The thing is, if you’re a girl living for God, it takes effort to find appropriate, stylish clothes, especially at this time of year. You see girls on television in spaghetti- strap tanks and short shorts, low-cut, tight tops and low- rider jeans. Clothing racks at the mall are filled with pieces mimicking these styles, and most teen girls are buying them up.

Too Much Too Little
Today’s fashion has taken girls away from showing off their personality and instead has them trying to show off their sexuality. It’s not something I want to see anywhere — especially when I’m at church.

Have you noticed that when you raise your hands in the air, your shirt goes up, too? Whether you’re worshiping God or signing for the hearing-impaired, a cropped top is going to be on the move when you raise your hands above your head. Do you really want to expose your tummy and back to other Christians while they’re worshiping? Why distract people from the Lord?

Speaking of Distraction
If you’ve read Brio for long, this won’t be a new idea to you. But even if you’re reading it for the 100th time, it’s worth reading again. The type of clothes a girl wears can instantly distract a guy from what he has on his mind to thoughts bordering on or diving in to lust.

Say your friend Brad is standing before your youth group because your youth pastor asked him to read a passage from the Bible. Brad pauses as he’s reading to make eye contact with the group, just as his speech teacher taught him to do.

The moment Brad looks up, he sees a girl wearing a tight T-shirt. Immediately, Brad’s mind is distracted from the Lord and the Bible — two things he’s truly interested in.

Brad’s able to keep going. He doesn’t let on that he’s no longer concentrating on the words coming from his mouth. But in fact, for the rest of the evening, Brad feels uncomfortable around the girl he spotted, struggling between sinful thoughts and wanting to treat her as a sister in Christ.

All because of a T-shirt? you might think. Yes — all because of a tight T-shirt that showed too much of a girl’s body.

It’s Worth the Work
Choosing clothes is quite a responsibility, because what you wear says a lot about you. With one look, people can guess whether you’re showing off personality or sexuality, whether you’re living for the Lord or living for the world and whether you’re trying to get a guy’s attention with your body. What image do you want to portray?

Even though it takes work to pore through racks and shelves of clothes to find a handful of modest, stylish items, it really is worth the effort. Dressing appropriately becomes easier when you realize that all you have to do is think about being modest while you’re shopping and while you’re getting dressed.

So how does God want today’s teen girls to dress? Through the apostle Paul He said, “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety” (1 Timothy 2:9). That means He wants you to be careful with your appearance. Selecting appropriate clothes is easier when you know what you’re doing. Here’s a list of ideas to help.

While You’re Shopping
• Choose tanks with wider straps (wide enough to cover your bra strap), smaller arm holes (so your bra isn’t viewable under your arm) and loose cuts (so it doesn’t fit like a glove).

• Don’t even consider low-rider pants, unless you’re always going to wear a long shirt with them. Select pants with a higher waistband.

• When you can, choose shorts with a longer inseam. A good guideline is having at least a 7-inch inseam.

• Wear T-shirts and tops that have crewnecks or higher V-necks.

• Buy sleeveless shirts that have smaller arm holes.

• Choose clothes that flatter your body shape and size.

In the Dressing Room
It may help to have your mom or a friend give feedback in the dressing room.

• Try everything on so you can be sure it’s modest before you make a purchase.

• While wearing a new shirt, bend over in front of a mirror. Can you see into the shirt through the neck hole? Lift your hands above your head. Does the shirt rise so that your tummy is visible? Take a side view of yourself with your arms slightly raised. Can you easily see into your shirt through the arm hole? Is your bra visible in any way?

• When trying on a pair of pants, do you have to suck in your stomach to zip or button them? Is it uncomfortable to sit in them? (If you answered yes to either question, the pants are too tight to wear out of the dressing room.) Can you bend over in the pants without your underwear showing in the back?

• With a pair of shorts, is your underwear visible in the back when you bend over? When you sit on the floor in front of a mirror and spread your legs apart as if you’re stretching, can you see your underwear or see into your shorts? (If so, they’re not a good buy.)

• If you’re trying on a dress or skirt, apply the same questions mentioned above.

Once You’re Home
• If you have a shirt that allows someone to see your bra through arm holes that are too big, add a tank underneath it.

• If you have a spaghetti-strap tank, wear it under another shirt or layer it over a tank with wider straps.

• If you have a cropped-top, layer it over a longer shirt.

• If you have low-riding pants, wear a shirt that hangs at least a couple inches below the waistband.

• Ask for your mom, dad, or brother’s opinion on what you’re wearing before you leave the house. They don’t have to like the color or style. You just need to hear if your outfit is modest.

Forever Fashion
Some things never go out of style. Clothe yourself with the following and you’ll always look good! (Emphasis added.)
• “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).

• “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Romans 13:14).

• “Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ ” (1 Peter 5:5).