‘Counting On’: What Is the Duggar Family’s Official Stance on Women Wearing Pants?
Joy-Anna Duggar has officially joined the list of Duggar ladies who have chosen to ditch their uniform of long skirts in favor of pants. Joy, who is due to deliver a baby girl any day, took to Instagram to share a photo of her still-growing bump. In the photo, she is wearing pants. It marks the first time Joy has appeared on social media sans a skirt, and family followers are going wild. Has Joy decided to break the Duggar family’s strict rule when it comes to modest dress, or is she using a loophole that has always existed? The Duggar family’s stance on women in pants might not be as rigid as it has always seemed.
Jinger and Jill Duggar were the first Duggar offspring to expand their wardrobes
Jinger Duggar, who married Jeremy Vuolo in 2016, was the first Duggar daughter to choose to wear pants in the outside world. Family followers strongly believe Jeremy encouraged Jinger to ditch her family’s dress code in favor of something more modern. Jeremy appears to be the most fashion-forward of the Duggar in-laws.
Jill Duggar, who married Derick Dillard in 2014, was the next Duggar daughter to let go of the dresses and skirts in favor of alternative attire. Jill has taken it a step further than Jinger, though. She often appears in social media posts wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts. More recently, she took to Instagram to promote swimwear. While the swimwear she was wearing is still modest, it was far more risqué than the oversized modest swim apparel Jill, and her sisters were forced to wear growing up.
Jessa and Joy-Anna both appear to wear pants at home
While Jill and Jinger are the only Duggar daughters who have been spotted out and about in pants, they may not be alone for long. Two more of the sisters appear to be wearing pants, at least when they are at home. Several months back, Jessa Duggar was spotted in sweatpants during a YouTube tutorial she posted. She has appeared in the same sweats in Instagram Stories, too, but she has yet to wear a pair of jeans, at least in the outside world.
Joy, who married Austin Forsyth in 2017, was spotted wearing pants for the first time on social media on August 5. The snapshot, which was taken in a full-length mirror, revealed Joy wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a scoop neck tee-shirt. Other pictures in the post, however, indicate that she may have been wearing a different outfit while out and about with her husband. Are Joy and Jessa breaking a Duggar family rule by wearing sweats, or were pants always allowed in private?
Does the Duggar family allow their girls to wear pants at home?
While Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have spoken openly about their commitment to modest dress, the couple has never come right out and suggested women need to wear skirts or dresses around the clock. In fact, the Duggar girls may be allowed to wear pants while at home.
Over the years, a few pictures of the family relaxing at their Springdale, Arkansas compound have been posted to social media. In a select few photos, younger Duggar girls have been spotted in athletic pants. None of the Duggar family member have commented about it, though. Jessa was asked by several followers about her decision to wear pants at home, but decided not to offer an explanation. The relaxed way Jessa and Joy approached the topic, however, suggests its something they’ve likely always done.
