Appropriate Length of Dress

Now for consideration of the definite question on the proper length of dress for Christian young women today. From the facts presented it is clear that the nine-inch standard was selected at the time when the dress question was being agitated everywhere, as a balance between the dress dragging on the ground and the one that had been raised above the knees. At that time principles were laid down that were to serve us all as we should apply them to ourselves. There is no need for a separate statement of skirt length to be made for each succeeding age or era—modesty is the standard.BHP 271.2

With this thought of modesty is to be coupled “appropriate for this age.” Appropriate means “specially suitable, fit, proper“: so we see that this also places the question of dress in its proper setting as regards time, climate, age of the wearer, and so forth. We are not required to be so different in our dress as to become gazingstocks to those about us, but rather what is generally accepted as appropriate for the time in which we live will be suitable, if it is healthful and modest. It is generally conceded, too, that the appropriate length of dress varies with a woman’s age. An elderly woman would not expect to dress like a girl in her teens, nor should a young girl be expected to dress like her middle-aged mother. Not only does age enter into the decision of the right style of the dress, but the person’s build and type must also be considered. Some women are tall, while others are short; then there are the fat ones, the skinny ones, and those in between. Some dresses are made very full, while others are narrower, and this is another factor to be considered.BHP 271.3

The current book previously referred to has this to say about standards for dress length:BHP 272.1

“The fashionable skirt length is the one to adopt; but if skirts are worn short, do not go the modes one better and have yours at or above your knees, for the knee is not an attractive sight either from the front or back. Your skirt should always end below the knee, at or just above the fullest part of the leg. One extreme is as bad as the other. If your legs are very heavy, do not attempt to hide them by wearing your skirt too long, for you will only draw attention to yourself. An inch, or even half an inch, longer than usual will suffice.” Veronica Dengel, Personality Unlimited, pp. 385, 386. (Italics supplied.)BHP 272.2

“With the right line you can make a figure seem taller or shorter, narrower or wider, as may be required….BHP 272.3

“The tall girl must avoid any silhouette that will extend her height, whereas the short or heavy woman can create an impression of height by carrying the eye ‘up and down’ in every possible way. On the other hand, the heavy or short woman must avoid lines that carry the eye from side to side, because these certainly will make her look shorter and heavier. Horizontal lines, which tend to ‘cut’ height, are only for the tall, slender person….BHP 272.4

“A very short skirt cuts the height and increases width. A long skirt increases height.” Ibid., pp. 374-376.BHP 273.1

Thus I cannot give a definite answer as to whether “three and a half or four inches below the knee is a modest length for girls of twenty; and for a woman of fifty, six inches below the knee,” because build, height, weight, the style chosen, or the kind of material to be used—all have a bearing on the proper length of dress. The instruction that we have considered all agrees that the knees should always be covered, whether one is standing or sitting, and that the dress should extend far enough below the knee to reach gracefully to the fullest part of the leg. A mirror will guide in determining the proper length for individual needs, as can the honest opinion of one who has these standards in mind.BHP 273.2