A Christian blogger from Oregon has sparked international debate after writing a blog post revealing that she gave up wearing leggings due to her Biblical views regarding modesty.
In the blog post, titled "Why I Chose To No Longer Wear Leggings," Veronica Partridge writes that she made the decision after talking husband about whether or not leggings are appropriate as pants.
The 25 year old explains, "I appreciated his honesty when he told me, "yeah, when I walk into a place and there are women wearing yoga pants everywhere, it's hard to not look. I try not to, but it's not easy."
At that time, Veronica writes, she made a personal vow to herself and to her husband to uphold a Biblical standard of modesty and no longer wear leggings except for in the privacy of their home. She added that she wants to set a good example of how to dress for her young daughter, Aria.
"I want her to know, her value is not in the way her body looks or how she dresses, but in the character and personality God has given her," she says..
Almost instantly, the blog post went viral across the internet, garnering praise from some, who appreciate Veronica's dedication to her values, and criticism from others, who view her decision as both old-fashioned and dangerous.
Christian blogger Micah Doulos writes, "Clothing is designed to cover your nakedness; so that your nudity is not exposed to the public... Adam and Eve understood this. Leggings are essentially an extra layer of human skin...They do nothing to mask the human form, but rather, they expose the naked form for all to see... If you need to be naked in order to feel comfortable, then you've got a serious spiritual problem."
Other readers took to Veronica's Instagram account to express their appreciation for her post:
"[F] one wife to another, thank you for being passionate about caring for our brother," commented Linda Neufeld, "For considering the minds of other's husbands. From a woman who also has seen the battle of the minds of men through her sweet husband, I am so thankful that the Lord gave you this sensitivity and the opportunity to speak up about our need as women to consider the minds of the men around us. Well done!"
Some, however, like Michael Stone of Patheos, denounced the "faulty logic" behind Veronica's choice to rid her wardrobe of the form-fitting pants.
"The type of faulty logic Partridge uses in her call for modesty is the exact same sort of faulty logic that places blame on the rape victim for dressing in a provocative manner," he writes.
"Do you also blame women when they are raped [because] of what they wear? And men go shirtless all the time and that causes women to look, should they be forced to swim in shirts? Slut shaming at its finest!" commented another reader.
But according to Veronica, she didn't write about her decision to stop wearing leggings to create controversy, but because she believes God called her to share her story with her friends.
"It's a larger conversation than just covering up your legs," she told Oregon Live. "It isn't our job to police the males, but it is our job to reflect God."
You can read Veronica's full blog post here.
