I
struggled with these questions for a long time. When I started this blog, I
knew I had to post about this subject because this topic was extremely
difficult for me to find information online and I spent a lot of time praying
and seeking answers. This is a personal subject for me because my religious beliefs
greatly influence the way I dress, and I know that it can be a controversial
subject.
I
figured I would write about this in a Q&A format. I hope I explained
everything clearly.
What do you usually wear when you
go dancing?
My go to outfit is black pants and a short sleeve top.
Why is clothing such a difficult
topic?
I have a few reasons (shyness,
weight, etc), but for the purpose of this post I’ll focus on the religious
reasons. Many religions have their idea of modesty. For instance, some Muslim
women wear a hijab because of the Muslim view of modesty. Mormons have their
own version of modesty: skirts and shorts can’t be too short, neck lines
shouldn’t be too low, and you shouldn’t wear sleeveless tops/dresses. I want to
be a good Mormon and don’t want to dress in a way that other church members would
find “scandalous.” (Yes, I’m aware that sounds silly.)
Some Mormons choose to
wear a religious garment under their clothing and if you follow the guidelines
for “Mormon modesty,” those garments will be covered by your clothing and keep
the religious garment private. I happen to like sleeves and pants anyway
because I like to cover up my chunkier parts. But I can imagine that it’s
harder for women who want to show off their bodies. However, even when covered
up, I see some women at church showing off their curves just fine and don’t
even need to show skin to look sexy.
Why such strict rules for
clothing?
If someone who is not Mormon, our “rules”
may seem pretty strict. Whether or not someone follows the guidelines for
clothing is up to the individual. Here is some info from the church about
modesty: “Our clothing expresses who we are. It sends messages about us, and it
influences the way we and others act. When we are well groomed and modestly
dressed, we can invite the companionship of the Spirit and exercise a good influence
on those around us.” (LDS.org)
Religious garments sound really weird.
I completely understand that
people think religious garments are weird. I grew up in a Mormon household, so
this was normal for me. But if this is the first thing you learn about Mormons,
I don’t blame you for thinking we’re strange. The religious garments have
symbolic meaning that is very special to Mormons and because they are easily
made fun of, we tend to not talk about them often. And like I said before,
Mormons wear clothing that covers up the garments, so you wouldn’t even notice
it.
Do you wear religious clothing
when you dance?
Some
“rules” at church are very black and white, but this falls into a gray area. If
you wear religious garments under your clothes, you should wear them all the
time with the exception of activities like swimming, bathing, sex, and
exercise. Some people might consider dancing a form of exercise, so it’s
debatable that it’s ok to not wear the garments for dancing.
I have
asked my Bishop (local church leader) and my friends about this and they all
say the same thing: “it’s up to you.” I spent a lot of time praying about it to
see what would be right for me. I decided that I could take off my garments for
dancing if I want, but whenever I could, I would still dress modestly. Now,
that’s the answer I came up with for myself. You could ask another Mormon the
same thing and hear a different answer. But for me, it feels right.
What about performance clothes?
I
thought about this for a long time before coming up with an answer for this. Even
though BYU (a Mormon college) has a ballroom dancing team, it was surprisingly
hard to find information about this online. In the end, I decided that I would
be comfortable wearing costumes that showed a little more skin (after all, I’d
be showing a lot more in a bathing suit, and I wear those in public).
I hope
that helps. Happy
dancing!
The
Mormon Salsera
