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Sue|title=Women, Gender and Religious Cultures in Britain, 1800–1940|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JybdfeRKuFcC&pg=PA102|access-date=13 November 2012|date=2010-06-23|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9780415231152|page=102|quote=Several ardent Methodist women wrote to him, asking for his permission to speak. Mar Bosanquet (1739–1815) suggested that if Paul had instructed women to cover their heads when they spoke (1. Cor. 11:5) then he was surely giving direction on how women should conduct themselves when they preached.}}</ref> [[Moravian Church|Moravian]], [[Oriental Orthodox]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Veiling in Other Religious Traditions|publisher=Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies|website=ncmideast.org|url=https://ncmideast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/1065/2011/07/Veiling-in-Other-Religious-Traditions.pdf|accessdate=October 24, 2021}}</ref> [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]],<ref name="Snodgrass2015">{{cite book|last=Snodgrass|first=Mary Ellen|title=World Clothing and Fashion: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence|date=17 March 2015|publisher=Taylor & Francis|language=en|isbn=9781317451662|page=1548}}</ref> and [[Roman Catholic]])<ref name="Henold2008">{{cite book|last=Henold|first=Mary J.|title=Catholic and Feminist: The Surprising History of the American Catholic Feminist Movement|year=2008|publisher=UNC Press Books|language=en|isbn=9780807859476|page=1968|quote=Catholic women who came of age at midcentury no doubt recall the hasty search for a tissue or even a handy parish bulletin to pin to their heads once they discovered they had left home without their regular head covering.}}</ref> wore a [[Christian headcovering|headcovering]] while praying at home and worshipping in the church, or all the time as with [[Anabaptists]] such as the [[Mennonites]] and the [[Bruderhof]], in keeping with their interpretation of {{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:2-16|NRSV}}, which has been practiced since the time of the [[early Church]].<ref name="Bercot1992">{{cite book |last1=Bercot |first1=David W. |title=Common Sense: A New Approach to Understanding Scripture |date=1992 |publisher=Scroll Publishing Co. |isbn=978-0-924722-06-6 |page=68 |language=English|quote=Hippolytus, a leader in the church in Rome around the year 200, compiled a record of the various customs and practices in that church from the generations that preceded him. His ''Apostolic Tradition'' contains this statement: "And let all the women have their heads covered with an opaque cloth, not with a veil of thin linen, for this is not a true covering." This written evidence of the course of performance of the early Christians is corroborated by the archaeological record. The pictures we have from the second and third centuries from the catacombs and other places depict Christian women praying with a cloth veil on their heads. So the historical record is crystal clear. It reveals that the early generation of believers understood the head covering to be a cloth veil—not long hair.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Veil |url=http://www.earlychristiandictionary.com/Veil.html |publisher=Early Christian Dictionary |access-date=7 September 2021 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Earle|first1=Alice Morse|title=Two Centuries of Costume in America, Vol. 2 (1620–1820)|date=1903|publisher=The Macmillan Company|page=582|quote="One singular thing may be noted in this history, – that with all the vagaries of fashion, woman has never violated the Biblical law that bade her cover her head. She has never gone to church services bareheaded."}}</ref> [[Apostolic Tradition]] commands: "let all the women have their heads covered with an opaque cloth, not with a veil of thin linen, for this is not a true covering."<ref name="Bercot1992"/><ref name="Classical2012"/> [[John Chrysostom]] ({{circa|347}}{{snd}}407) delineated Saint Paul's teaching on the wearing of headcoverings by Christian women, continually:<ref name="OCIC">{{cite web |title=On Account of the Angels: Why I Cover My Head |url=http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/headcoverings.aspx |publisher=Orthodox Christian Information Center |access-date=8 April 2022 |quote=St. John Chrysostom thought that Paul, in admonishing women to wear a covering "because of the angels," meant it "not at the time of prayer only, but also continually, she ought to be covered." Fr. Rhodes agrees: "The veil can be the constant symbol of the true woman of God … a way of life … a testimony of faith and of the salvation of God, not only before men, but angels as well."}}</ref><ref name="Schaff1889"/> 
{{blockquote|Well then: the man he compelleth not to be always uncovered, but only when he prays. "For every man," saith he, "praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head." But the woman he commands to be at all times covered. Wherefore also having said, "Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head unveiled, dishonoureth her head," he stayed not at this point only, but also proceeded to say, "for it is one and the same thing as if she were shaven." But if to be shaven is always dishonourable, it is plain too that being uncovered is always a reproach. And not even with this only was he content, but he added again, saying, "The woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels." He signifies that not at the time of prayer only but also continually, she ought to be covered. But with regard to the man, it is no longer about covering but about wearing long hair, that he so forms his discourse. To be covered he then only forbids, when a man is praying; but the wearing of long hair he discourages at all times.<ref name="Schaff1889">{{cite book |last1=Schaff |first1=Philip |title=A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: St. Chrysostom: Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians |date=1889 |publisher=The Christian Literature Company |page=152 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="OCIC"/>}}
These ancient Christian practices regarding modesty continue to be normative among Christians in regions such as in Eastern Europe and in South Asia, though they have waned in the Western world starting in the 1960s.<ref name="Flinn2014">{{cite book|last=Flinn|first=Isabella|title=Pinpricks in the Curtain: India Through the Eyes of an Unlikely Missionary|date=1 May 2014|publisher=WestBow Press|language=en|isbn=9781490834313|page=234}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gordon |first1=Greg |title=Are Head Coverings Really for Today? |url=https://evangelicalfocus.com/yourblog/929/Are-Head-Coverings-Really-for-Today- |publisher=Evangelical Focus |access-date=2 May 2022 |language=English |date=31 August 2015 |quote=One of the most questioned practices in the New Testament in the modern day Western Church is the practice of Head Coverings for women. Yet to get perspective we need to look over the panoply of God's Church for 2000 years and see that this is not something new but old—and has been practiced diligently over the ages. It is hard to imagine but since the 1960s the Church almost entirely practiced this tradition. The influence of secular reasoning, feminism and liberal theology have led to the questioning and, ultimately, the casting aside of this practice in the Church at large in the evangelical world.}}</ref> Many Trinitarian Christians consider modesty extremely important,<ref>See, e.g., [http://www.christianaction.org.za/articles_ca/2004-3-ModestyTheUndressingOfOurYouth.htm Modesty: The Undressing of Our Youth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503213045/http://www.christianaction.org.za/articles_ca/2004-3-ModestyTheUndressingOfOurYouth.htm |date=2007-05-03 }}, by Lenora Hammond.</ref> though considerable differences of opinion exist about its requirements and purposes.<ref>[http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/ The Modesty Survey] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129185312/http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/ |date=2009-01-29 }}: An anonymous discussion among Christians concerning various aspects of modesty.</ref> The [[early Church]] stressed the importance of modesty in the practice of Christianity, with early Church Father [[Clement of Alexandria]] teaching:<ref name="Winger1919"/><ref name="Classical2012">{{cite web |title=On Head Coverings |url=https://classicalchristianity.com/2012/01/11/on-head-coverings/ |publisher=Classical Christianity |access-date=25 January 2022 |language=English |date=11 January 2012}}</ref>
{{blockquote|Woman and man are to go to church decently attired, with natural step, embracing silence, possessing unfeigned love, pure in body, pure in heart, fit to pray to God. Let the woman observe this, further. Let her be entirely covered, unless she happen to be at home. For that style of dress is grave, and protects from being gazed at. And she will never fall, who puts before her eyes modesty, and her shawl; nor will she invite another to fall into sin by uncovering her face. For this is the wish of the Word, since it is becoming for her to pray veiled. (''[[Paedagogus|The Instructor]]'' 3.11)<ref name="Classical2012"/>}}
The early Christian manual [[Paedagogus]] (198 [[Anno Domini|AD]]) teaches that clothing worn by faithful Christians should extend beyond the knees and warns against the wearing of expensive clothing, in addition to forbidding the excesses of jewelry:<ref name="Steinberg2020">{{cite book |last1=Steinberg |first1=Aliza |title=Weaving in Stones: Garments and Their Accessories in the Mosaic Art of Eretz Israel in Late Antiquity |date=7 February 2020 |publisher=Archaeopress Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-78969-322-5 |page=197 |language=English}}</ref>
{{blockquote|As, then, in the fashioning of our clothes, we must keep clear of all strangeness, so in the use of them we must beware of extravagance. For neither is it seemly for the clothes to be above the knee, as they say was the case with the Lacedaemonian virgins; nor is it becoming for any part of a woman to be exposed. Though you may with great propriety use the language addressed to him who said, "Your arm is beautiful; yes, but it is not for the public gaze. Your thighs are beautiful but, was the reply, for my husband alone. And your face is comely. Yes; but only for him who has married me." But I do not wish chaste women to afford cause for such praises to those who, by praises, hunt after grounds of censure; and not only because it is prohibited to expose the ankle, but because it has been enjoined that the head should be veiled and the face covered; for it is a wicked thing for beauty to be a snare to men.<ref name="Alexandria">{{cite book |title=Clement of Alexandria Collection [3 Books] |publisher=Aeterna Press |language=English}}</ref>}}
Early ecclesiastical writer [[Tertullian]] echoed the same teachings regarding modesty in his ''On the Apparel of Women'', also including a prohibition on Christian men and women [[dyeing]] their hair.<ref name="Knight">{{cite web |title=On the Apparel of Women |url=https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0402.htm |publisher=New Advent |access-date=25 February 2022 |language=English}}</ref> Rather than to ostentatiously display the hair, Tertullian said that Christian women are to wear a [[Christian headcovering|headcovering]] in public.<ref name="Knight"/> He taught that Christians should be able to be easily distinguished from non-Christians by their wearing of modest clothing.<ref name="Knight"/>

====Anabaptists====
[[File:Niagara Falls - panoramio (69).jpg|thumb|An [[Anabaptist Christian]] lady wearing a [[cape dress]] and [[Christian headcovering|headcovering]] ]]
{{Main|Anabaptist theology#Modesty and woman's veiling}}
{{Further|Plain people}}
Many Christians belonging to the [[Conservative Anabaptist]] and [[Old Order Anabaptist]] traditions (including the [[Amish]], [[Conservative Mennonites]], [[Old Order Mennonite]]s, [[Hutterites]], [[Apostolic Christian Church|Apostolic Christians]], [[Charity Christian Fellowship|Charity Christians]], [[Bruderhof Communities|Bruderhof]], [[River Brethren]] and [[Schwarzenau Brethren]]) have [[plain dress]] prescriptions designed to achieve modesty and create a sense of church identity, as Petrovich writes: "Their dress standard is not only intended to specify a pattern which all members agree to be a modest covering for the human form but must also correspond to their vision of Jesus as meek and humble, dressed as a simple peasant from a common village. Since an established dress standard promotes uniformity, it also provides a sense of shared purpose."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Petrovich|first=Christopher|date=2013|title=Spiritual Theology in an Amish Key: Theology, Scripture, and Praxis|journal=Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care|volume=6|issue=2|pages=250|doi=10.1177/193979091300600206|s2cid=171605201}}</ref> These requirements are either written in denominational or congregational statements<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Raber|first1=Dan|last2=Sheets|first2=Gregory|last3=Anderson|first3=Cory|date=2019|title=<em>Ordnungs Briefen</em> of 1865, 1917, and 1939: English Translations of Important Old Amish Church Orders|url=https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/amishstudies/vol7/iss2/3/|journal=Journal of Amish & Plain Anabaptist Studies|volume=7|issue=2|pages=109–114|doi=10.62192/japas.v07i2n03 |doi-access=free}}</ref> or are understood and reinforced through informal pressure and ministerial reminders.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Scott|first=Stephen|title=Why Do They Dress That Way?|publisher=Good Books.|year=1997|isbn=9780934672184|location=Intercourse, PA}}</ref>

Requirements vary across churches and denominations; however, all conservative Anabaptist women wear [[Christian headcovering]]s and a skirt or dress, and all men wear long trousers.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last1=Anderson|first1=Cory|url=https://acornpublishing.info/|title=Fitted to Holiness: How Modesty Is Achieved and Compromised among the Plain People|last2=Anderson|first2=Jennifer|publisher=Acorn Publishing|year=2019|isbn=978-1-7322864-1-2|location=Millersburg, OH|access-date=2020-05-07|archive-date=2020-08-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804050807/https://acornpublishing.info/|url-status=dead}}</ref> From there, considerable variation exists in men's, women's, and children's styles. Anabaptist adherents read a church group's relative strictness, distance from popular culture, and even religious ideas by their appearance and the speed of dress changes. Accordingly, the extent to which popular fashion elements show up in an Anabaptist person's dress often depends on the social distance of that church from popular culture.<ref name=":1" /> For example, women's headcoverings have numerous subtle design elements that distinguish church association, age, and attitude toward modest dress.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Enninger|first=Werner|title=Multimedia Communication I|publisher=Gunter Narr|year=1982|editor-last=Hess-Lüttich|editor-first=Ernest|location=Tübingen, Germany|pages=86–123|chapter=The Semiotic Structure of Amish Folk Costume: Its Function in the Organization of Face-to-Face Interaction}}</ref> Women in more fashion-conscious groups, especially among some Conservative Mennonites as well as young adults among some Old Order Amish, may wear a lacy doily that fits a stylized appearance, whereas groups and individuals holding to a distinctive form of modesty wear a fixed-style [[kapp (headcovering)|kapp]] with a back part that covers the hair bun and is pleated to a front part that vertically encircles the head.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Anderson|first=Cory|title=The Ornament of a Spirit: Exploring the Reasons Covering Styles Change|publisher=Ridgeway Publishers|year=2013|isbn=978-0984098514|location=Lyndonville, NY}}</ref>

Churches vary in how much members may experiment with modesty and fashion in dress. Some groups, for example, may be less inclined to censure tight dresses so long as the church's distinctive style is maintained<ref>{{Cite book|last=Boynton|first=Linda|title=The Plain People: An Ethnography of the Holdeman Mennonites.|publisher=Sheffield Publishing Company.|year=1986|location=Salem, WI}}</ref> or to censure popular swimwear worn while swimming in groups or in public;<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hamilton|first1=Jean|title=Religion, Dress, and the Body|last2=Hawley|first2=Jana|publisher=Berg|year=1999|editor-last=Lazaridis|editor-first=Gabriella|location=New York|pages=31–51|chapter=Sacred Dress, Public Worlds: Amish and Mormon Experience and Commitment}}</ref> others carefully observe and embrace their church's pattern for modest, distinct dress on all non-private occasions.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Graybill|first=Beth|title=Strangers at Home: Amish and Mennonite Women in History|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|year=2002|editor=Kimberly D. Schmidt |editor2=Diane Zimmerman Umble |editor3=Steven D. Reschly|location=Baltimore, MD|pages=53–77|chapter='To Remind Us of Who We Are': Multiple Meanings of Conservative Women's Dress}}</ref>

====Catholicism====
[[File:Dress code sign Even the body has its own language, Cathedral of Lecce, 2010.jpg|thumb|A placard "Dress with dignity and respect the sacred place" informs visitors about the minimum dress standards required to enter the [[Lecce Cathedral]] in Italy.]]
Saint [[Thomas Aquinas]] defined modesty as "[[humility]], studiousness, [[temperance (virtue)|temperance]] in outward movements and in apparel."<ref>[[Summa Theologiae|S. Th.]] II-II, q. 160, a. 2. As quoted in {{Cite journal|author1=John-Mark Miravalle|date=2017-06-01|title=Resisting the Less Important: Aquinas on Modesty|journal=[[Journal of Moral Theology]]|volume=6|issue=2|pp=166–174|language=en-US|access-date=2025-01-20|url=https://jmt.scholasticahq.com/article/11361-resisting-the-less-important-aquinas-on-modesty|OCLC=10168859715|ISSN=2166-2851}}</ref>

The [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]] points out that "Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing" (CCC, 2522)."<ref name="Pivarunas1996"/>

The wearing of a [[Christian headcovering|veil]] (headcovering) for women while praying at home and while worshipping at [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] has been practiced by Christian women since the time of the early Church.<ref name="Bercot1992"/><ref name="Fisher2019">{{cite web |last1=Fisher |first1=Simcha |title=The types of women who veil at Mass |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/12/03/types-women-who-veil-mass |publisher=[[America Magazine]] |access-date=15 November 2020 |language=en |date=3 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="Sciba2018">{{cite web |last1=Sciba |first1=Katie |title=Beneath the Veil: How Unusual Practice Becomes Beloved Prayer |url=https://blessedisshe.net/blog/beneath-veil/ |publisher=Blessed Is She |access-date=18 April 2021 |language=English |date=14 May 2018}}</ref> The wearing of headcoverings during the celebration of the liturgy was mandated as a universal rule for the [[Latin Church]] by the [[Canon law (Catholic Church)#Codification|Code of Canon Law of 1917]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jgray.org/codes/cic17lat.html |title=1917 Codex Iuris Canonici |work=Canon 1262, Section 2 |access-date=2011-01-19 |archive-date=2020-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908053112/http://www.jgray.org/codes/cic17lat.html |url-status=dead }} (Latin)</ref> abrogated by the [[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law of 1983]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2.HTM |title=Canon 6 §1 of the Code of Canon Law }}</ref>

The standards issued by [[Pope Pius XI]] declared that "women who wear immodest dress shall be denied [[Holy Communion]], and shall not be admitted as a godmother at [[Baptism]] or as a sponsor at [[Confirmation]]".<ref name="Joselit2014">{{cite book |last1=Joselit |first1=Jenna Weissman |title=A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character, and the Promise of America |date=2014 |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |isbn=978-1-4668-6984-4 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="Pivarunas1996">{{cite web |author1=[[Mark Pivarunas]] |title=Modesty in Dress |url=https://cmri.org/articles-on-the-traditional-catholic-faith/modesty-in-dress/ |publisher=[[Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen]] |access-date=27 March 2021 |language=English |date=21 June 1996}}</ref> They further stated "Nuns, in accordance with the Letter of 23 August 1928, of the Sacred Congregation of Religious, shall not admit to their colleges, schools, oratories, or amusement centers, nor allow to remain there any girls who do not observe Christian modesty in dress; and in the education of their charges they shall take special care to sow deeply in their hearts a love of chastity and Christian modesty.

Pope Pius XI also issued the standard of decent dress, declaring that "A dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers breadth under the pit of the throat; which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows; and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees. Furthermore, dresses of transparent materials are improper."

Between 1933 and 1980, the [[Catholic Legion of Decency]] was active in monitoring morally objectionable content in films. It condemned a number of films, including several on account of the clothing worn. For example, [[list of films condemned by the Legion of Decency|the Legion has condemned]] the display of [[cleavage (breasts)|cleavage]] in ''[[The Outlaw]]'' (1941) and in ''[[The French Line]]'' (1954).

In 1944 on the feast of the [[Immaculate Conception]], the so-called "Marylike Crusade" (formally known as the "Purity Crusade of Mary Immaculate") was initiated by Rev. Bernard Kunkel to codify [[Pope Pius XII|Pope Pius' XII]] directives on the Catholic standards of dress, known as "Marylike modesty".<ref name="Evans2012">{{cite book |last1=Evans |first1=Rachel Held |title=A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband "master" |date=2012 |publisher=[[Thomas Nelson (publisher)|Thomas Nelson]] |isbn=978-1-59555-367-6 |page=126 |language=English}}</ref> It seeks for Christians to emulate the [[Blessed Virgin Mary]] under the title "Mother Most Chaste" as the model for modesty.<ref name="MSGH2017"/> Mary-like Modesty includes for women, wearing sleeves "extending at least to the elbows" and "skirts reaching below the knees", as well as having a neckline no more than two inches with the rest of the bodice fully covered.<ref>Kunkel, Rev. Bernard. [https://ecatholic2000.com/life/prayer143.shtml ''My Life in Prayer Book''], Book Two, Chapter III: The Marylike Standards for Modesty in Dress</ref><ref name="Evans2012"/> The Marylike Crusade promotes a vow for Catholics to take: "While I am determined always to dress with Marylike modesty, both at home and in public, I intend to be specially careful to do so when visiting any place dedicated to God."<ref name="O'Toole2018">{{cite book |last1=O'Toole |first1=James M. |title=Habits of Devotion: Catholic Religious Practice in Twentieth-Century America |date=5 July 2018 |publisher=[[Cornell University Press]] |isbn=978-1-5017-2666-8 |page=105 |language=English}}</ref> The Marylike Crusade received an [[Apostolic Blessing]] from Pope Pius XII on 14 July 1954 and on 11 May 1955, Pope Pius XII extended this "to the members, to their Directors and Moderators, to their families and loved ones, and to all who further their laudable movement for modesty in dress and behaviour."<ref name="MSGH2017">{{cite journal |title=The Pope of Fatima, Pius XII, Puts His Seal on Our Lady of Fatima's Request for Modesty |journal=Behold Thy Mother |date=2017 |volume=19 |issue=56 |page=22 |publisher=Missionary Sisters of the Holy Ghost |language=English}}</ref> The standards of Mary-like Modesty established by the Purity Crusade of Mary Immaculate continue to be promoted by Traditionalist Catholics as normative.<ref name="CMRI">{{cite web |title=Dress Code |date=14 August 2016 |url=https://cmri.org/cmri-directory-of-traditional-latin-masses/dress-code-for-cmri-churches/ |publisher=[[Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen]] |access-date=27 March 2021 |language=English}}</ref>

In 2004 [[Cardinal Anthony Okogie]] sent letters to the priests in the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos]] and asked them to prohibit "fashions promoting lust and immorality" within churches.<ref name="Blunt2004">{{cite news |last1=Blunt |first1=Elizabeth |title=Nigerian Catholics told to be modest |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3549210.stm |access-date=8 April 2022 |language=English |date=9 August 2004|quote=In his latest circular letter to parishes, the Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Okogie, under the heading "nudity", calls on priests not to allow in church what he calls "fashions promoting lust and immorality". He says that any of the faithful wearing "clothes which reveal sensitive parts of the body such as the bust, chest, belly, or upper arms, transparent clothing or dresses with slits above the knees" should be "quietly asked to worship outside". As for boys, it says there should be no "jerry curls [long curly hair], tight jeans or earrings". A Sunday morning visit to the Church of the Assumption, in the Ikoyi district of Lagos, showed the Archbishop's recommendations were being well observed. … Everyone I spoke to had heard of the Archbishop's campaign for modest dressing, and said they were wholly in agreement. … I heard outspoken condemnation of people who come to the house of God half-naked, diatribes against tight trousers, skimpy tops and "spaghetti straps". Several women said they believed they should imitate the Holy Mother, Mary, and cover their heads, since she always appears in images with a veil.}}</ref> Under this rubric, people wearing "clothes which reveal sensitive parts of the body such as the bust, chest, belly, or upper arms, transparent clothing or dresses with slits above the knees" are forbidden to attend [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] inside the church.<ref name="Blunt2004"/> The faithful Catholics in the Archdiocese have been wholly supportive of the dictum concerning modesty, with many women practicing [[Christian headcovering]] with the Virgin Mary as their model.<ref name="Blunt2004"/>

Some Catholics have attempted to form cohesive theories of modesty. Sometimes this is from a sociological perspective,<ref name="autogenerated2">[http://www.theuniversityconcourse.com/article/1819.html Modesty and beauty - the lost connection] by Regina Schmiedicke</ref> while at other times it takes a more systematic, [[Thomism|Thomistic]] approach, combined with the writings of the [[Church Fathers]].<ref>[http://gorpub.freeshell.org/books.html#modesty The Modesty Handbook] (describing the nature of modesty from a Catholic perspective, based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Church Fathers).</ref> Approaches arguing primarily from traditional practices and traditional authorities, such as the saints, can also be found.<ref>See, e.g., [http://sicutincaelo.org/b03_twsg.html Those Who Serve God Should Not Follow the Fashions] by Robert T. Hart (2004).</ref> In various localities, from time to time the church hierarchy have given opinions on various matters regarding dressing and modesty of the faithful.<ref>See all the following citations, which all expound at least partly upon such guidelines.</ref> While [[Pope Nicholas I|Nicholas the Great]] wrote to the first Christian ruler of Bulgaria, Boris I, in the 9th century, that it was acceptable for the Bulgarian women to continue to wear trousers, [[Giuseppe Siri|Giuseppe Cardinal Siri]] stated in 1960 that [[Trousers as women's clothing|trousers were unacceptable dress for women]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030323162109/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/3543/nodress.htm Notification Concerning Men's Dress Worn by Women] by Giuseppe Cardinal Siri (1960)</ref> Many traditional Catholics have attempted to further expand on this latter standard.<ref>See G. K. Chesterton, [http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=39813 ''What's Wrong with the World''], Part III, Chap. V, for an early attempt (1910); see also [http://gorpub.freeshell.org/cr.html#praise In Praise of the Skirt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924093659/http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=39813#praise |date=2015-09-24 }}, for a more contemporary one (2006)</ref> Around 1913, it became fashionable for dresses to be worn with a modest round or V-shaped neckline. In the [[German Empire]], for example, all [[Roman Catholic]] bishops joined in issuing a pastoral letter attacking the new fashions.<ref>Gernsheim, Alison. ''Victorian and Edwardian Fashion. A Photographic Survey''. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 1981. Reprint of 1963 edition. {{ISBN|0-486-24205-6}}, p. 94</ref>

====Methodists====
[[File:Girls at Methodist camp.png|350px|right|thumb|[[AWMC|Wesleyan Methodist]] girls enter the [[tabernacle (Methodist)|tabernacle]] at a [[camp meeting]]. ]]
{{Further|Outward holiness}}
Methodists belonging to the [[conservative holiness movement]], such as the [[Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection]] and [[Evangelical Wesleyan Church]], have guidelines on modest apparel in accordance with the [[Wesleyan-Arminian]] doctrine of [[outward holiness]].<ref name="AWMC">{{cite book|title=Discipline of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection|publisher=[[Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection]]|language=en|chapter=I. The Church|quote=Should we insist on plain and modest dress? Certainly. We should not on any account spend what the Lord has put into our hands as stewards, to be used for His glory, in expensive wearing apparel, when thousands are suffering for food and raiment, and millions are perishing for the Word of life. Let the dress of every member of every Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Church be plain and modest. Let the strictest carefulness and economy be used in these respects.}}</ref><ref name="Scott2008">{{cite book|last=Scott|first=Stephen|title=Why Do They Dress That Way?|date=1 September 2008|publisher=Good Books|language=en|isbn=9781680992786|page=53}}</ref> The [[Fellowship of Independent Methodist Churches]], which continues to observe the [[ordinance (Christianity)|ordinance]] of [[Christian head covering|women's headcovering]], stipulates "renouncing all vain pomp and glory" and "adorning oneself with modest attire."<ref>{{cite web |title=Brief Description |url=http://fimc.org.uk/about_us.htm |publisher=[[Fellowship of Independent Methodist Churches]] |access-date=3 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126234944/http://fimc.org.uk/about_us.htm |archive-date=26 January 2022 |language=English |date=26 January 2022}}</ref> Their interpretation of {{Bibleverse|Exodus|20:26|KJV}} and {{Bibleverse|Exodus|28:42-43|KJV}} is seen as forbidding the exposure of the body from torso to thighs,<ref name="Arnold2022"/><ref name="BMCC2018">{{cite book |title=Discipline of the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches |date=2018 |publisher=[[Bible Methodist Connection of Churches]] |page=37 |url=https://www.biblemethodist.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2018-Bible-Methodist-Discipline-rev.-2.pdf |language=English |quote=71. Scripture uniformly regards the exposure of one's nakedness to other persons, except in the context of marriage, to be shameful and requires that it be covered.<sup>1</sup> One of God's first actions on behalf of fallen man was to clothe his nakedness.<sup>2</sup> We understand the biblical term “nakedness” to refer at the least to the area of the body from the knees to the neck.<sup>3</sup> … <sup>1</sup>Hosea 2:9 “Therefore I will return and take away My grain in its time And My new wine in its season, And will take back My wool and My linen, Given to cover her nakedness”; cf. Isa. 47:3; Rev. 3:18. <sup>2</sup>Genesis 3:21 “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made coats of skin, and clothed them”; cf. Gen. 3:7, 11. <sup>3</sup>Exod. 20:26; 28:42; Job 30:18; Ezek. 16:7. … God created men and women to be distinct yet complementary reflections of His image.<sup>1</sup> God's concern for gender-distinction is evident throughout Scripture in the gender-distinctions He requires in the church,<sup>2</sup> marriage,<sup>3</sup> and men's and women's clothing.<sup>4</sup> We understand Scripture to teach that men should not wear women's clothing and women should not wear men's clothing; therefore, our people should avoid wearing clothing that confuses the sexes.<sup>5</sup> Recognizing the call of Scripture for men's hair to be short and women's hair to be long, we admonish our men to cut their hair short enough to be distinctly masculine and our ladies to abstain from cutting the hair as taught in 1 Corinthians 11.<sup>6</sup> … <sup>1</sup>Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”; cf. 1 Cor. 11:7-9. <sup>2</sup>1 Cor. 11:2-16; 14:29-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-15. <sup>3</sup>Eph. 5:22-33. <sup>4</sup>Deuteronomy 22:5 “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.” <sup>5</sup>Deut. 22:5. <sup>6</sup>1 Cor. 11:5-6, 14-15.}}</ref> while {{Bibleverse|Deuteronomy|22:5|KJV}} is interpreted as God mandating gender-distinct clothing.<ref name="BMCC2018"/> The 2015 ''Discipline of the Evangelical Wesleyan Church'', for example, states:<ref name="EWC2015"/> "We require our women to appear in public with dresses of modest length, sleeves of modest length, modest necklines and modest hose; the wearing of split skirts, slacks, jeans, artificial flowers or feathers is forbidden." It goes on:

{{blockquote|Moreover, we require our men to conform to the scriptural standards of decent and modest attire; we require that when they appear in public they wear shirts with sleeves of modest length. We require that all our people appear in public with sleeves below the elbows. Women's hemlines are to be modestly below the knees. Our people are forbidden to appear in public with transparent or immodest apparel, including shorts or bathing suits. Parents are required to dress their children modestly in conformity with our general principles of Christian attire. We further prohibit our people from participating in the practices of body-piercing, tattooing or body art.<ref name="EWC2015">{{cite book|title=The Discipline of the Evangelical Wesleyan Church |year=2015|publisher=[[Evangelical Wesleyan Church]]|language=en|pages=41, 57–58}}</ref>|author=|title=|source=}}

====Pentecostals====
[[File:CCB - Foto histórica em Guaianases.jpg|thumb|Pentecostal worshippers of the [[Christian Congregation (Pentecostal)|Christian Congregation]], with women wearing headcoverings and dresses]]
[[Holiness Pentecostalism]], the original trunk of Pentecostal Christianity, historically affirms the doctrine of [[outward holiness]], which is reflected in the wearing of modest clothing.<ref name="Scott2006">{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Rebekah |title=Murrysville Bible school produces teachers, preachers, prophets and apostles |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/local/westmoreland/2006/01/05/Murrysville-Bible-school-produces-teachers-preachers-prophets-and-apostles/stories/200601050316 |publisher=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |access-date=17 June 2022 |language=English |date=5 January 2006}}</ref> Holiness Pentecostals have historically taught a distinction between the male sex and female sex with respect to [[Trousers as women's clothing#Religion|gender distinct clothing]]; they do not wear adornment, such as jewelry and makeup.<ref name="Scott2006"/> The [[Apostolic Faith Church]] and the [[Free Gospel Church]], for example, subscribe to these Holiness Pentecostal standards;<ref name="Scott2006"/> in addition to these, the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church adheres to the [[ordinance (Christianity)|ordinance]] of [[Christian head covering|women's headcovering]] (cf. {{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:4-13|NRSV}}).<ref>{{cite web |title=Headcoverings |url=http://www.visitupc.org/headcoverings |publisher=Ukrainian Pentecostal Church |access-date=9 April 2022 |language=English |quote=1 Corinthians 11 We interpret 1 Corinthians 11 quite literally. "4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved." Why don't you interpret hair as being the covering? We do not interpret hair as being the covering because if hair is the covering the Bible is referring to then that must mean that men are not allowed to have hair or he dishonors his head. If a distinction is made between long hair as being the covering (in contrast to short hair) then in that case this piece of scripture must mean that women must have long hair as their covering. What is the purpose of headcovering? Some believe that the headcovering is an extension of other modesty guidelines found in the Bible. We believe that wearing the headcovering is about more than just modesty for women. Women are to cover their heads for angel's sake (1 Corinthians 11:10). "Through head coverings our women show all present that their position as a woman is also redeemed. No longer are they at war usurping and longing for the man's position of authority (Gen 3:16). Instead they're content in the role God ordained for them in Genesis 2."}}</ref>

[[Oneness Pentecostalism]], another branch of Pentecostal Christianity, teaches the wearing of modest clothing.<ref name="Dawn2017">{{cite web |last1=Dawn |first1=Eden |title=One of Oregon's Most Successful Designers Makes Modesty Garb in La Grande |url=https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2017/03/one-of-oregon-s-most-successful-designers-makes-modesty-garb-in-la-grande |publisher=[[Portland Monthly]] |accessdate=6 November 2020 |language=English |date=20 March 2017}}</ref> Oneness Pentecostal denominations, such as the [[United Pentecostal Church International]], maintain the teaching of gender distinctions, including a belief that men should have short hair and women should not cut their hair (cf. {{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:14-15|NRSV}}).<ref name="Miller2015">{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Emily McFarlan |title=What's an Apostolic Christian and why is Kim Davis' hair so long? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/09/09/splainer-whats-apostolic-christian-and-why-kim-davis-hair-so-long/71947018/ |publisher=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=6 November 2020 |language=English |date=9 September 2015}}</ref> While at the beach, women wear [[swimming dress]]es rather than what adherents would consider revealing bathing suits.<ref name="Dawn2017"/> Oneness Pentecostals do not adorn themselves with cosmetics or jewelry.<ref name="Miller2015"/> Additionally, certain Oneness Pentecostal denominations, such as the [[Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith]], observe the wearing of [[Christian head covering|headcoverings]] by Christian women (cf. {{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:4-13|NRSV}}).<ref name="Brereton2002">{{cite book |last1=Bendroth |first1=Margaret Lamberts |last2=Brereton |first2=Virginia Lieson |title=Women and Twentieth-century Protestantism |date=2002 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-06998-7 |page=29 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Luke2016">{{cite web |last1=Luke |first1=Shelton |title=Statement of Apostolic Policy |url=https://apostolic-faith.org/ |publisher=The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith |date=2016 |quote=You are cordially invited to The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith regardless of race, creed, color or place of national origin. We ask however, that you abide by our Apostolic rules and the women have head covering and not wear pants.}}</ref>

====Quakers====
[[Conservative Friends]] and [[Central Yearly Meeting of Friends|Holiness-Orthodox Friends]], two associations of Quaker Christians, wear [[plain dress]] as part of their [[testimony of simplicity]].<ref name="CYMF2018">{{cite book |title=Manual of Faith and Practice of Central Yearly Meeting of Friends |date=2018 |publisher=Central Yearly Meeting of Friends |pages=107–110 |language=en}}</ref>

====Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints====
{{See also|Law of chastity}}
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) has issued official statements on modest dress for its members. Clothing such as "short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back"<ref name="lds_modesty_guidelines">[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/for-the-strength-of-youth/dress-and-appearance?lang=eng "Dress and Appearance"], ''[[For the Strength of Youth (pamphlet)|For the Strength of Youth]]''.</ref> are discouraged. Men and women are also encouraged to avoid extremes in clothing or hairstyles. Rules on modesty also include women being asked to wear no more than one pair of earrings.<ref name="lds_modesty_guidelines" /> Women are generally expected to wear skirts or dresses for church services. Most LDS members do not wear sleeveless shirts or shorts that do not reach the knee.

The church-funded university, [[Brigham Young University]] (BYU), requires students and tenants of BYU housing to sign an agreement to live according to these standards of modesty.<ref>[http://honorcode.byu.edu The Brigham Young University Honor Code], which includes "Dress and Grooming Standards," agreement to which is required for application.</ref>

===Hinduism===
{{multiple image
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The premise and concepts of modesty have evolved under Hinduism. During Vedic times,<ref name=Tarlo1996>{{cite book|first=Emma|last=Tarlo|year=1996|title=Clothing Matters: Dress and Identity in India|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0226789767}}</ref>{{rp|28–30}} both women and men wore at least two pieces of draped dress that was largely undifferentiated, voluntary and flexible. Stitched clothes such as skirts and bodices were also common in the Vedic period. However, modesty was not determined by the precepts of religion, but by local traditions, social codes, profession, circumstances and occasion. The multiple pieces of draped dress for women evolved into a single length of draped cloth among Indian Hindus, now called a [[sari]];{{r|Tarlo1996|p=28–30}} but it remained two or more pieces for Southeast Asian Hindus. For men, the draped dress reduced to one piece, now called by various names such as [[dhoti]], ''lungi'', ''pancha'', ''laacha'' and other names among Indian Hindus, and ''kamben'' among Balinese Hindu.

The Hindu belief, suggests [[Christopher Bayly]],<ref>[[Christopher Bayly|C. A. Bayly]], D.H.A. Kolff, ''Two Colonial Empires: Comparative Essays on the History of India and Indonesia in the Nineteenth Century'', Springer, {{ISBN|978-9024732746}}</ref> is that modesty through appropriate dress has the energy to transmit spirit and substance in a social discourse. Dress serves as a means of expression or celebration, with some dressing elements such as saffron threads or white dress worn by men as moral, transformative and a means to identify and communicate one's social role in a gathering, or one's state of life such as mourning in days or weeks after the passing away of a loved one.

The canons of modesty for Hindus in South Asia underwent significant changes with the arrival of Islam in the 12th century. The Islamic rulers imposed a dress code in public places for Hindu [[dhimmis]], per their Islamic mores of modesty.{{r|Tarlo1996|p=28–30}} The ''sari'' worn by Hindu women extended to provide a veil, as well as a complete cover of her navel and legs. In the early 18th century, [[Tryambakayajvan]]—a court official in south central India—issued an edict called ''[[Stridharmapaddhati]]''. The ruling outlined a required dress code for orthodox Hindus in that region.<ref>Lesile, J. (Editor) (1992), ''Roles and Rituals for Hindu Women'', Motilal Banarsidass Publications</ref> ''Stridharmapaddhati'' laced social trends with Hindu religion to place new rules on modesty for women, but gave much freedom to men.

The concept of modesty evolved again during colonial times when the British administration required Indians to wear dresses to help identify and segregate the local native populations. Bernard Cohn<ref>Bernard Cohn (1987), ''An Anthropologist Among the Historians and Other Essays'', Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0195618754}}</ref> and others<ref>Robert Ross, ''Clothing: A Global History'', Cambridge, {{ISBN|978-0-7456-3186-8}}</ref> remark that dress during the colonial era became part of a wider issue in India about respect, honor and modesty, with the dress code intentionally aimed by the administration to reflect the relationship between the British ruler and the Indian ruled. The British colonial empire encouraged and sometimes required Indians to dress in an 'oriental manner', to help define and enforce a sense of modesty and to identify roles and a person's relative social status.{{sfn|Tarlo|1996|p=12–59}}<ref>see Bernard Cohn, "Cloth, Clothes and Colonialism: India in the 19th Century", and Susan Bean, "Gandhi and Khadi: The Fabric of Independence"; both in Weiner and Schneider (editors), ''Cloth and Human Experience'', Smithsonian Institution Press (1989)</ref> Among Indonesian Hindus, the accepted practice of toplessness among teenage Hindu girls changed during the Dutch colonial rule, with women now wearing a blouse or colorful cloth.

====Temples====
[[File:South Indian Temple Tamil1.jpg|thumb|Women dressed in ''saris'', heading into a South Indian Hindu Temple]]
Inside most Hindu temples, there is an expectation of modesty rather than sexual allurement. Men and women typically wear traditional dress during religious ceremonies and rituals in a temple, with women wearing ''saris'' or regional Indian dress.<ref>Nye, M. (1995). ''A Place for Our Gods: The Construction of an Edinburgh Hindu Temple Community'' (Vol. 8). Psychology Press</ref> In Indonesia and Cambodia, Hindu temple visitors are often requested to wrap their waist with a traditional single piece cloth called ''kamben'', ''wastra'' or ''sarung'', with or without ''saput''.<ref>Rubinstein and Connor (1999), ''Staying Local in the Global Village: Bali in the Twentieth Century'', University of Hawaii Press, {{ISBN|978-0824821173}}</ref>

====Current trends====
Hindus have diverse views on modesty, with significant regional and local variations. Among orthodox Hindu populations, sexually revealing dress or any sexual behaviour in public or before strangers is considered immodest, particularly in rural areas. In contrast, the dress of deities and other symbolism in Hindu temples,<ref>Gupta, M. (1994). "Sexuality in the Indian subcontinent". ''Sexual and Marital Therapy'', 9(1), pp 57–69</ref> the discussion of dress and eroticism in ancient Hindu literature,<ref>McConnachie, J. (2008), ''The Book of Love: The Story of the Kamasutra'', Macmillan</ref><ref>Dwyer, R. (2000). "The erotics of the wet sari in Hindi films". South Asia: ''Journal of South Asian Studies'', 23(2), pp 143–160</ref> and art works of Hinduism<ref>Ichaporia, N. (1983). "Tourism at Khajuraho an Indian enigma?" ''Annals of Tourism Research'', 10(1), 75–92</ref> can be explicit, celebrating eroticism and human sexuality.

In general, a disregard of modesty can be confusing or distressing, in particular to traditional Hindu women. Even in a health care context, some Hindu women may express reluctance to undress for examination. If undressing is necessary, the patient may prefer to be treated by a doctor or nurse of the same sex.<ref>[http://www.omi.wa.gov.au/resources/publications/cr_diversity/hinduism.pdf Culture and Religion Information Sheet: Hinduism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221071351/http://omi.wa.gov.au/resources/publications/cr_diversity/Hinduism.pdf |date=2017-02-21 }} Government of Western Australia (July 2012), page 7</ref>

===Islam===
[[File:Kalkan market 2.JPG|thumb|A [[headscarf]]]]
{{Main|Haya (Islam)}}
{{See also|Awrah|List of types of sartorial hijab}}
Islam has strongly emphasized the concept of decency and modesty.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thetempest.co/2016/06/10/style/fashion/i-used-my-religion-as-an-excuse-to-hide-my-body-until-now/|title=I used my religion as an excuse to hide my body – until now|last=Ali|first=Fatima|date=2016-06-10|website=The Tempest|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-29}}</ref> In many authentic [[hadith]]s, it has been quoted that "modesty ([[Haya (Islam)|Haya]]) is a part of faith".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://40hadithnawawi.com/index.php/the-hadiths/hadith-20 | title=Hadith 20 :: Modesty is from Faith | publisher=40hadithnawawi.com | access-date=27 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810122508/http://40hadithnawawi.com/index.php/the-hadiths/hadith-20 | archive-date=10 August 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Modesty is verily required in the interaction between members of the opposite sex and in some case between the members of same sex also. Dress code is part of that overall teaching.

Among Muslim consumers, spending on modest fashion rose by 4.8% between 2022 and 2023 and is expected to reach $428 billion by 2027.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-17 |title=The modest fashion industry is on the rise - MediaCat UK |url=https://mediacat.uk/the-modest-fashion-industry-is-on-the-rise/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

====Women====
"And tell the believing women to cast down their glances and guard their [[Intimate part|private parts]] and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women." -Quran 24:31.

"O Prophet! Say to your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers that: they should let down upon themselves their jalabib." -Quran 33:59. Jalabib is an Arabic word meaning "loose outer garment".

In some Muslim societies, women wear the [[niqab]], a veil that covers the whole face except the eyes, or the full [[burqa]], a full-body covering garment that occasionally does cover the eyes. Wearing these garments is common in some, but not all, countries with a predominately Muslim population.

[[File:Kufihat.jpg|thumb|A [[Taqiyah (cap)|taqiyah cap]]]]
Though by some scholars these expressions of modesty are interpreted as mandatory, most countries do not enforce modesty by law. However, a few countries, such as [[Saudi Arabia]], Afghanistan and Iran, enforce specified standards of dress for women.

====Men====
"Tell the believing men to cast down their glances and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is [well] acquainted with what they do." -Quran 24:30

Most scholars agree that men are required to cover everything from the navel to the knees; some men choose also to wear the traditional Islamic cap [[Taqiyah (cap)|(taqiyah)]], similar to the Jewish [[yarmulke]] or [[kippah]]. The taqiyah may vary in shape, size, and color, with differences according to tradition, region, and personal taste.

===Judaism===
[[File:Women praying in the Western Wall tunnels by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|Three styles of hair covering popular in Jewish women. From right to left: snood, fall, and hat.]]
Modesty in [[Judaism]], called [[Tzniut]] ({{langx|he|צניעות}}), is important beyond aspects of clothing. It extends to behaviour in public and in private, and depends on the context.{{CSS image crop
|Image = Haredi (Orthodox) Jewish Couples at Bus Stop - Outside Old City - Jerusalem (5684561290).jpg
|bSize = 300
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====Women====
[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] and [[Haredi Judaism|ultra-Orthodox]] Jewish women usually wear skirts that cover their knees, with blouses or shirts covering the collarbone and sleeves covering the elbows.<ref name="Patheos">[http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Modesty-Not-Just-for-Women?offset=0&max=1 "Modesty: Not Only A Woman's Burden"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028021508/http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Modesty-Not-Just-for-Women?offset=0&max=1 |date=2016-10-28 }}, ''[[Patheos]]''</ref> [[See-through clothing|See-through materials]] may not be used, and clothes are expected not to be [[Form-fitting garment|tight-fitting]] or "provocative".<ref>[http://www.modestworld.com/laws.html The Laws of Jewish Modesty] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510043220/http://www.modestworld.com/laws.html |date=May 10, 2015 }}</ref> Less strict [[Conservative Judaism]] recommends modest dress, but this is not broadly observed. Less restrictive branches of Judaism tend to adopt the fashions of the society in which they live.

It is the custom for a married [[Orthodox Jewish]] woman to cover her hair in public, and sometimes at home. The hair covering may be a scarf ([[tichel]]), [[Snood (headgear)|snood]], hat, or a [[Wig (hair)|wig]] called a [[Sheitel]].

====Men====
Standards of modesty also apply to men. While some Orthodox men will wear short-sleeve shirts in public, ultra-Orthodox men will not. More modern Orthodox Jewish men will be more lax in their dress when surrounded by other men (if it is not in a religious environment). Modesty for men most often translates to covering the torso and legs with loose clothing. Different groups of Orthodox Jews have different dress norms. But all have men dress in a head covering ([[kippah]]).

==In the arts==
[[File:William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905) - L'amour mouillé (1891).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cupidon (1875)|Cupidon]] (French for [[Cupid]]), painting by [[William-Adolphe Bouguereau]], 1875; the tip of the boy god's right wing covers his genitals.]]
[[File:Modesty_Chambard_cour_Carree_Louvre.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|''Modesty'', sculpture by [[Louis-Léopold Chambard]], 1861]]
[[File:Modesty,_marble,_1833,_Jean-Louis_Jaley_(3).jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|''Modesty'', marble statue of a partly-draped woman by [[Jean-Louis Jaley]], 1875]]
Expectation of modesty also applies in the arts, though standards of modesty have varied at different times and in different places. [[depictions of nudity|Nudity and various types of behaviour were sometimes depicted]], sometime not. In many cases where society did not allow nudity or immodest dress, nudity was accepted in art. Where nudity in art was not acceptable, full nudity was not displayed; otherwise nude subjects had their intimate parts hidden by apparently accidental draped fabric, flowers, other people, a [[fig leaf]], etc. In films, very brief nudity was accepted. Some nude artworks had fig leaves added when standards became less permissive.

In a given society, the criteria varied according to the circumstances; for example artworks on public display were more restrained than those for private display to adults.

Nudity in art was sometimes suggested without actual depiction by:

* something seemingly by chance covering the parts of the body which should modestly be covered
* [[nudity in film|in film]]:
** showing a supposedly nude person from the waist or shoulders up
** maneuvering (turning, having objects in front) and [[Film editing|editing]] in such a way that no genitals are seen
** showing nudity from a distance, or from the back only, although other characters are nearby and/or would also see frontal nudity
** showing nudity very briefly

In [[cartoon]]s, even in cases where the genital area is not covered with clothing, genitals are often simply not drawn, as is the case in [[Family Guy]] and other [[animated sitcom]]s. In the film ''[[Barnyard (film)|Barnyard]]'', showing [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphized]] cattle of both sexes walking on two legs, instead of either showing [[Bull#Reproductive anatomy|genitals of male cattle]] or not showing them, the concept of a "male cow" was used, with an [[udder]]. In ''[[Underdog (2007 film)|Underdog]]'' a partly animated anthropomorphized dog is shown with a [[penis]] when a real dog is filmed, and without one in the animated parts.

Paintings are sometimes changed because of changed modesty standards, and later sometimes changed back. During the [[Counter-Reformation]] there was a "fig-leaf campaign" aiming to cover all representations of human genitals in paintings and sculptures that started with Michelangelo's works. Works covered in this way include the marble statue of ''[[Cristo della Minerva]]'' (church of [[Santa Maria sopra Minerva]], Rome) which was covered by added drapery, as it remains today, and the statue of the naked child Jesus in ''[[Madonna of Bruges]]'' (The [[Church of Our Lady, Bruges|Church of Our Lady]] in [[Bruges]], Belgium) remained covered for several decades. Also, the plaster copy of the David in the [[Cast Courts (Victoria and Albert Museum)]] in London has a fig leaf in a box at the back of the statue. It was there to be placed over the statue's genitals so that they would not upset visiting female royalty. The statue of Achilles at [[Hyde Park Corner]] now has an incongruous figleaf permanently attached, after it was stolen several times. 
{{See also|Expulsion from the Garden of Eden}}

==See also==
* [[Humility]]
* [[Purdah]]
* [[Jools Lebron]] (related to "demure" the word)

==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=Cory A. |title=The Ornament of a Spirit: Exploring the Reasons Covering Styles Change |date=2013 |publisher=Ridgeway Publishing |location=[[Stoneboro, Pennsylvania|Stoneboro]]}}
*{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=Cory|last2=Anderson |first2=Jennifer|title=Fitted to Holiness: How Modesty is Achieved and Compromised among the Plain People |date=2019 |publisher=Acorn Publishing |location=[[Millersburg, Ohio|Millersburg]]}}
*{{cite book|title=Biblical Apparel: A historical, cultural and biblical study of the Doctrine of Christian Modesty|first=Ignacio|last=Palacios|date=1998|publisher=Allegheny Publications|location=Salem}}
*{{cite book|title=Glorifying God in Holy Living|first=Rosemary L.|last=Cope|date=2005|publisher=Allegheny Publications|location=[[Salem, Ohio|Salem]]}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|modesty}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFzkJ_oA818 What the Early Christians Believed About Modest Dress & Cosmetics] - [[Scroll Publishing Company]]
* [https://vimeo.com/332219878 You Need to be Ready to Let Go of What the Eye Sees] - Ari Teperberg

{{Nudity}}
{{Sex}}
{{Virtues}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Modesty| ]]
[[Category:Seven virtues]]