Avani Wilson Tandel, volunteer for the Women’s Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance, who attends a Methodist church in East Gujarat:
I prefer Western attire exclusively. Western clothing makes me feel comfortable, confident, and carefree, allowing me to specific my style effortlessly. It grants me the liberty to maneuver, sit, and stand comfortably, while also keeping me in step with current fashion trends.
Additionally, I find Western attire to be practical and presentable in various settings, especially the worldwide community. It boosts my confidence, empowers me, and offers me knowledgeable look.
It makes me feel “positively,” which I describe as an acronym:
P — Professional personality
O — Outstanding considering
S — Strong and expert
I — Influencer
T — Talented
I — Insightful
V — Versatile
E — Embracing equality
L — Looking vigorous
Y — Youthful
My selection also positively influences others, similar to these:
- Young single girls who need to wear Western dresses but feel the pressure of their family, society, and tradition. As a married woman, I can encourage them to not yield to societal pressures but exercise their freedom to decide on.
- Married women, who’re pressured not only by tradition but additionally from age-old patriarchy. I can encourage them to make this selection without fear of judgment from the community and their very own families.
- The global community, because it portrays adaptability and openness toward multiculturalism.
Lalrinmawii Fanai, an elder in a Presbyterian church in Mizoram:
Our English-speaking congregation has people from different cultures and languages, and due to this fact we aren’t constrained by a particular preference in dress. I wear a wide range of clothing, whether Mizo Puan (traditional attire of varied Mizo communities), Western dresses, or pants. But one time after attending the morning service, I used to be in a rush to get to the afternoon service at a close-by church and showed up within the skirt I used to be wearing. I later heard that there have been questions on my attire! So I understand that many individuals listed below are conservative and expect traditional clothing.
Some years ago, the ladies’s wing—a department at the best synodical level of the Presbyterian church—requested all women to wear their traditional Puan to a church service. I only heard this anecdotally, but I believe that’s the reason Mizo women adhere to it. Most if not all women wear their traditional Puan for church, including weddings or other events. I think it has more to do with the promotion of culture and heritage and nothing to do with matters of religion.
That the synod said so is frequently taken as a polite way of claiming “Look, everybody, just follow this.”
Deepthi Tarapatla, a theologian and church management committee member of an independent church in Andhra Pradesh:
I’m comfortable wearing each varieties of clothing, but I prefer to wear an Indian traditional outfit in church in order that I don’t look different from the group and might slot in. If I used to be within the United States, I would wear Western outfits; but not all the time, because I find Indian outfits to be more comfortable.
Although there are not any guidelines or restrictions from the church authority in South Indian churches about what to wear or not wear, generally married women are expected to wear traditional garments. Even a standard sleeveless Indian outfit shouldn’t be acceptable and regarded indecent in church. For me, the standards needs to be that the selection of garments mustn’t be a method of attracting other people’s attention and becoming a distraction from church itself.
Abhineeta Matney, professor of epistemology and intercultural studies in Madhya Pradesh:
For me, the query of clothing will depend on where I’m worshiping. If somewhere in India, where the vast majority of the ladies wear Indian attire, I’d probably wear salwar kameez (an Indian dress with a head covering). When I’m within the US, there isn’t any set standard. In the Midwest or South, many ladies still wear dresses; in places like Colorado and California, people dress more casually. Either way, my intention is to decorate modestly in a way that demonstrates humility and reverence.
Whether reference is made to covering one’s head in 1 Corinthians 11 or to the instructions for worship in 1 Timothy 2, the underside line is to not draw attention to yourself and distract from the center of worship. Whatever I wear, it must be based on respect for propriety, making an allowance for any cultural nuances. Having said that, I’m nobody to evaluate what one other person is wearing. If I’m truly in church to worship, Christ welcomes everyone “just as you might be,” so I wouldn’t need to be a stumbling block by attempting to impose my standards of modesty. We must look past dress codes, because we aren’t sure by tradition after we worship Jesus Christ.
Seema Linus, a frontrunner in a Wesleyan church in South Gujarat:
It’s very essential to decorate based on the place and occasion, but based on the Bible, we should be modest. God has created us beautiful, and we must reverently maintain our inner beauty greater than outwardly beautifying ourselves. We should rigorously and sensibly select our clothing for church. It shouldn’t be a couple of sari, salwar kameez, or Western outfit. Church is about worshiping God, talking and listening to him.
First Timothy 2:9 instructs women to “adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing” (NKJV). Our selection of Indian traditional attire, similar to saris or salwar kameez, is primarily rooted in our cultural heritage and is a person preference. People can select whatever they prefer to wear, based on comfort or culture.
Snehprabha Massey, president of the Women’s Society of Christian Service for a Methodist church in Uttar Pradesh:
It is a biblical command for girls to cover their heads and dress modestly. An Indian sari and salwar suit is ideal for this purpose, while also giving us a modest and stylish look. These options drape a lady’s body completely, leaving no room for men to be lured or distracted in church.
The sari is an internationally acclaimed garment that even global fashion pageants feature as a representation of timeless beauty and magnificence. Western clothes are more appropriate for single girls, making them look attractive and smart. But once married, husbands and in-laws prefer that their wives and daughters-in-law dress modestly in traditional garments, especially in church.
The bride traditionally receives 5, 11, 12, or 51 sets of clothing—numbers considered auspicious in Indian weddings—in her bridal trousseau, that are mostly saris and salwar kameez, leaving her with fewer options for Western wear. (An Indian bride often doesn’t take her old outfits into the household she marries into.) In any case, there isn’t any doubt that an Indian traditional outfit looks good on every variety of body—whether slim or bulky.
Anujit Emerson, trustee for Voice of Truth Ministries and pastor of an independent church in Punjab:
Though I like Western outfits, I strictly wear Indian traditional wear in church. Christians, being a minority community, are being watched very closely by people of other faiths who’re searching for reasons to malign us. I don’t want what I wear to offer them an excuse. As a pastor, if I dress up in Western jeans and an off-the-cuff shirt, what example am I setting before my Hindu and Punjabi neighbors? Many Indians consider such clothes as modern and unacceptable. And what example am I before my congregation? I definitely don’t want to be a stumbling block for them. As Paul spoke about eating in Romans 14:20, I apply the identical to decorate: “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food”—or an outfit.
