IN his famous 1960 address on the issue of women wearing masculine clothing, Giuseppe Cardinal Siri, then Archbishop of Genoa, noted that when women started wearing trousers they showed that they were viewing femininity as inferior to masculinity. The change in fashions was not a sign of strength or confidence, but of weakness:

In truth, the motive impelling women to wear men’s dress is always that of imitating, nay, of competing with, the man who is considered stronger, less tied down, more independent.  This motivation shows clearly that male dress is the visible aid to bringing about a mental attitude of being “like a man.”⁵  Secondly, ever since men have been men, the clothing a person wears, demands, imposes and modifies that person’s gestures, attitudes and behavior, such that from merely being worn outside, clothing comes to impose a particular frame of mind inside.

Then let us add that woman wearing man’s dress always more or less indicates her reacting to her femininity as though it is inferiority when in fact it is only diversity. The perversion of her psychology is clear to be seen.⁶

These reasons, summing up many more, are enough to warn us how wrongly women are made to think by the wearing of men’s dress.

— Comments —

Mrs. T. writes:

This may be a bit off-topic, but your post reminded me of my personal resolution last year to dress in a more feminine and modest way. Since I am always in one of three stages — pregnancy, postpartum or my normal weight — a variety of clothing could prove to be very expensive for us. So I prayed to the Blessed Mother for guidance in this area. I have since been able to find quality pieces at used clothing stores or newly discounted items at major retailers with very little effort.

Ask and you shall receive.

Carolyn writes:

Mrs. T: I so admire your effort to dress more femininely. I am Mormon, and we encourage this also, i.e., in wearing dresses to church, dressing modestly. I wonder if the world might soon get tired of all the gross, skimpy attire and the pendulum swing the other way for those who truly want to be “noticed.” I heard a young (worldly) man a few years ago comment on a girl who walked by in a simple modest white, summer dress, as to how lovely she looked. It is, indeed, refreshing!

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