"An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her. And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax, and works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night, and gives food to her household, and portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor; and she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates."
--Proverbs 31:10-31, italics added
In the Bible, God warns us about idolizing objects and about materialism, storing things up that will fade away instead of focusing on the eternal. Does that mean we should not desire or be able to dress nicely? I don't believe that is the case, if our priorities are right.
Take the example of the godly woman in Proverbs 31. Her clothes are made of fine linen and purple fabric, which were associated with nobility and the wealthy. She also gathers wool and flax (also nice fabrics) to make into clothing. Not only does the noble woman put thought into what she wears, but she buys the best for her family.
What are her priorities? She fears the Lord; she loves and honors her husband; she cares for her household; and she helps others in need. The woman obviously exhibits wisdom, and the description leads me to believe a few things about her attitude towards clothing, from which we can draw advice:
- Dress for your position of influence. I think she dresses her family nicely because her husband is well-respected in the city. As much as we love or hate to admit it, people will form opinions about us based on what we wear. Thus those in the public eye should tailor their wardrobe accordingly.
- Dress within your means. The noble woman seems she does a cost-effective job by selecting fabrics, working to make the clothing herself, and only using what she and her family need, without excess.
For example, as a stay-at-home mother, I spend most of my day and days playing with the kids and doing housework, so I should have mostly casual clothing and comfortable shoes. As much as I love to wear formal dresses, it would be unwise to spend my money on them, as I have almost no chance of wearing them. For a professional ballroom dancer, however, a closet full of chiffon ruffles is completely practical. A student will need different clothes than a lawyer, who will need different clothes than a lumberjack. You see my point?
Buying impractical things is a waste of money and can lead to materialism. If our focus is on doing the work of the Lord, everything we need will fall into place.
