and later when in prison, refused to change into a dress that was given her because she knew that the soldiers would take advantage of her. Let’s be clear: St Joan cannot be used in defence of women wearing trousers. The military apparel, especially with the addition of full body metal armour and plates, would have certainly not displayed the form of her body or highlighted intimate areas. You can be sure she would not have been prancing around in tight leggings nor leading an army to battle in them!41 Sportswear You are probably aware that female sports were not common until modern times. The obvious reason is that women have babies and it is somewhat difficult to have babies and play sports at the same time. But what about women who are not mothers? As long as it is understood that maternity is a married woman’s highest calling and should never be shunned because of sports, there is no objection, as such, to most women’s sports.42 There is, however, and a serious one, with regard to what women wear – or rather, don’t wear – while playing. When women’s sports started to become popular, there were strict rules concerning their appearance. If you look at early 20th century female tennis players, for example, you will see them wearing long skirts and long sleeves on the court. As public fashions evolved, so did female sportswear, and nowadays, they often appear less clothed than the men, wearing shorts or miniskirts which leave much of their thighs visible and sometimes display bare shoulders and backs; this is certainly not acceptable. A woman’s thighs, shoulders and back should never be on public display. Indeed, Holy Scripture speaks of such a display to be shameful in a woman: Uncover thy shame, strip thy shoulder, make bare thy legs, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be discovered, and thy shame shall be seen (Isa 47:2-3). My opinion, and that of many women who have tried it, is that it is perfectly feasible to dress modestly and play most sports. For example, it is acceptable to wear tracksuit trousers or leggings under a skirt that reaches the knees, along with a loose blouse that goes down below the waist. This safeguards modesty (hiding the form), while providing for covering in the case of a fall or simply the gestures required to play the sport. There is another reason, which might surprise you, for which I know for a fact that most sports are quite possible while wearing a skirt. In traditional 82
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