In Praise of Feminine Modesty, By Mrs. Vera West
My grandmother, whom I have only fond memories of as she died in 1960, said to my mother, Joan, that the girls of the time dressed so briefly that the prostitutes in the outback towns she knew in the 1920s, would be embarrassed! What would Granny Gertrude think if she saw the young women of today? My mother could be heard muttering as we walked down the street some years before her death: "No, shame, no shame!"
The same point has been made by Nigeria's first lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of President Bola Tinubu, who also criticised a lack of female modesty as seen in the Hollywood set. Although not explicitly mentioning Meghan Markle, the comments have been taken as addressed to her, following from her visit, where she displayed a bit too much skin for this conservative culture. "We have to salvage our children," the First lady declared. "We see the way they dress. We are not having the Met Gala. And everyone, the nakedness, is just everywhere and the men are well-clothed."
She continued, "Tell them we don't accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful. It's not beautiful at all."
Indeed, it is not. We need high profile figures to lecture the Western women of today, but what a task this return to modesty would be! It will require a spiritual revolution, a return to Christian faith.
And what about men? Well, they get more than enough criticism, most unfair, right now.
"In a bold address just weeks after Meghan Markle's high-profile visit, Nigeria's First Lady issued a stern warning to the nation's women: Don't lose yourself trying to emulate American celebrities.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of President Bola Tinubu, didn't hold back as she took aim at the pervasive influence of Hollywood's risqué fashion trends.
Speaking in Abuja to mark the first anniversary of her husband's administration, Tinubu urged teenagers and young people to dress more modestly and reject the scantily-clad styles popularized by US stars.
"We have to salvage our children," she declared. "We see the way they dress. We are not having the Met Gala. And everyone, the nakedness, is just everywhere and the men are well-clothed."
She continued, "Tell them we don't accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful. It's not beautiful at all."
While Tinubu didn't explicitly criticize Meghan Markle, she referenced the Duchess's recent visit to Nigeria where Markle emphasized her Nigerian roots, revealing she is 43% Nigerian according to a DNA test.
"Why did Meghan come here looking for Africa? That is something we have to take home with [us]. We know who we are. Don't lose who you are," Tinubu stated.
Markle and Prince Harry's trip to Nigeria, intended to promote the Invictus Games, garnered mixed reactions.
Some experts criticized Markle's choice of expensive and revealing outfits, suggesting she could have shown "more modesty" in a country where just over half of the population are Muslim.
One fashion expert noted that Markle "bared too much skin" and would likely have dressed more conservatively had the trip been organized by Buckingham Palace."
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