By Ny MaGee

Ayesha Curry, the wife of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, was officially indoctrinated into the feisty world of online criticism Saturday when her comments about her personal preference to dress modestly turned into a Twitter trending topic, with folks accusing her of slut shaming.
Curry got the Internet buzzing after commenting on the state of popular fashion while browsing through a style magazine. She tweeted: “Just looking at the latest fashion trends. I’ll take classy over trendy any day of the week,” and added: “Everyone’s into barely wearing clothes these days huh? Not my style. I like to keep the good stuff covered up for the one who matters.”

While progressives applauded her message, critics slammed Mrs. Curry for expressing her style preference, and she later attempted to clarify her comments, saying: “Regardless of if you like my “style of clothes” or not (which I don’t care) please do not tear women down and degrade them… Not cool peeps”
Her husband found the matter both confusing and entertaining, as ABC7 notes. Stephen told CSN reporter Rosalyn Gold-Onwude that “he was surprised ppl took offense to it. He thought Twitter was for expressing opinions.” He added that his wife meant no judgement but that “he (& his teammates) did have a laugh at some of the memes circulating…”
Curry also admired how his wife “stayed upbeat through the attention. She didn’t let the negativity in.”

Meanwhile, in addition to expressing how “proud” he is of his wife, Curry also helped make a fan’s day quite exceptional when his signed his jersey for the kid before the Warriors’ game in Brooklyn Sunday night.
“Yes! Yes! YES! YES!!! I’m gonna cry!! I got [Curry’s] autograph!!!,” the young fan enthused.
Check out the exciting moment in the clip below.

Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2015/12/stephen-curry-proud-of-wifes-modesty-brings-holiday-cheer-to-young-fan/#FT8Ydcvr3X2blhXc.99

“Not wearing a bra does not save lives.”

Fox News

No current research directly links wearing a bra to a higher breast cancer risk.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), about 232,670 women and 2,360 men have been diagnosed with breast cancer and about 40,000 women and 430 men have died of the disease in 2014, so far. Based on 2009-2011 data, about 12.3 percent of women will get breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.

Men and women with breast cancer have an 89.2 percent survival rate five years after being diagnosed, according to the NCI.

Thanks to better screening practices and the development of new treatments, breast cancer death rates have fallen by an average 1.9 percent each year over 2002 to 2011.

Willa Frej Reporter, The Huffington Post

By Down Town Demure

(Please note: I’m addressing women in this post NOT because I think modesty only applies to women, but because I am a woman — therefore, it’s easier for me to address my mostly female audience. I believe men should be modest and exercise self-control as well. However, I will leave it to men wiser than I to address that particular audience.)

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I want to discuss the general topic of modesty again. In this post I spoke about the misconceptions of modesty, and in this post my dear friend Tim wrote a letter to encourage women to continue practicing modesty. Both of those posts were written primarily for Christian women. This time around, I want to expand the scope of the discussion and share several reasons why I think modesty is important and relevant to ALL women, regardless of their faiths and religious affiliations.

1) Modesty is Empowering.

It is such as shame that modesty has turned into lists of rules and standards that all women are expected to follow. When we boil modesty down to black-and-white rules, we lose a core message: modesty is a choice, but it is a powerful one! Think about it. What is more empowering than saying, my body is so precious and sacred that only ONE man — the man who promises to love me unconditionally for the rest of his life — will get to see and experience this body in all its glory?

Choosing modesty is a declaration of our dignity and value and that we can make every single day — and it requires a deep understanding that our bodies are valuable, but out minds and souls are even more valuable. We do ourselves a great disservice when we wear clothes that cheapen our value and detract from our internal beauty.

2) Modesty Requires Humility.

Another aspect of modesty that has been lost in our emphasis on rules is that modesty encompasses much more than conservative dress. Modesty is an exercise in humility — the acknowledgment that respecting others (and for Christians, respecting The Lord) is more important than fulfilling our own desires. And if we are honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge that we yearn for that kind of humility in the self-obsessed, me-first, selfie-overload kind of culture we live in.

3) What You Wear Speaks Volumes about Who You Are and What You Value

Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” – Rachel Zoe

Rachel Zoe may not be known be known for her modest style, but she makes a great point, which leads to some questions worth considering:

• Does your choice of attire reflect the respect and honor you seek? Or does it show that, deep down, you don’t believe you’re worthy of respect, so you dress to get cheap attention instead?
• Does your style indicate that you are only concerned with what YOU want and lack respect for others?
• For Christian women, does your dress reflect your commitment to pursuing godliness while not neglecting the beauty God has given you? More importantly, are you motivated to dress modestly because you feel you HAVE to (because someone dictated a list of rules to you), or because you have a deep desire to honor God and His holy standards in every facet of your life, including your dress.

The point is this: We should consider the messages we send with our attire and make sure they are aligned with our values and beliefs. Like it or not, people are visual creatures, and they will make judgments based on appearance until they get to know us. So we do well to make intentional choices with our clothing.

4) We All Have Fathers, Brothers, Boyfriends, and Husbands.

If a woman claims to dress modestly out of respect for men, she will likely become the recipient of viral backlash (just ask one of my favorite bloggers, Phylicia Delta). Yet I wonder how differently we would dress if we got more personal. What if we asked ourselves from time to time: Would I want my father, brother, boyfriend, or husband looking at another woman in this kind of clothing? Because that’s exactly what happens when we step out in revealing clothing. Someone’s father, brother, whatever is getting a sneak peak of the most precious parts of our bodies. Some men will respond responsibly and avert their eyes; others will happily engage in the visual feast we provide. Sure, we can’t control how men will respond, but we are absolutely in control of how much of our bodies we display. With this in mind, is it really so unthinkable to be more considerate of our fathers, brothers, boyfriends, and husbands?

5) Modest Dress is Classy.

Think of style icons from the 50s. Katharine Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn. Grace Kelly. Those women were known for their impeccable, graceful sense of style that left plenty to the imagination. They understood that there is great beauty in the mystery of femininity. So they were careful not to take away from the beauty of that mystery by revealing it through sexy attire (or lack thereof).

Modesty isn’t about rules, and condemning women who break those rules. Modesty is about love, respect, and humility — three things ALL women should treasure.

– See more at: http://downtowndemure.com/2015/03/11/modesty-important-women-not-just-religious-women/#sthash.2wpGZE5x.dpuf

Bras have become a wardrobe essential. If a professional woman was to shed hers, she might be asked by her employer to go home and dress properly. A teen girl would likely be told the same thing. If you go braless know that you might face censure from your boss, principal, teachers, etc. Also, bras hold breasts in place. They can prevent “nip slips” and “wardrobe malfunctions” as celebrity writers are pleased to call runaway mammary glands. Bras help cover awkward THOs in cold weather (just sayin!)

I am not a ranter by any means and I have been pretty quiet about “Pinktober” and what has come to be known as “Pinkwashing” in breast cancer circles, but seeing that October 13th was advertised as “National No Bra Day” and as a “fun” way to support people with breast cancer has pushed me over the edge.

Are you kidding me? How on earth could a day where girls and women are encouraged to post and share photos of their braless breasts and to walk around with their nipples poking through their shirts be “supportive” for women who are living with or who have died from breast cancer, or who have managed to “complete” the arduous treatments and disfiguring surgeries required to put them into remission?

I think the answer is simple. It is not.

Like so many women — and men — who have faced this disease, I have lost my breasts to cancer. Though I had a terrific surgeon, it was a physically and emotionally disfiguring surgery.

The cancer had gone so deep and was so extensive on my left side that it was at first inoperable. Even after months of chemo, my surgeon took as much tissue and skin as possible and went deep into my axilla (underarm area). The cancer had metastasized to my lymph nodes and had invaded them to such a degree that they broke open to allow the cancer cells to go beyond the walls of the nodes. Because of how invasive the surgery was and of how much nerve damage, etc. resulted, it was not only extremely painful then, but continues to be a source of pain and phantom sensations that affect my entire upper torso even today.

I required over a year of physical therapy just to be able to raise my arms again, and I still don’t have full function or range of motion. And, because of pain, swelling, conspicuous compression sleeves and gloves, I am constantly reminded of the lymphedema that resulted from the surgery and loss of my lymph nodes. Oh, and the life-threatening infections that forced a couple of hospitalizations and four months of massive doses of antibiotics this summer (almost 2 years after my original surgery), are also a little reminder of some of the things that the bilateral mastectomy and lymph node surgeries have left me with. And there is so much more…

So the thought of seeing bra-less women flaunting two body parts that I have lost to cancer — more than I already see this on a regular day — does not feel all that supportive. In fact, it feels quite the opposite.

I think of myself as an open-minded person. I do my best not to judge others or their beliefs and ideals. I have a pretty good sense of humor and am usually the first to poke fun at myself. And I make light of breast cancer and my struggles, treatments and their side effects, lack of breasts, fear of death, etc. fairly frequently. It is how I cope. But, given what I have been through, I think I have earned the right to joke and make light of how this terrible disease has affected me. But if you haven’t been there or taken care of someone who has been there, then you should think twice before you publicize a day that jokes about putting the first body parts we usually lose to this disease “out there” on display even more conspicuously and then labeling it as an activity that helps our “cause.”

We live in a society that makes a huge hoopla about breast cancer while at the very same time trivializing the seriousness of the disease. How can we be so contradictory?

While I am beyond thrilled that breast cancer is no longer a taboo issue and that people are talking about it, the commercialism has gotten out of hand. There is nothing pink and rosy about breast cancer, yet it has been pink-washed to death. It is a serious disease that kills.

And while I do think we need more awareness and education (about metastatic disease, about how young women can develop breast cancer, about how women (young and old) DO die from this disease, about the importance of research, etc.), I don’t think we need the kind of awareness that buying a jar of salsa with a pink ribbon on it brings. While I hardly ever see “awareness” products addressing the topics above, I can’t go anywhere without seeing pink products. Heck, I just have to look out of my front window to see giant pink garbage totes. The stores are filled with pink as companies try to make a buck off breast cancer. If you look carefully at these products, you’ll find that some of them don’t even donate a cent to breast cancer awareness, support, research, etc. And oftentimes those that do make a very minimal donation — and not always to organizations/programs where the money is well spent.

What is most unfortunate is that well-meaning people are willing to buy pink products, even pay a little extra, because they think they are helping to do something to “cure” breast cancer or to provide “hope” to breast cancer patients. Why is this sad? Because those dollars spent on pink flowers, pink shirts, or a pink box of crackers or spaghetti sauce could be going to research, our only real “hope” of beating this horrible disease.

My intention is not to offend or to hurt the feelings of anyone who is genuinely trying to help, but I think it is important for you to know the truth. So please put your bra back on, put down those pink garbage bags (unless you really like pink that much!), that pink “awareness” pepper spray keychain, and that pink breast cancer “awareness” vibrator and dildo (yes, I’m blushing and yes, these are real things that their merchandisers say will “help you raise breast cancer awareness” — though they are shipped discretely in plain, unmarked boxes so no one knows what you purchased) and send a few dollars to an organization that devotes their fundraising dollars to research. You just have to do a bit of homework or read the labels on those pink items to see where your money is actually going. (There are pink products out there that do help to fund research, etc. — they seem to be in the minority, but they do exist.) But, if you don’t like homework, here are three great organizations — there are many others, but these are some of my favorites:

Stand Up to Cancer: This is a terrific one — and it’s not just for breast cancer, but all cancers. Our mission is to fund collaborative, translational cancer research to bring treatments from the bench to the bedside faster, and save lives now. Since Stand Up To Cancer was founded in May 2008, we have granted $161 Million Dollars to ten Dream Teams of scientists and researchers, one international translational research team and 26 high-risk, high-reward Innovative Research Grants. 100% of public funds go directly into research grants. A portion of the funds that are raised from major donations and third-party fundraising go towards administrative expenses and overhead.

Metavivor.org: From support groups to funding vital research, our programs sustain the power of hope. Passionately committed patients ourselves, we rally public attention to the urgent needs of the metastatic breast cancer (MBC) community, help patients find strength through support and purpose, and make EVERY dollar count as we work with researchers to regain longevity with quality of life.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC): is a rare and highly fatal form of breast cancer that is not typically discovered by mammogram and often occurs prior to standard breast cancer screening age recommendations. Our all volunteer board is focused on education and funding research for this 200 year old orphaned form of breast cancer. No Lump Still Cancer.

A number of people have emailed or commented about how Young Survival Coalition (YSC) has helped them. This organization is the premier global organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. YSC offers resources, connections and outreach so women feel supported, empowered and hopeful.

… or consider a group that helps cancer patients and their families cope with their illness. For example:

CancerIsAJerk.org: This is a small charity my dear friend jme set up to help families affected by cancer. You can make a financial donation or purchase “Cancer Is a Jerk” t-shirts with all proceeds going to help actual families affected by cancer. You can also contact jme through the charity if you’d like to sell shirts as a fundraiser with all proceeds going to benefit cancer family applicants in general OR designate a specific family of your choosing. And if you know a cancer family in need, please encourage them to apply for assistance.

And don’t underestimate the value of local organizations. My local Breast Cancer Coalition is a perfect example. The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester’s mission is to make the eradication of breast cancer a priority through education and advocacy; to empower women and men to participate fully in decisions relating to breast cancer; to provide support to those coping with a breast cancer diagnosis; and to focus research into the causes, prevention, treatment and cure of breast cancer.

Also local for me is The Karen Carson Crane Foundation. Founded by Karen’s siblings after she died of breast cancer, the mission of the Karen Carson Crane Foundation (“the KCC Foundation”) is to provide support and financial assistance for individuals affected by breast cancer; to encourage breast cancer patients to have the strength, courage and passion to overcome their disease; to support local organizations that assist breast cancer patients; and to donate a portion of its fundraising dollars to organizations that research and promote alternative cancer treatment methods.

There are many other great organizations and groups out there — these are just a few.

And if you can’t help with a financial donation, consider volunteering your time or talents. Perhaps to local cancer patients — bringing a meal or knitting a chemo cap or scarf, or sending a cozy blanket are examples of ways to show your support. I remember when a small box of craft supplies was left on my doorstep when I was first going through chemo — what a gift that was — my kids loved it and it kept them occupied for a little while when I was really ill! Or consider volunteering at a local cancer center or for a local American Cancer Society chapter. There are many ways to show your support that don’t require $$.

—

And, of course, don’t forget to go for your regular mammograms and to feel your breasts when you can (and report any changes to your doctor) because doing these things IS important. It is how I found my own lumps, almost 18 years before I was due for my first mammogram (according to the recommended screening age back in 2009). While the vast majority of lumps are benign, I still believe it’s always best to bring your breast changes to the attention of your doctor. Thanks for reading…

I will leave you with a picture that I think is my best advertisement for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

138

By Simcha Fisher

Well, that was the most disappointingly reasonable and benign modesty debate I’ve ever seen.  I guess it’s allergy season, and everyone is just too dopey to care.  One point was worth drawing out, though.  One commenter asked why the boys in the article about track uniforms

thought it was appropriate to be ogling and teasing the girl in the first place? Why is it always on the girls and women to cover up, not on the boys and men to behave themselves and act like gentlemen?

She clarified:

I’m the mother of three (soon to be four) boys, and I hope to teach them that no matter WHAT a woman is wearing, it is rude and crass to make comments about her body and make her feel uncomfortable.

This is exactly the right thing to teach boys, and as the mother of six (possibly seven) girls, I’m delighted that some young men are hearing this valuable lesson.

It is, however, exactly the wrong lesson to teach girls.  You can’t have girls dressing however they want and expect boys to just be gentlemen.  That’s called “putting boys through hell,” and it’s not Christian behavior.  Whenever I heard this argument, I think of a busty woman wearing a skin-tight T-shirt with a big arrow and “MY EYES ARE UP HERE” emblazoned across her chest.  Let’s not be silly.

Many girls and women underestimate the power they have over men.  Even women who are very visually-oriented and who struggle with chastity constantly do not face the struggle that the typical man faces when he turns on the TV or goes to the mall. It’s not impossible for men to train themselves to keep their eyes to themselves (I’ve seen my poor husband almost get whiplash trying to keep custody of the eyes at the beach)—but it’s very, very hard, and takes constant vigilance in this sex-drenched society.

When a woman sees a man who is dressed immodestly, however, it is easier for her to dismiss him, often with a laugh.  Sensible women find nothing less attractive than a man who needs to flaunt his stuff all the time.  Not so for men:  they may know in their hearts and minds that women who show a lot of skin are doing something wrong—but their bodies are more stubborn about the appeal.

And so I agree with one commenter, who said:

Modesty . .  is a form of Christian charity.

It is not that we should be embarrassed about our bodies. Bodies are a beautiful gift from God. However, we are living in a time after the fall. We do not want to be a near occasion of sin for someone else. . . If what you are wearing is or might be a stumbling block to someone else, love your neighbor enough not to wear it.

All right.  But here’s the tricky part—the “might be a stumbling block.”  It’s true that women have a responsibility to dress decently so as not to deliberately provoke lust in men.  But they do not have a responsibility to make it impossible for men to lust after them.

Some Follower of the Bibles think that pretty much any time a man sins against chastity, it’s a woman’s fault.  And so we have the ludicrous “pants are for harlots” argument.  We have women who think that dressing dowdily is a virtue.  We have men working themselves into a righteous froth over a woman in shorts, for instance, as if it’s her fault that he has a thing for legs.

Here’s the problem:  first, dressing with utter, lust-proof modesty is literally impossible.  There will always be some man somewhere who manages to lust, no matter what you’re wearing (just ask a hijab-wearing rape victim).

Second, an extreme “better safe than sorry” argument can lead to foolish and dangerous attitudes toward women. There is nothing pious about treating women like some kind of pestilent instrument of spiritual warfare, designed to infect innocent men with lustful thoughts by her mere presence.  At some point, the woman’s responsibility does end, and the man’s begins.  This point varies widely from culture to culture, age to age, region to region—and man to man.

Women are designed by God to be attractive to men, because this attraction leads to all sorts of good things:  protective behavior, fidelity, hard work, and babies, not to mention happiness. Our goal isn’t to reject the notion that women are attractive to men, but to channel it in a way that benefits everyone.

So, yes, modest dress is an onus that is put mostly on women —just as self-control is an onus that is put mostly on men.  This difference is not because life is unfair or inherently sexist, but because men and women are made differently.  Men and women both have the responsibility to contribute to the decency of the world—in their own ways.  There’s no sense in pretending there is no difference between them.  Just as importantly, there is no sense in pretending the tension will disappear if either men or women just tried harder to be good.

By Caitlyn Atkinson -The Daily Reveille

More women need to stop viewing modesty as restraining and shameful.

A Sept. 20 article in the Atlantic titled “Why Women’s Fashion in Washington, D.C. Is So Terrible — and Patriarchal,” argued fashion for women from professional brands like Ann Taylor puts women in a subjective role and communicates vulnerability.

Similarly, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, “We teach girls shame. Close your legs. Cover yourself. We make them feel as though being born female, they’re already guilty of something.”

Feminism tells us dressing modestly and covering up our “assets” means we’re weak and ashamed. Modesty should mean women value their bodies.

It’s no secret women are sexualized in the media. Psychology Today reported in the media, “women are three times more likely than men to be dressed in a sexually provocative manner.”

In the media, advertisements and television, women’s bodies are being put on display because it sells.

Yet, women advertise their sexuality in everyday fashion as though it is dignified and empowering. The more respectable option is to say, “No, this body is mine, and you don’t get to see it all.”

Dressing conservatively doesn’t mean women are surrendering to men because it is women taking the power to sexualize them away. It gives men a chance to see women as professional human beings. We are more than cleavage, behinds and tiny waists. A woman’s confidence should come from her accomplishments and beliefs, not from promoting her body.

“When we put on an article of clothing, it is common for the wearer to adopt the characteristics associated with that garment,” stated a Forbes article.

If you wear business casual clothes to class and work, you’ll feel confident and prepared. If you wear sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt, you’ll feel like going to bed. If you wear a short skirt and low-cut shirt, you’ll feel like going out to pick up guys.

It creates vulnerability and insecurity when a body meant to be seen by one other person, a husband, is paraded around for the world to see. Bodies are sacred, private and confidence can’t come from revealing them.

As much as we hate to consider what other people think of how we look, it matters.

“In the workplace, clothing significantly influences how others perceive you and how they respond toward you,” Darlene Price said in Business Insider.

The same article presented research that appearance — including how you dress — affects people’s perception of your intelligence, financial success, trustworthiness and whether you’re prepared to be promoted. Dressing well, combined with communicating well, will affect how people treat you and your career advancement, whether you like it or not. To go back to the Atlantic article, those women are not communicating subjection or timidity in dressing modestly and professionally. Instead, they display they value themselves and their careers and want to advance in the workplace. They show respect for the people around them and themselves, and it’s something more women should embrace.

By Armando Machado

Ella Gunderson, an 11-year-old school student, started what came a new fashion — making clothing retailers take notice that girls and young women can wear styles that are fashionable without sacrificing their modesty.

Ella was one of 37 girls between ages 10 and 16 who participated in what was billed as the first annual Pure Fashion Show in the Seattle area May 23 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue Wintergarden.

Sponsored by the Challenge Club of Greater Seattle, the show’s message was that there can be fashion without compromise. Ella’s mother, Pam Gunderson, is president of the Seattle-area group, part of an international network of clubs and camps for Biblical girls.

Although there have been Pure Fashion shows by Challenge groups in other parts of the country, this one attracted national media attention because of a letter Ella wrote to the Nordstrom clothing company — and the response she received. Ella and her mother appeared on national television-news programs within days.

Ella’s letter said she had tried shopping at Nordstrom but that all the jeans she tried on “ride way under my hips, and the next size up is too big and falls down.”

“They are also way too tight, and as I get older, show everything every time I move,” her letter continued. “I see all of these girls who walk around with pants that show their bellybutton and underwear. Even at my age, I know that is not modest.”

Her letter goes on to say that the store’s shirts for girls are too far over the bellybutton and that with clothing from the store it seems she would walk around showing half her body.

The letter says clerks at Nordstrom suggested there is only one look. “If this is true,” Ella’s letter says, girls are supposed to “walk around half naked. I think you should change that.”

‘You’re Right’

Ella received two letters in response. One was from Kris Allan, store manager of the retailer’s Bellevue location, who wrote: “I think you are absolutely right. There should not be just one look for everyone. This look is not particularly a modest one and there should be choices for everyone. I am sorry that you were unable to find anything while in our store. I am sharing your letter with Kianna Mitchell, the Brass Plum manager, so she can coach her team that everyone does not want to look like a fashion-diva model.”

Brass Plum is a line of clothing for teen-aged and preteen girls.

The other letter came from Loretta Soffe, a company vice president and corporate merchandising manager, whose comments included an assurance for Ella.

“We will do our best to educate our salespeople as to the many different looks that are available,” the letter said. “So, the next time you come into Nordstrom, we can find you something in the store that you like.”

Ella, a fifth-grader at a faith based School in nearby Kirkland, said she didn’t expect a reply — certainly not so much media attention.

“We can be stylish and look really nice but still be modest at the same time,” she noted.

Her mother noted that the motto of the Challenge Club is: “Challenge yourself, challenge others, challenge the world!”

“I believe Ella did all of these,” she said. “It took a little girl to write a letter proclaiming the obvious.”

Pam Gunderson said families involved with the show prayed prior to the fashion show, which attracted a capacity audience of 250.

‘Earn Respect’

The show’s featured speaker was Coleen Kelly Mast, an Illinois-based chastity author who co-hosts the radio advice program “The Doctor Is In,”

“We earn respect by becoming virtuous,” Mast said in her talk. “Girls and women who want respect choose to be beautiful on the inside. Beauty on the inside is what shines through.”

Ella’s father, Bob Gunderson, runs his own computer-software and consulting business. Of the attention Ella has generated, he said he and his family are “trying to be as open as possible to the Holy Spirit, who is definitely in control of this whole thing.”

“Obviously Pam and I have a responsibility to shield Ella from inappropriate media attention, but we are taking this one step at a time,” he said.

Deniz Anders, spokeswoman for Nordstrom, said the company believes it did have modest fashionable clothing for girls when Ella shopped at the store’s Bellevue location but that Ella was not directed to those items. Anders said Nordstrom has in the past received other customer letters about difficulty in finding fashionable modest clothing for girls, but she did not know if any of those letters came from minors.

Annie Sparrow is a trend-watcher who owns a Seattle women’s boutique called Tulip. Sparrow said young women have been asking for less-revealing clothes and that retailers have been relaying that message to the fashion industry, which has begun to listen.

“We’ve been challenged,” Sparrow said, “especially with jeans being so low.”

Armando Machado writes from Mount Vernon, Washington.