Traditional Men Need to Dress Modestly, too!
Aaron
February 25, 2022
When we think of the word “modesty,” we usually think of decency or humility. In the traditionalist community, the word is often used to describe women, but I believe modesty is equally important in men.
So, what is male modesty?
When I say modesty, I’m talking about dress. The way we dress reflects our inward self with an outward appearance. I believe it is modest for men to present themselves to their communities in a classic and “appropriate” fashion.
Unfortunately, our society has been demoralized to the point of difficult return. Most men get away with a hoodie or sweat pants. This also goes for women - our standard of civility, class, and personal quality has significantly dropped. Imagine bringing a man or woman from the early twentieth century to the present; just looking at the way folks dress now, I feel like their reaction would be nothing short of horror.
We have developed a bad habit of dressing down. We popularized the term “casual” so we can underdress and show the world how little we care about outward appearance. This has become problematic, and I believe this trend has caused a lot of “corner-cutting” in our society.
Brothers, we made a mistake and we need to go back. I am not calling for vanity, nor am I calling for men to wear expensive clothes. I want men (and women) to realize that what we wear reflects our character and modesty. Up until as recently as the 1970’s and 1980’s, all men and women dressed up, even for simple social engagements. We used to attend church in a suit and tie. What happened to that?
Personally, I think every man should at least dress with a button-down shirt, tucked into slacks (or jeans, depending on the man’s career). This shows others that you care, and directs your attitude to be more disciplined. It is also one of the first steps to becoming a more traditional man.
I also believe men and women both need to go back to wearing one piece bathing suits (particularly ones that are not form fitting). Some will probably argue this claim is too strict, especially for men who have been swimming shirtless for over a century, but this was not always the case.
Again, this article is not a call for vanity, but it is a call to turn your attention to what our forefathers did. While dressing up may make you stand out these days, it should be the norm. Perhaps you may inspire your peers to do the same.
The more men that dress as our forefathers did, the closer we will be to achieving our goal of reviving traditionalism, invoking our communities to become more modest. This will reflect our quality as men, help us to be more disciplined, and show the world that we still care.