The weather is heating up as summer approaches. Catholic Mom is seeing the effects on the clothes that teens and some adults are wearing to mass at her parish.
When I taught in California the modesty issue was also quite relevant to my classroom in the spring and early summer. Coastal California has very mild weather, even in the summer. The hotter regions get into the mid-80's from time to time. A coastal Californian's definition of a "hot" day is much different from what someone in Texas or Arizona, or even the inland regions of California itself might consider hot.
So, as soon as the sun comes out, and the temperatures get above 73, out come the spaghetti straps, short shorts, bare midriffs, and mini skirts, and the complaints of "It's sooooooo hot!!!"
Now, I did most of my California teaching in public schools, which are generally notorious for either complete lack of dress code or complete lack of enforcement, and kids know it. Even at schools that do enforce dress codes, such enforcement is inconsistent at best, and usually limited to extreme cases of immodesty, or gang-related attire.
My solution? Crank up the air conditioning during class. The smart kids quickly figured out that my classroom was always cold, and they started bringing sweaters. The spaghetti straps, bare midriffs and tiny skirts soon became a little less of a problem, and I found myself writing fewer dress code referrals.
I bet that would work in Churches too. :)
The social, cultural, spiritual, political, academic, and literary rantings of a slightly strange Catholic English teacher.
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