Modest is Hottest

There is a phrase commonly used in LDS culture (and by culture, I mean that the people of our church say it; I've never heard it said in actual doctrine) that I have been thinking about quite a bit today and yesterday.

I am not sure how I feel about this phrase. I started thinking about what kind of connotations "hot" or "hottest" brings, and with that, I browsed all over the modest fashion blogging world, looking for women who were dressed modestly yet fashionably.

Now, I don't know about anyone else, but when I see these women and the way they dress, groom, and carry themselves, I don't really think "hot" or "hottest".

I think "beautiful", "radiant", "daughters of God", "confident"."classy", and just good-old "fashionable".

They look like they have a brain inside their heads. They know who they are! They know their own worth! They don't care what the world's standard is. They are "doing a great work" and they "cannot come down" (Nehemiah 6:3).

That's what modesty is about. It is about portraying ourselves in a way that God has asked us to, so that we can be examples of the believers (1 Timothy 4:12).

Now, I don't completely hate the phrase "modest is hottest". It's catchy, and it's getting girls to realize that it is way better to respect yourself and your body by dressing more. But "hot" is something that is centered on the world, and trying to conform to the world's idea of attractiveness and sexual appeal. Modesty is deeper, because it's centered on our Heavenly Father, and obeying Him, and glorifying Him, and being beautiful to Him, and not giving thought to what the world thinks.

Personally, I would like a phrase like "MODEST IS BEAUTIFUL!" or "MODEST IS CLASSY!" or something along those lines. I know "MODEST IS HOTTEST" is catchy, and I'm not going to slam it down when people around me say it, because it is  having a positive impact on many women and girls, but I just don't fully agree with it exactly.

What do you think? I would find it just peachy if you had an opinion that you would like to share, and you either reblogged a post on the topic, or commented on this post. Thanks! :)