Men's Modesty

I came across this on a Quaker group and I wrote to the author and got permission to quote him.

I think he makes several interesting points here. Some pertain to women's modesty too.

His name is k.d. Roberts and again I received permission to quote this.

Don't take it elsewhere please.

Any discussion points here?

I think this could spark a good conversation for modest dressers.

**** Here it is:

i wear the broadbrim [a hat that lasts him 10 years], and the monochrome clothing, and the leather suspenders, and all that, along with the rest of the modified plain quaker conservative getup, for several reasons:

--it identifies me to other plain friends immediately as someone who follows a similar witness.

--it identifies me to non-friends as someone who might have something interesting to say about god. so i get asked a lot of questions by strangers.

--it identifies me to legal authorities as someone who is likely not to react in a typical fashion in a courtroom. in the past, not raising my hand to swear cost me a lot of money, when i was dressed like the dominant culture dresses. now i don't take off my hat in a courtroom either, but they let me alone, being pre-warned.

--it keeps me out of marginal places, such as strip clubs and bar rooms, because i don't fit in.

--it reminds me constantly that i represent a faith tradition that is larger and more important than myself or my own dignity, and therefore i am constantly called to attempt to be better than i otherwise would be.

simplicity is peripheral to why i wear what i wear, although the fact that it all looks the same simplifies my presentation to the non-plain world. economy is not involved at all, although i guess i spend about $75 per year on clothes, which includes two straw hats, two pairs of trousers, a shirt or two, and a pair of shoes. i drive a truck for a living, and i'm rough on clothing. the broadbrim is nice because it keeps the rain and snow off my face and neck while i work. the suspenders are nice because without them my trousers fall down.

i don't sweat the philosophy too much.