Fashion Quiz
Do you dress to lure or be pure?
by Vicki Courtney
TWEENS & TEENS News June 2007
I have two sons who are crazy about fishing.
We live in a neighborhood that is surrounded
by woods, and my boys have discovered that
the best part of these woods is the fishing
pond hidden behind our house. I cannot count
the number of times they have left the house,
with their fishing gear in hand, in hopes
of catching a fish at the neighborhood pond.
They take nets, poles, tackle boxes, extra
line and anything they find in the fridge
that a fish might want to munch.
When my sons head to the pond, their one goal
is to catch a big-mouth bass. Fortunately,
my boys are only interested in the challenge
of catching the bass. Once they do, they pull
out the hook and throw the bass right back
in for a second chance. (That’s your
cue to say: “Aw, poor little fishies.”)
Now, if my sons went to the pond without their
gear, do you think they would have any luck
in catching fish? Not likely. My sons insist
that the only reason they are able to snag
a big-mouth bass is because of the lure they
use. You’ve seen lures before—
they come in all shapes and sizes. Most are
shiny and shimmery, drawing the fish to the
lure when they see it glistening in the water.
Would the fish be interested in a plain ol’
hook? No!
Believe it or not, the clothes girls wear
can act as lures. Some clothes catch the attention
of classmates and peers, but not in a good
way. Dressing to lure means dressing to attract
the wrong kind of attention. There is nothing
wrong with dressing to be fashionable and
in style, however, the goal is to do so in
good taste. Take the following quiz to find
out if you are dressing to lure or be pure.
1. When you go shopping,
you like to buy the tight shirts that show
a little bit of your belly.
2. You have some cute short
skirts, but sometimes it’s hard to sit
down or bend over without showing too much
skin— or your undergarments.
3. Sometimes you like to
wear your friend’s clothes when you’re
at her house because she has stuff your Mom
won’t let you wear.
4. You like to dress how
the celebrities and fashion models do in the
magazines. You reason, if they wear the skimpy
stuff, it must be alright.
5. The clothes in your closet
look more like what a college student or adult
would wear than a tween or teen your age.
6. You’ve left the
house in one outfit— a conservative
ensemble that your parents approved of—
and then swapped clothes by slipping into
something a bit more scandalous to go a party.
Count the number of times you marked “yes.”
If you answered yes to two or more questions,
you may need to think about changing your
wardrobe.
Whether you realize it or not, your clothes
send a message to others. If you dress to
“lure,” you are sending the wrong
message! Dressing to be pure is dressing in
such a way that encourages others to focus
on your inner beauty, sparkling eyes, cute
smile and caring heart. And in the end, that’s
what matters most.
Vicki Courtney is the founder of Virtuous
Reality Ministries and www.virtuousreality.com,
an online magazine for middle and high school
girls. She is a nationally acclaimed speaker
and the author of several bestselling books.
Her latest book, Between: A Girl’s Guide
to Life (B&H Publishing Group), addresses
the issues preteen girls face today. Through
her ministry and books, Courtney confronts
the cultural concerns facing children and
their parents and offers a blueprint for addressing
these issues.
