Thanks to Ed West from The Catholic Herald (Britain’s Leading Catholic Newspaper) for quoting me accurately!
‘The burqa can show a lack of humility’
Ed West speaks to a Catholic mother and former model about what modesty means
There is a growing feeling on both sides of the Atlantic that immodesty has gone too far. The clothes of Versace, the music videos of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and sexualised childhood toys like Bratz have created an atmosphere where any woman who covers up anything is deemed a frump.
Not so Colleen Hammond, a celebrated model and TV presenter who gave it all up to become a Catholic mother, author and campaigner for feminine clothing. Her book, Dressing With Dignity, was a best-selling attack on the fashion industry’s obsession with “hooker chic”, while her radio show is listened to by millions. From her home in Texas she has successively lobbied for the clothing industry to raise its standards, an example of how the little people can fight back.
“I get letters from manufacturers saying they have ‘hot and modest’ clothing. I’d go to these websites and they’d have these clothes promoted as modest, and I’d think, compared to what? A hooker? Yet when you look at Jewish, Catholic and Islamic standards, they’re pretty much all the same, so there is natural law.”
