Women wearing (gasp!) pants in Church!!!

May as well jump on the bandwagon with my 2 cents.

I personally do not have any problem with allowing women to wear pants at Church. Go for it, girls!

What I do have a problem with is that the photos I’ve seen tend to show many with a tacky blouse or other top, which really does not fit well in Church. It almost shrieks “since I’m now wearing pants, I can also wear something less than my best for a top, shoes, etc).

Girls, if you are wanting equality, then you need to really do it. Pants, Jacket, Tie, etc. And there won’t be a bunch of frilly colors allowed.  White shirts, dark suit jacket.  Yes, I know that dresses are cold in winter, but suits and ties are strangling and confining all year round, and offer little chance at personal expression (Christmas and Father’s Day tacky ties as the few exceptions).

So, dress drab in dark gray or black pant suits, and a white blouse. Anything else will show that you are not serious about being equally viewed with the priesthood!

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About rameumptom

Gerald (Rameumptom) Smith is a student of the gospel. Joining the Church of Jesus Christ when he was 16, he served a mission in Santa Cruz Bolivia (1978=1980). He is married to Ramona, has 3 stepchildren and 7 grandchildren. Retired Air Force (Aim High!). He has been on the Internet since 1986 when only colleges and military were online. Gerald has defended the gospel since the 1980s, and was on the first Latter-Day Saint email lists, including the late Bill Hamblin's Morm-Ant. Gerald has worked with FairMormon, More Good Foundation, LDS.Net and other pro-LDS online groups. He has blogged on the scriptures for over a decade at his site: Joel's Monastery (joelsmonastery.blogspot.com). He has the following degrees: AAS Computer Management, BS Resource Mgmt, MA Teaching/History. Gerald was the leader for the Tuskegee Alabama group, prior to it becoming a branch. He opened the door for missionary work to African Americans in Montgomery Alabama in the 1980s. He's served in two bishoprics, stake clerk, high council, HP group leader and several other callings over the years. While on his mission, he served as a counselor in a branch Relief Society presidency.

33 thoughts on “Women wearing (gasp!) pants in Church!!!

  1. AMEN brother! I love it when a guy gets really wild and wears an olive green suit. I’ve always felt bad for you. If they came for my scarves, I might have to apostatize.

  2. Unseriousness is a feature, not a bug.

    That said, most women actually look pretty darn good in a classy drab pant and jacket outfit with a quality white blouse. Though, truthfully, most women look even better in a classy drab jacket and skirt outfit with a quality white blouse.

    Ties, on the other hand, look ridiculous on les femmes. Even pseudo-ties, scarves and billowy ascot type things, usually look absurd when worn with a jacket and pants or skirts.

  3. On the absurdity of scarves, with jackets, I am forced to make an exception for Bonnie, who manages to be tres chic is just about anything.

  4. With apologies to Diane Keaton, the fashion police give a thumbs-down to women in ties. However, a nice pants suit looks great on women and personally I have no problem with it. True story from church on Sunday: an older guy tells the story of a young woman wearing pants to church a few years ago. A busybody older woman says to the woman, “we really don’t wear pants to Church.” The woman pulls up her pants to show two protheses. She lost her legs in Iraq. She says: “I wear pants because these legs don’t look very good in a skirt.” Ouch!!!

    That said: thumbs-up to women wearing pants if they want to. Thumbs-down to busy-bodies. Thumbs-down to people making political statements of any kind at Church, which causes contention.

  5. Adam G., that is absolutely false! Women look terrific in ties, as you can see in Ralph Lauren’s beautiful Fall 2012 Runway:

  6. I had much the same reaction. Men often (most of the time?) violate the “standard” of wearing “your best” to church. Women, perhaps less often (though I certainly hope those wtih jean skirts that look like Live’s sut apart and resewn have something better!). But many of the pants outfits posted on line from yesterday would have been marginal or perhaps even unacceptable in my workplace, although women in pants are probably more common than dresses and skirts.

  7. There are quite a few women who wear pants to the ward my family and I are in. My aunt being one she’s a plus sized woman but she never dresses tacky she along with my wife, are actually some of the better dressed women who do wear pants to church.

    If the women in your area who wear pants don’t look so great have any of you thought to stop and think maybe she doesn’t have much money to work with so she makes do with what she has?

    Cut a bit of slack and remember the actuall purpose of going to church…without that purpose then what’s the point?

  8. There are quite a few women who wear pants to the ward my family and I are in. My aunt being one she’s a plus sized woman but she never dresses tacky she, along with my wife who is not plus sized, are actually some of the better dressed women who do wear pants to church.

    If the women in your area who wear pants don’t look so great have any of you thought to stop and think maybesn’t have much money to work with so she makes do with what she has?

    Cut a bit of slack and remember the actuall purpose of going to church…without that purpose then what’s the point?

  9. “Girls, if you are wanting equality, then you need to really do it. Pants, Jacket, Tie, etc. And there won’t be a bunch of frilly colors allowed.”

    LOL.

    Personally I don’t like blazers on women. Why would they want to have broad shoulders?

  10. Brandon, perhaps you missed the point of the women’s protest on “wear pants to Church Sunday:”. Many of them CAN afford a better outfit, and should do so. I know some people who can only afford jeans, and so I encourage them to attend with their best. For those women who can and wish to protest, they should at least have the modicum of nearing the requirement the men have: suit and white shirt. I’ll even allow them to go without the tie!

  11. The whole question of what to wear to church is basically cultural silliness. As long as the temple garments are covered anything should be fine.

    Anyone should wear whatever makes them feel best.

  12. Adam G. says, “Nothing worn on a runway has ever looked fetching.”

    Such Philistines these Mormons! Ladies, joking aside, a tie can be a serious piece in a woman’s wardrobe. Coupled with a smart jacket, it’s makes a terrific ensemble. It’s masculine overtones are come across as a bit daring and ironic, but in a non-confrontational and disarming way. It actually lightens up an ensemble quite nicely, with it’s extra color and playful role-reversal themes.

  13. John Harvey: “Anyone should wear whatever makes them feel best.”

    So, wearing my Bozo the Clown Halloween costume that covers my garments is okay with you? What if it distracts from the Spirit of the meeting, shouldn’t that be considered?

    Nate, are you going to be one of the new judges on Project Runway? You definitely have my vote.

  14. Thank you, boys, for your support. I’m so glad that the boys of the church can embrace equality! Maybe boys can wear colored shirts as their protest! (If you couldn’t tell, my biggest problem with this post was referring to women as girls. I have very little interest in the pants debate, but I do in the women-are-people-too debate.)

  15. Adam and Silverain, this is just sad, sad sad. Silverain, you must have at least some kind of aesthetic appreciation of your persona, having chosen such a beautiful moniker as “silver rain.” As one of the loveliest of avatars on the bloggernacle, and one of the most honest and intelligent, I can only imagine your real life persona dressed in shimmering and silvery cashmere. Clothing is a form of communication, just as a name is, just as a comment on a blog is. It’s not about modesty, it’s about honesty. Immodest people can dress immodestly, because that is an honest expression of their garish and attention-hungry personalities. But modest, self-confident people like yourself should dress in ways that reflect the beauty and integrity of your soul, just as your name does. Silverain, in her soul, is not a wallflower, and it would be a crime for her to dress like one.

  16. I respond to your argument with a derisory horse laugh.

    That accomplished, what, actually, is a wall-flower? Are they those little flowers potted in niches on the sides of buildings in Mediterranean countries? Those are beautiful.

  17. Adam G. “a derisory horse laugh.” Then for you I would recommend an equestrian theme for your Sunday ensemble.

  18. Perhaps another way to even things out is to allow the men to wear a skirt or kilt?

    As for colored shirts, my stake president would not want to see his high counselors dressing unlike the Brethren. So, I’m stuck with white shirts – and so should those sisters who want to wear pants!

  19. Reporting from a San Diego area ward: Not one woman in our ward wore pants to church on Sunday. Did not hear one word about said protest. Did women really do this? Did anyone care?

  20. Tammie, same here where I live. Not one women wore pants. All the men young and old (really) wore a white shirt and tie with half of them wearing suites. I hate wearing white shirts and in protest of the protest I put on a white shirt, tie, and suit this last Sunday.

    Like I said at another place,”when it comes to white shirts and suites, I am by my own admission in my comment a subversive. I am not concerned about “clothing conformity,” but political Feminizing of the rightful Patriarchal order of God and His Church. In my ward Feminism, to my great happiness by the standards they set up for the protest, completely lost.” Is this silliness over so I can I go back to wearing colored shirts again?

  21. It was warm and pleasant yesterday for December. I did not see any women in pants. When the cold weather gets here, I expect that will change.

  22. No problem with slacks and can’t see why the fuss. As for wanting more say in “governing” the church (as if we’ve ever been more than two steps from anarchy) I’d guess any such desire is best expressed to the Lord. Talk him into it, whatever “it” is, and – well, He’s the boss. Either this church is led by Jesus Christ or it isn’t.
    Now if we’re arguing that more men should have better respect for more women, I’m all for that – and agree it is needed.

    Have to wonder if the death threats that were received were at all serious. I mean, getting that upset – about PANTS???

  23. People weren’t upset about pants, don’t be silly. They were upset about their sacred space, a space they love and enjoy, being co-opted in an attempt to force change upon it.

    Their reaction was wrong and played right into the hands of those who made this move, but they were not petty.

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