As card-carrying members of Duggar Nation have likely heard by now, Jinger Duggar has already made numerous headlines this year.
Headlines not related to her being pregnant, no less.
After two-plus decades of only being seen wearing dresses and skirts, Jinger’s sense of fashion has departed from her family’s dramatically.
Fans freaked out a few weeks ago when a photo of Jinger Duggar wearing shorts (above) hit the Internet, as such a move is unheard of.
Fast forward to last week and the 23-year-old Mrs. Jeremy Vuolo dropped another fashion bombshell during an outing with her sisters:
Yes, Jinger Duggar wears pants (below).
Jinge showed off her bold new look as she, Jessa and Jana Duggar visited Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas (her new home state).
Owned by Fixer Upper tandem Chip and Joanna Gaines, the location is a popular tourist destination, and not one known for controversy.
The Counting On star’s fashion choices may not seen daring, but for a Duggar – one posting them online no less – they most certainly are.
As you can see, Jessa and Jana continue to abide by the family’s dress code that mandates dresses and long skirts, no matter what.
It’s a woman’s responsibility, the Duggars are taught from a very young age by matriarch Michelle, to ensure they do not tempt men.
Yes, showing even a little bit of skin invariably leads to rampant sexual desires in their view, and that means covering up around the clock.
As this Jessa Duggar swimsuit photo and this image of the younger Duggar girls riding bikes prove, they take this to extreme levels.
Jessa was even scheduled to teach a seminar on the subject, but Jinger? Ever since she got married, she’s not having this anymore.
Why the change of heart, and fashion?
Simply put, her husband, former pro soccer player Jeremy Vuolo, while hardly an immodest heathen, has different views on the topic.
In one sermon in Laredo, Texas, the pastor said that unlike Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, he sees no harm in women wearing pants.
“It is your liberty as to whether you dress modestly with a modest pair of pants, or with a skirt, or with a T-shirt, or with a blouse,” Jeremy said.
Vuolo does share, to a degree, the belief that women who wear overly revealing outfits are somewhat to blame for men’s sinful thoughts.
“It is not your liberty, women, to wear sensual, seductive clothing that is designed to draw the attention of your brothers,” Vuolo said.
So … he’s just slightly more chill about it.
Jinger’s husband has actually preached against this kind of legalism in the past, saying that despite noble intentions, it’s over the top.
Vuolo believes that the point of the Bible was never to create “an army of Christian clones” who all follow the same endless list of rules.
When it comes to what people are allowed to wear, eat, or drink, “Jesus does not save people to make them wear skirts,” Jeremy said.
The 29-year-old’s life experiences are quite a bit different than the Duggars, as he used to get drunk and has even been arrested before.
Jeremy still believes that the occasional drink is okay as long as it doesn’t impair the drinker’s judgment, though he no longer partakes.
Somewhat incredibly, Jinger’s husband also has a tattoo on the inside of his right arm (which is widely believed to be a Bible verse, but still).
Of course, Jinger breaking free of her family’s dress code anymore is also eyebrow-raising because of another aspect of her belief system.
The Duggars adhere to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a religious organization founded by controversial minister Bill Gothard.
IBLP followers believe that men have complete authority over their wives and kids until their offspring grow up and get married themselves.
At that point, sons become the heads of their own families, while daughters become their husbands’ “helpmeets.” Yes, that is a real thing.
A woman is expected to shift her allegiance and undying devotion from one man to the next, obeying her husband, instead of her father.
Put another way, Jim Bob Duggar didn’t let Jinger wear pants, but Jeremy does, and he controls everything in her life now, so it’s cool.
