Praise God for the Transparent Rain Poncho

A Biblical Theology of Clothing used to consider a Christian engagement with fashion.

My precious bag designed and made by Rubee Hay, mended and re-mended by me.

What is Christian fashion? 

It is Bible verse t-shirts. Hi-Vis summer youth camp merch.  

It is long skirts. Probably floral, maybe linen. 

It is Sunday Best. Pearls, pretty dresses, shiny shoes. 

It is girls in summer camp cabins asking each other if they think these pants might be too tight or straps are too thin. 

It is knowing that the same outfit can be acceptable on smaller boobs but not on bigger. 

It is tentatively and awkwardly spending your young adult years finding your style because you were too nervous to try as a teenager. 

It is hearing “I didn’t know you were a Christian, you don’t dress like one” from my non-church going friends. 

Is it? 

Does it have to be?

Do you know the story of Joseph and his ornate robe (more fondly referred to as the technicolour dream coat) gifted to him by his father? His father (Jacob) gave this beautiful coat to Joseph to show that he was his favourite son! The brothers (obviously) did not like this favouritism. They secretly sold Joseph into slavery, and returned fragments of the coat torn and bloodied to their father, saying Joseph had been killed by animals (Gen 37).

In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 (a letter written by Paul to Timothy in the 1st Century) it says “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” 

Jacob shames his other sons with this special gift to Joseph. Joseph uses this coat to promote himself and flaunt his gifts. Paul suggests the women at Timothy’s church are distracted from the outward expression of devotion to God with service to others. Instead they focus on their own efforts in selfish self-making. 

Does the Bible say humans can’t be trusted with choice of clothing?  Does the Bible say that vogue women cannot also be pious Christians? 

Is it sinful to dress up?

By studying mentions of clothing throughout the whole Bible, we can see clues towards the key purposes of Biblical clothes.

Biblical clothes cover over shame. (Seen in Adam and Eve- Gen 3:7; Priestly Undergarments- Ex 28:42; Jesus Heals the Demon Possessed Man- Mk 5:1-20.) 

Biblical clothes are beautifully and skillfully made. (Seen in the priestly Garments-Ex 28:2-5; Allegory of the bride’s garments- Ezk:16 10-14; Rev 21:2.)

Biblical clothes are reminders of Scriptural truths. (Seen in the Priestly Garments for Godly decision making- Ex:28;  Armour of God- Eph 6:10-17.) 

Biblical clothes are expressive of an identity as God’s people. (Seen in the Armour of God- Eph 6:10-17; Put on the new self- Eph 4:22-24; Clothed with the (power of the) Spirit- Lk 24:49; Clothed with Christ- Gal 3:27.)

But remember Joseph and the technicolor dreamcoat? Clothes are often used in the Bible as a tool to promote the self and shame others. (Jacob and Esau- Gen 25, Joseph’s coat- Gen 37, Tamar- Gen 38, Jesus mocked in the purple robe- Matt 27:27). 

1 Timothy 2:9 (that I referenced earlier) is often used in the church to preach modesty. This too often is distracted with conversations about a woman’s wardrobe, which devolves into a more serious problem of putting the onus on women to prevent men’s lustful thoughts or behaviour. That letter to Timothy was not written to all women of all time but to the women at Timothy’s church. 

What does the Bible say about modesty, nakedness, and shame and how is it useful for Christian living today? Consider these two verses from the Bible. 

“Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” Genesis 2:25. 

”For all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.” Galatians 3:27. 

Naked Adam and Eve were the original, but that is no longer the goal. There is a restoration similar to the garden but far bigger and better. Since we are clothed in Christ, we are not trapped in shame of our physical bodies or ruled by our physical clothes but forever covered with Spiritual figurative clothes. We are also not asked to hide our arms because they jiggle a little, or to ‘stop dressing like a child’ and put away your playful bright colours, or (on a different note but should be said) deny ethnic identities and their dress by wearing a specific cover-all uniform. We are blessed with clothes like a transparent rain poncho over our individual outfits.

Returning to the question of modesty, we can see it is a quest of wisdom under the freedom of the rain poncho.

People generally tend to use this freedom for personal promotion. There is strong positive feedback, whether from other people or from the enigmatic algorithm, for dripping 24k magic and for itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie clothing. So it is possible that, for Christians, an appropriate resistance to that culture is to dress modestly (or appropriate to the setting (modesty is relative to the culture)). 

But modest dress is not the same as boring dress! 

God’s desire is for us to embody all the glory and splendour of himself! The Bible describes the perfect relationship of God and people like a husband who gives expensive gifts to his wife. In Ezekiel 16, God’s allegorical gift to his beloved is embroidered gowns and expensive jewellery so that she can embody his own glory and splendour. There is no basis to the claim that God does not like beautiful things! All of the beautiful things of the world are gifts which should be reminders of the love of the giver. Any of your appreciation for textile artistry is something you have in common with God. He is not against beautiful, elaborate, or expensive clothing in themselves. He is wary (and so should you be) that these things can dazzle you dizzy. We must remember that our salvation (of our soul, love life, confidence, career, or any other thing) is not in our own wardrobe.

Jesus and Paul the Apostle both talk about getting dressed with characteristics of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:27). We are not dependent on the things that big business markets to us as life saving.

The fast fashion industry of today is fast. It is rapidly producing and discarding cheap and poorly made clothes, using unsustainable materials and processes, and it is exploiting its workers. It requires consumers to be always dissatisfied and always changing. We need to reject the culture of material dissatisfaction, greed and indulgence. We need to honour textile resources and artistry. We need to protect the global poor. This choice involves sacrifices. Though to some people they seem small, to some it is a big challenge. To resist micro-trends and honour your clothes beyond what mainstream media says is reasonable might look like re-wearing second-hand, hand-me-down, mended clothes. It might feel unfashionable, unkempt, or unprofessional. I think with a little bit of creativity and confidence, it is a beautiful show of grace. Your small acts to redeem your clothes are a little picture of God’s great acts to redeem his people.

Possible creative ideas…

Mend the holes in your sweater with a contrasting colour thread to showcase the healing and longevity of the sweater. 

Celebrate your friend’s generosity to you by telling others of the origins of your hand-me-down garments. 

Buy and wear one-size/adjustable clothing that gives grace to your body for changing shape and size through time.

Embroider a cross in the cuff of your sleeve for a daily reminder of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Exercise your calling to care for creation by choosing natural fibres that do not shed microplastics through the washing machine. Check the materials tag for linen, cotton, silk, hemp, wool, bamboo, and preference these over acrylic, polyester, nylon, rayon, elastane. 

(Learn to) Knit a scarf or sweater and reflect on the profound metaphor of God knitting you together and creating your inmost being in Psalm 139. 

Gift this knitted scarf to a friend to share this Bible verse!

To live by a Biblical theology of clothing and fashion looks like this:

Clothes which celebrate culture, personality, community, and resources as good gifts from God.

Clothes which are appropriate and sensitive to the community you are participating in.

Clothes which are visible signs of your spiritual blessings.