Being Naked...To be or not to be

Photo Frederick M Brown/Getty Images

I love all things girly... you know clothes, shoes, bags, make up, you know the full works. I guess you could say I have that inner diva thing going on. 
I remember saving up big time just before my last visit to the US. Even though we have an array of clothes shops here in England, shopping in the US brings a new element of excitement for me.
I was excited and eager to get to the malls and head to Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, JCPenney, Dillard's etc in the hope of landing some great stuff. Glad to say I wasn't disappointed. I returned home with suit cases laden with dresses,  tops, jeans, jewellery and shoes of all colours and shapes.

I appreciate fine clothes on people but as the years have gone by, I have been gobsmacked by the way people have become bolder in their dressing and developed a "flaunt it if you've got it" or "show and shake what your mama gave you" attitude as far as outfits are concerned. 
Yes including some sisters in da Lord...
Now everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course but as far as I am concerned Meagan Good's dress (if we can even call it that) at the BET awards (above) was in my opinion inappropriate for a Preacher's wife and a Christian. 
What kind of message is she giving young people in their church? As for her hubby..some things are meant to be for his eyes only...as a preacher he should keep his wife in check...Preach to your wife brother...as for you Meagan girl...don't get me started now...

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On the other hand the story about the Kumuyi bride (opposite) from Deeper Life church (Jamaica) who was suspended together with her husband from church swings the modesty thing to the other extreme. Her dress was deemed inappropriate for church standards as it had short chiffon sleeves. Also her wearing of jewellery and apparently lipstick was offending to many. What lipstick? As for the dress, my grandma would probably have worn a more modern dress than the dress she wore. I'm not sure why they said it wasn't modest, it covered everything and a big bag of chips. As for the red lipstick they scolded her for...I can't even see any sign of the offensive red stuff on her lips, I mean c'mon people....I think this is taking things way out proportion.
Now what you do with your clothes is your prerogative but if you say you're a child of God then what you wear is God's business.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that you go out and buy a habit and dress like a nun or wear sack cloths...no way. You can still be trendy and look stunning without making all the men go through red traffic lights whilst staring at you as they drive past...

Here's a few tips I would give for any woman of God to keep in mind when buying or dressing up for work or the odd shin dig.

Photos courtesy L-R: Getty, Pearl River, ImaxTREE

1. Just because some top model wore it on the catwalk doesn't necessarily mean it's right for u to wear it. Some fashion statements should be ignored and I think the "Ghana must go" style opposite is one of them. lol

2. If it looks as tight as the Incredible Hulk's clothes just before they rip...u probably have no business wearing it. #justsaying

3.If the outfit looks like the tailor ran out of material before they finished making it, it probably ain't right for you to wear.

4. If the neckline of your dress or top plunges so much that thine twin peaks and grand canyon can be viewed from anywhere in the world (like Meagan's above) , then maybe sister girl you need to rethink the situation.

5. It may be hard to do the right thing in a world that makes it seem ok to do anything you please, but we can do all things through Christ. #pursueholiness  

I ain't tryna tell you how to dress but I'm telling you to  listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and you will get a revelation about what's cool to rock as a child of God. We should remember thats it is possible to dress modestly and still look stunning.

Having said that...the sun is out in most places now...go out there and get yourself spruced up for summer. Stripes and Floral are in this season so if you get a top, skirt, dress or bag in those, you will be counted amongst those in the know. :)
A dash of colour is always stunning in summer. Here is my colour of choice...mustard yellow, rocked in the picture by Vogue cover girl, Louis Vuitton model and my fellow country girl Nyasha Matonhodze. U go girl! 
So as we dress in our summer outfits...remember if you dress like a lady, more often than not, you will be treated like a lady. 
So ladies lets go out there and stun 'em :)

Elie Saab 2012