In most families, wearing pants is not only unremarkable, it’s expected.
In fact, if you had a relative who insisted on only wearing skirts, or mumus, or a chaps-and-loin-cloth combo, or some other non-pant leg covering, it would probably be considered quite weird.
But what’s strange in the rest of the world is the the norm in Duggar Country and for the female members of reality TV’s most pious family, pants are a strict no-no.
If you follow the family closely, by now you;ve probably caught wind of the mini-controversy that ensued when photos of Jinger Duggar wearing shorts surfaced online.
Shortly thereafter, pics of Jinger wearing pants were posted on social media, and the fundamentalist pearl-clutching continued.
Such attire is expressly forbidden by Jinger’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and the early days of the scandal that we like to call Daughter-gate coincided with the Duggars doubling-down on their love of “modest” attire.
The same week that Jinger shocked her family’s fan base by brazen rocking a pair Dockers, the world learned that her older sister Jessa Duggar would be giving a speech at a women’s retreat in Ohio.
The topic?
How to Cover Every Inch of Flesh Below Your Neck Without Looking Like You’re in the Middle of a Colonial Cosplay Cession.
Okay, so that’s not the actual title of Jessa’s address, but she’ll be instructing a room full of young women and girls on how to dress “modestly” so as not to unwittingly tempt any young men.
We don’t expect forward-thinking progressivism from the Duggars, but it’s a pretty messed up lesson for Jessa to be teaching, especially since she’s a victim of sexual assault in a community that teaches that rape and incest victims are often to blame for the actions of their attackers.
So how does Jessa feel about Jinger’s bold stance on legwear?
It’s a good question – and one that will probably never be answered.
For years, the Duggar women have claimed that they prefer to wear skirts and that their attire doesn’t hold them back from any sort of physical activity.
But as many fans have been pointing out on Jessa’s social media pages, Jinger changing her preference to pants the second she left the compound really undermines that argument.
At this point, countless fans have asked for Jessa’s opinion on the matter, and not surprisingly, the 24-year-old has been completely mum:
“How is Jessa going to explain why her sister is now wearing shorts and pants? That is not in line with the Duggar modesty rules,” asked one follower.
“So basically the whole ‘we don’t want to wear pants and can do anything in skirts’ is crap! As soon as Jinger got married she started to wear pants,’ commented another.
“I feel that Jessa would also love to wear pants but she doesn’t because she lives too close to her parents house.”
A third added:
“I think [Jessa] does need to explain because we all know full well that the family modesty lifestyle rules began with modest clothing, which meant below-the-knee skirts for girls, period.
“I’d love to hear Jessa explain in her own words why it’s OK now for any Duggar (or even former Duggar) girl to wear pants. Or maybe why it’s not OK, and Jinger has already taken heat for it?”
Of course, the folks who are demaning answers from Jessa probably aren’t the one who will be shelling out $ 25 to see her talk fundamentalist fashion.
Watch Counting On online to see jessa and company break the record for most yards of denim worn in a single hour of television.
