On Modesty

One of the things which animates me from time to time is the desire to avoid making things excessively complex. Given a 25 page, comprehensive document and a one page summary, I'll take the summary every time--striving to make sure that the summary actually contains all of the information of the comprehensive document.

Distressingly often, the summary does contain as much information as the comprehensive document. Strunk & White, anyone?

But on to modesty. I've received rather comprehensive checklists, generally written for women, on how to achieve modesty. As commendable as I think this is, I must wonder whether it needs to be som complex as it sometimes becomes. To this effect, I offer my own list of rules, applicable to both men and women.

1. Pants, skirts, shirts, and blouses generally ought to come together (and be tucked in) at the waist, not low on the hips. Any good men's clothing salesman will tell you this.

2. Garments that are see-through, fit tightly, or offer otherwise a glimpse at the torso or upper thighs are called "undergarments," and should be covered with outer garments. Some exceptions, of course, for swimsuits or gymnastic outfits.

3. Care ought to be taken that patterns on clothes, as well as jewelry, do not draw attention to the bosom or the groin.

And that's it. Perhaps some need a more comprehensive list, but maybe we simply need to....keep things simple.