"From time to time, we receive inquiries about the appropriateness of women wearing pantsuits to Sabbath services. Over the years, the Church has taught that women should wear dresses and men should wear coats and ties to services, based on the principle that we should come before God wearing the best that we have. This tradition was obviously modified in some non-Western cultures that had different standards of formal attire. At a recent Council of Elders meeting, some observations were made on this topic. Deuteronomy 22:5 states that men and women should not dress in clothing of the opposite sex as transvestites—like you might see at a homosexual “pride” parade. However, women’s pantsuits do not really fall into that “transvestite” category, since they are tailored for women, and men would look very odd wearing a woman’s pantsuit.
Foreword:
This write up, Standards of Dressing ..in the church, hits me home. As a growing teenager, I can recall how our father had imposed on us his strict adherence towards dressing code. We were not really accustomed to wearing pants, let alone wearing shorts and sleeveless tops including, since my sisters and I were little children. Until we moved to Lanao del Sur where the weather and temperature were paranormal, that was the time that we were constrained to wear a man's outfit (pants)to keep us warm. But that permissiveness was only restricted inside the house. It was totally different if we go outside. Once, my father caught me leaving home wearing pants and immediately he called me back in. With the Bible in his hands, he opened the book and read to me the verse in Deut.22:5. ~@lcd, 18 Feb. 2009
Today, pantsuits are considered dressy attire for women. Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice frequently wore pantsuits at important public occasions, and I remember an audience with the Queen of Jordan in which the Queen’s assistant was dressed in a nice pantsuit. On several occasions, discussing standards of attire for the Church, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong stated that we don’t want to be the first to adopt a new style—but we don’t want to be the last to adopt or permit a style that is not immodest and that does not conflict with the Scriptural admonitions. During colder months of the year in some climates, some women especially need to stay warm. Some women with health problems cannot risk the reactions that would come from exposing their arms or legs to sunlight. There are some world cultures in which normal attire for women includes pants. For some women who travel to services on public transportation (trains, buses, etc.), pantsuits are far more modest and practical than dresses would be. The overall guideline is that women should wear clothing that is modest, feminine and in good taste (1 Timothy 2:9-10). This would obviously exclude shorts, tight jeans, and similarly revealing or informal attire, which would be totally out of place at Sabbath services.
When we dress for services, we are not dressing for a style show; we are preparing to worship and honor God. God is pleased by our humble and teachable attitudes, not by our deliberately wearing “frumpy” clothes that we hope will make people think of us as more religious. It is not wrong to be stylish in a balanced way and also be appropriately dressed for services. However, we need to remember that true religion is not about specific lengths of skirts, or specific types of clothing—it is about learning to think and act like Jesus Christ and being lights to the world (Philippians 2:5-9; Matthew 5:13-16). Let’s not become judges of other people’s clothing. We may not understand the details of their circumstances, and our judging can lead to strife, hurt and division in local congregations. Let’s keep our minds on the big picture of learning how to develop the character and perspective of God—which includes getting the proper balance on subjects like dress.—Douglas S. Winnail,
