Intro:
I am currently snuggled up on the couch with a "homemade" scone (hubby and I actually used a kit, but we still mixed it all up and did in fact make it at home...home-made?) ;) We did, however, make the whipped cream from scratch (which really isn't the hardest thing to make) and I couldn't resist sprinkling some cinnamon+sugar to top it all off. So, with some sugar to fuel my thoughts, I begin my next entry.
***As a forewarning, I am still new to this blogging thing and as my mind tends to flow in countless directions most of the time, my writings may not seem entirely cohesive. I do apologize for this, but hopefully my rusty writing...er... typing hand will improve with practice and time.
What I'm really Posting about Today:
Dressing Like A True Princess:
Which "princesses" I admired then and Which ones I respect now
Part 1: Who I admired then
At some point in their short earthly lives, almost every little (and big) girl all over the world has the hopeless dream of becoming a princess. Since most of us will never be a princess (in the sense of living in a castle and marrying into a royal family) we are truly tickled with conjuring up thrilling, alternative lives "if I were a princess..." and don't we just LOVE dreaming up our wardrobes (okay, and who our prince charming will be too!) What little girl doesn't like to play "make believe" and "dress up"? Come on...you know that's you... ;) I'm pretty sure I dressed up as a princess for halloween at least 3 or 5 times (after I got over the black cat stage haha).
We must ask the (somewhat obvious) question, where does all the princess inspiration coming from? Maybe some of us heard it from our parents "You're our little princess" or maybe some of us were taught in Sunday school that we are God's princesses (which I do believe we are if we've accepted Christ!) However, the majority of our princess-knowledge and inspiration comes from the world of (secular) media. Some of my personal favorite princess movies are "The Little Princess" and "A Princess Bride". I must admit, however, that (hands-down) my favorite princess while growing up was Jasmine from the movie Aladdin. I just couldn't get over the beautiful, long, jet black hair let alone the pet tiger and handsome, thieving boyfriend (No wonder I went through a "bad boy" stage!) Genie and the magic carpet were super cool too, not to mention the gorgeous palace to live in!
Well, since this is a blog on modesty, we of course must take a look at Jasmine's wardrobe (though most of you have already been picturing it, right?) Pictured below are the lovely colored genie pants and bikini-ish top Jasmine is known for, accented by a jeweled headband with some rather large gold earrings and a gold necklace to top it all off. Her hair and makeup is particularly flawless (isn't animation just SO forgiving like that?!) I suppose I could mention the genie/elf shoes too, since those are usually a sign of playfulness (in my opinion). To sum this princess's style up in just a few words, I would call it: Royal Playfulness. Post continued below....
Overall, the movie has a playful sort of theme, with a fairytale love story of two ridiculously good-looking characters (and how many days did they know each other??), set in an exotic land, with a cool lamp which holds a comedic genie who makes your dreams come true, and magic carpet rides which provoke couples to fall hopelessly in love (who have just met!!) and of course to break out in song (cue "A Whole New World"). And Aladdin even gets a kiss at the end of that night! Was it love or lust at first sight? More importantly, what happens after they fly off into the clouds at the end of the movie? Happily ever after, right? Forgive me for getting somewhat off topic, but I can't help but be a little skeptical with the messages Disney sends its viewers. It's more than just immodesty!
As far as the message of modesty goes, Jasmine's character does not exactly exude humbleness and modesty. Rather, she encourages girls that showing skin is okay, and I think she gives the message that outward looks DO matter. Like most disney princesses, Jasmine is free-spirited and likes to decide things for herself. She deliberately disobeys her father which shows a lack of respect for elders. In addition, I also believe she shows a lack of judgement (by falling for a thief and not really getting to know him very well). Maybe if she had had a mother figure, this rebellious and scantily-clad princess would have had a better handle on how to portray herself. Overall, however, I do believe she falls rather short of the model of modesty which I strive to follow.
Just some questions to ask yourself and to ask your daughters/girls you know:
1. How would Jasmine's character be different if she dressed more modestly? Also, does Jasmine have any (inner) qualities that reflect modesty?
2. I recall a quote she says, along the lines of "I am not a prize to be won" but with the way she dresses, does she seem like she is focused more on adorning her outward self as a representation of who she is or is she working on bettering her inner self/winning over a man by her character and not her looks/how she dresses?
3. Is Jasmine really a character worth admiring?
4. If you could re-design Jasmine's costume, what would it look like? (If I knew how to draw, I'd totally sketch out my ideas here...but I'll stick to photographing as my artistic channel haha)
Until then, go watch Aladdin and let me know which character (if any) you think reflects the greatest amount of modesty? Hint: Raja and Abu do not count :0)
Have a lovely Thursday!
~Anna
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