New Store Offers Gowns & Dresses for Modesty

By Jim Day

MOD·ES·TY \ˈmä-də-stē\ Noun 1 : freedom from conceit or vanity 2 : propriety in dress, speech, or conduct.

There is no denying; we are living in a culture of ‘immodesty.’ We’re constantly bombarded with sexual messages (some verging on out right pornography) through TV shows, magazines, music, the Internet and on billboards. Advertisers have long utilized the concept that ‘sex sells’ to influence our society and encourage women to dress provocatively. Women, the primary target audience for advertisers, are constantly being persuaded to find their identities and self-worth through sexy and stimulating clothing.

As Christians however we find decorum, confidence and self-esteem from the love of Jesus Christ. So how, as Christians, should we dress to please our Lord? What does God want? In our obedience to God, we should choose modesty.
There is never a better time, in submissiveness to God than a wedding day to exhibit the purity of modesty. The sanctity of two people joining together in the holiness of marriage in recent years has become corrupted. On that extraordinary day, a demure bride should present herself to her new husband before God and their friends and families with humility.

When a Christian bride envisions her wedding dress, she should have the ability to decide among a variety of modest styles, not just relying on extensive alterations with strapless or over-revealing dress options. Unfortunately, it’s a real challenge in the current marketplace for a bride seeking a modest gown to find a variety of fashion alternatives that meet her expectations and desires.

Enter a breath of fresh air – Chatfields Bridal Boutique in St. Louis, Missouri. Owner Debbie Welcher, a former senior vice president and partner at a major downtown firm, decided to leave her corporate career and take a giant leap of faith. She believed the need for modest wedding gowns was so great that there would be enough brides to create a successful business in a tough economy.

Debbie saw firsthand how difficult it was to find a modest wedding dress based on her own experience. She learned that many brides paid a great deal to alter the top of a gown, so it would be suitable for the ceremony or had to purchase an expensive dress off the Internet.  Almost all the brides were unhappy for what should be one of the happiest days of their lives.

The bridal gowns at Chatfields all have modest necklines. Welcher related that a good guide is a hand length under the hollow of the neck and, at a minimum, cap sleeves that come off the arm at least one inch while covering most of the shoulders. Debbie explained, “The brides I see are so desperate to put a modest gown on, and not have to ‘imagine’ modesty with a strapless dress or worry over the financial aspects of hiring a seamstress for costly alterations.”

In recent months, Debbie admits that she’s had five or six brides-to-be that have entered her shop not realizing her gowns had sleeves and had purchased a gown. She informed me that they had not had an opportunity to try on anything but strapless gowns in other shops and were amazed at how comfortable and yet beautiful her gowns were. “I’m not sure why some brides automatically think frumpy or frilly when discussing a modest wedding gown? The Christian brides I see know that there are modern gowns that are stunning without being revealing” she added. Debbie went on to tell me that she and her husband were married in Kauai, Hawaii, and that her gown had a modest neckline and sleeves. “It didn’t matter that I was married in a tropical climate, I just didn’t think it was appropriate on my wedding day to be a in a low-cut dress,” she added.

There has been such an outpouring of support that Chatfields is thriving. At the request of so many mothers that have come to the store, Debbie recently added modest prom, bridesmaid and evening dresses to her shop to address the needs of young women and girls. Many of her customers have been home-schooled children who attend special banquets and understand the frustration and difficulty of finding a modest dress for such events.

When I inquired about pricing I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Chatfields was also modestly priced. Their wedding gowns were priced from $220 to $1200, with a majority of the gowns retailing between $500 and $750. The semi-formal, evening and bridesmaid lines started at $140. Prom dresses ranged from $140 to $350.

Chatfields Bridal Boutique is located at 2149 Barrett Station Road in Des Peres, MO (63131) just 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. To view samples of Debbie’s modest gowns and for more information about her store visit www.chatfieldsboutique.com or call (314) 965-6565.