Is Society Ready for the Sea Change to Modest Clothes?

In the 1989 election for school board in Alliance, Ohio, Randy Pope ran his first campaign. The main election strategy that year was to ask voters, “What are your concerns for the educational system in Alliance?” Without prompting the responses from the voters he was able to compile a list of five major themes from the responses received. One of those themes was a desire for buying school uniforms for the government school students.

Prior to entering that election Mr. Pope had some ideas about what he would like to address, but buying school uniforms was not one of the things that he had considered. Because the concept of school uniforms fit into his overall philosophy he began to think about the concept of the board buying school uniforms. Why did parents want the school system to require their children to wear uniforms?

Because he lost that election Mr. Pope never did pursue the question of buying school uniforms. However, when you contemplate the notion of school uniforms it sheds some light on the question; is society ready for the sea change to modest clothes? The major arguments for buying school uniforms are that they eliminate competition between teens when deciding on clothes, eliminating one distraction from the school day. Second, if parents are buying the school uniform, even though it may cost more upfront, in the long run it saves money because they are not buying the latest fashion every month to keep up with the “cool kids”. Finally, the school uniform tends to be more modest and formal than the average teen clothes.

Each of these principles mirror the affects of modest clothes on society. Women who choose to wear modest clothes are not concerned with keeping up with the latest fads in fashion. That is not to say that they do not want their modest clothes to be stylish, but their decision is not made with the most popular starlet in mind. They are motivated to enhance their inner beauty with a nice modest outfit.

Like the parents buying a school uniform the women who are buying modest clothes tend to be modest with their budget as well. They can purchase some nice modest clothes and not have to go back next month to buy something new to keep up with the Joneses. As America experiences the necessity of tighter budgets, modest clothes will fit right into the the trend of a more modest lifestyle.

Finally, remember that during that election cycle Mr. Pope was surprised by the spontaneous response from voters concerning buying school uniforms. That election campaign may not prove that a majority desire modest clothes for their children, but Mr. Pope did prove that a significant portion of the electorate wanted a sea change to modest clothes. Change in society does not require a majority, it merely requires a dedicated minority willing to resist the prevailing tide. Society is ready for a sea change to modest clothes!