Without trying to define modest apparel in practical terms, it can be stated, nevertheless, that the Christian wife is to be characterized by it. In the early days of the Church, the Apostle Peter, who had a wife himself, commented that the adorning of the Christian wives should "not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel." 1 Peter 3:3. There appears, from this exhortation, that there was a tendency for the wives then, as there is today, to be overly concerned with outward apparel. This suggestion is strengthened by the fact that the Apostle Paul, though not having a wife of his own, was compelled by the Holy Spirit to exhort "the women in decent deportment and dress" to "adorn themselves with modesty and discretion, not with plaited (hair) and gold, or pearls, or costly clothing." 1 Tim. 2:9, 10 JND.
In an age of affluence and departure from the Word of God, the believer can easily lose sight of divine motives for dress and deportment. If the fashions of this world are imitated without serious scrutiny, the Christian wife can easily fall into the tendency that the early apostles warned against. We are not to be conformed to this world in dress or in any other aspect, and the fact that the apostles, inspired by God, made these comments, indicates that there is a great danger of the Christian wife's conforming to the indecent dress and deportment of this age. It is significant that this happened with the daughters of Zion in a day of spiritual decline (Isa. 3:16-26). It is also instructive from the family aspect to note that when this happened, their men fell by the sword. Worldly deportment can only weaken the family spiritually.
As a matter of scriptural principle, it must be noted that modesty and discretion imply no extremes. Surely in the matter of dress, as in all other matters, the Lord's mind must be sought. The motive should be to please the Lord without attracting attention. The virtuous woman of Prov. 31 wore fine clothing (see verse 22), but she was not characterized by this outward apparel. The Scriptures record that "strength and dignity are her clothing" (verse 25 JND). Surely it can be taken from this example that the Christian wife can be appropriately and reasonably dressed without letting her clothing take away from the Lord's glory.