Should folks dress 'plumbers crack' and 'cleavage shadow' for church?

 

[caption id="attachment_10701" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Plumbers crack"][/caption]

Judith Martin - Dressing informally for church has become fashionable, even in American suburbs; but how far is too far in this process?  Some folks say it is time to take a second look at a look that might not speak faith, ethics or even good fashion.

There has been a degradation, I suspect, in the way people

dress for church services in American suburbia. These are my observations based
on what I have seen at the church I attend on Sunday mornings.

It began in the late 20th century with how churches emulated
"casual" days in the office world by instituting "casual"
services, particularly during the hot summer months. Attire suitable for
"casual" days at the office as what was expected to be seen in the
church.

Instead, clothing more appropriate for the gym or an outdoor
barbeque began to appear. Increasingly, over the last decade, the attire has
became skimpier and skimpier in one way or another.

This degradation in church-going attire is represented by
the increasing appearance of plumber's crack and cleavage shadow among the
grown-up folks occupying territory in the pews.

Plumber's crack, historically, is that visible portion of a
plumber's buttocks, or anyone's buttocks, that is not covered by the top of the
pants or the bottom edge of the shirt (or top) that a person is wearing --
whether sitting, squatting, or standing up. Often there is a gap between the
bottom of the shirt and the top of the pants. A shadow denotes the "canyon"
where the gluteus maximus divides in two.

Cleavage shadow is that portion of a woman's upper anatomy,
viewed from the front, that should be kept modestly covered in church. Low cut
"Mona Lisa" necklines are meant to be distracting. The deeper the
shadow, the more low-cut the neckline.

Among the members of my church, those of us who are offended
by this don't even comment on it any more to the preacher. We simply avert our
eyes. We say to each other that the church looks more like a yacht or country
club than a place of worship.

The pastor says less about it in his announcements, too, and
carries on with the service. He is mainly glad to have folks in the pews, and
hopes that they will make good donations in the collection plate.

The pastor is actually right. We should concentrate on
bringing people into the churches to join and to stay, than on what they are
wearing. Still, a few hints about what is appropriate could make the
congregation look more respectable and sincere overall.

Perhaps a bit more reverent as well in a place that people want to see the folks around as those lovely reflections of God.