Among other things (i.e., introducing sin into the world among humanity, Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12), Adam and Eve initiated the very first clothing line. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Genesis 3:7 NKJV). In place of “coverings,” some translations render the original language word in this place as “aprons” (KJV, ASV, RSV) or “loincloths” (ESV). Hebrew lexicons concur with the context here that Adam and Eve fashioned for themselves loincloths.
The first pair’s loincloths barely qualified as clothing, hanging from the waist and merely concealing their genitals. Nevertheless, aware of their nakedness, Adam and Eve endeavored to clothe themselves, howbeit, crudely. Their efforts, though, were unsatisfactory to God, Who became the first fashion critic. Therefore, He replaced their loincloths with a more expansive covering. “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics [“coats” KJV, ASV] of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21 NKJV). God introduced the first fur or leather clothing line, and the first intimation of the death of animals resulted from human sin in the persons of Adam and Eve.
Unlike loincloths that hung from their waists, the “tunics” or “coats” hung from the first pair’s shoulders. The “tunics” or “coats” were robes or long, shirt-like garments extending at least to one’s knees and possibly to the ankles. God did not consider the fig-leaf loincloths as sufficiently modest or an orderly arranged covering to conceal one’s nakedness.
God has not changed His definition from the Garden of Eden to the New Testament era or the Gospel Age of what adequately covers nakedness. “…women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works” (1 Timothy 2:9-10 KJV).
Yet, mankind has made the journey from nakedness, to loincloth, to modestly clothed, back to virtual loincloth and even nudity. The bashfulness of Adam and Eve, once they realized that they were naked, is not shared commonly among moderns. One of the marks of civilization distinguished from remote unclothed or loincloth-wearing tribal people has been in the past the adoption of modest clothing. Remarkably, though, contemporary civilization is making a full circle back to loincloths and nakedness. Along the way, reverting to an uncivilized marker—nakedness—especially scantily clad wives, mothers and daughters may be mistaken by God and man alike as impure, unholy specimens of womanhood. “And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart” (Proverbs 7:10 NKJV; Matthew 5:28). Granted, men also need to demonstrate modesty (Genesis 39:5-19; John 21:7).
A place of worship does not define the worshipper, but the person determines the validity of his or her worship by one’s conduct. Likewise, no public place defines modesty (e.g., beach or swimming pool versus work, school, church assembly, etc.), but a person embraces or rejects biblical modesty. Particularly, the children of God ought to be observed by the world as being clothed with righteousness (Ephesians 6:14), which, in part, will manifest itself in our godly attire. Either too much gaudy attire or too little clothing will conceal “the hidden person of the heart” (1 Peter 3:3-4).
