Lingerie and Religion

I actually posted this yesterday on my modelling blog, Becky's Boudoir, but thought I'd put it on here too.  It's something that is rather important to me, so here it is if you missed it.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Today I read on LingerieInsight.com that a Victoria's Secret model, Kylie Bisutti, has decided not to model for the lingerie big name any more because of her religion.  She says that being a Christian it is not right for her to model lingerie when she has young girls looking up to her as inspiration.

As much as Kylie is entitled to her own beliefs and do as she wishes with her life, I can't help but feel profusely frustrated with where she's coming from.

I am a Christian myself but I am also a lingerie model.  I feel my religion is in no way conflicting with my choice to model, because lingerie is not a sin and I don't believe it right that any woman should feel she is doing wrong just by wearing it.  Lingerie is more often that not worn for the better of the woman.  Lingerie makes you feel great when you wear it.  Lingerie has a purpose!

God made women as we are, we have boobs, you can't argue with that.  Some people don't mind their bosoms flapping about their chest freely but I, like millions of women out there, like to keep ours under control.  For this you need a bra.  How and where do you buy a bra?  A shop on the high street, internet, mail order catalogue, all of which require stock from lingerie manufacturers to actually sell you a bra.  These suppliers need pictures to show off the bra to the best of it's ability, to get you to choose their bra over the next manufacturer.  Simple.  Someone has to be the woman that wears those bras whose pictures need to be taken of them to be put on the box.  How can anyone say that being one of these women is living in sin?

Aside from necessity, there's the self appreciation factor.  A bra that looks beautiful, is well made and constructed with love and with the loveliest of materials, makes you feel great when you wear it.  There is nothing wrong with appreciating this feeling, the sense of self loving, that gives you confidence.  What helps you love your body, which God gave you, is not a sin.

Then there's those 'naughty' lingerie pieces.  Are they really naughty?  Naughty is a word for wrong doing, acting with ill meaning. But if we're wearing them with our partners with whom we dedicate our lives and souls too, are we really doing wrong?  Is it wrong to enjoy our bodies and to nurture a close loving bond with our life partners?  No, I don't agree that that is a sin.

If we are being honest with ourselves, enjoying ourselves and feeling good all from the pleasure of lingerie, whether we be wearing it or looking at it, it can not be bad.  And being a model, a person who wears a piece of clothing to encourage you to buy the product can not be wrong.  Wearing something that is completely natural, a bra, can not be seen as wrong.

We are what we are on the inside, and this is not what's shared outside our relationships.  What we share with our partners is not just our bodies because what we truly are is inside us.  A model does nothing to share this exclusivity with viewers of a product catalogue.

Women are too often made to feel ashamed of our bodies in this world and it's time we realised this and put an end to it.  Lingerie is not a dirty word and it exists to make us learn to love what we have, whatever our size.

Like I said, I do have a Christian faith and hand on heart believe I am not doing anything myself that is wrong or contradictory to my beliefs.  Some people may say that modelling is not a job for Christians but I contest this.  I was made a woman, I'm proud of what I am and love what my body is, and believe above all that anything that is done with the best intentions and generates good feelings can only be good.

Long live the good lingerie model!

Oh, and I'll take Kylie's job at VS if there's no objections... ;-D

Becky x