Tinder Culture. Love & Fashion.

We live in a Tinder Culture. For years it’s been said that we live in “Hookup Culture,” but it’s not just a hookup culture anymore. It’s a Tinder Culture.

What do I mean by that? Well, look around you. I was in the airport this morning, and as I was looking around I wondered how many of these girls are going to see someone they’ve never met before. It’s culturally acceptable now to book a flight to a place you’ve never been to, to see a person you’ve never met, and to fly to their hometown and hook up with quick meaningless sex as the end goal verses amazing meaningful sex inside the protected institution of marriage.

Some say love is in the air, but most of the time it's just lust. It’s Valentine’s Day week, how could it not be? But I think that instead of using Valentine’s Day as an excuse to hookup or go on meaningless dates, maybe it would be better to use this time to re-examine dating culture: what is dating really for, and how can we do it in a Godly manner?

Most of us are probably familiar with the verse, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13 4-5. But how do we take that and apply it to our daily life?

I think the first question a woman- or man- should ask is, “Am I ready to get married?” I know that seems a bit harsh, but even the Bible supports the theory that in order to date, one should be ready for marriage. In other words: the end of dating is marriage. So, don't date unless you are seeking a wife or husband.

Proverbs 18:22 explains, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing. And receives favor from the Lord." It does not say "He who finds a hookup is a good thing, or even he who finds a girlfriend receives favor from the Lord, but rather a wife."

As we've highlighted before, it is so crucial to dress according to what you are looking for. Here at Culture of Life Fashion, we are passionate about helping women find clothes that honor the dignity of their body as well as highlight their features.

Our American made Faux Leather Sleeveless Tiered Dress combines class with a little bit of an edge and is perfect for a date night on the town.

Our Knit Jaquard Open Coat can be thrown on to add style to any occasion, and our Fuzzy Short Sleeve Top with Puff Sleeves is the perfect color for this month of love.

Now that we’ve established that the end of dating should be marriage, let’s circle back to the beginning: Tinder Culture. For those of you unfamiliar with Tinder, it is an app that is known for its ability to set up one-night stands and meaningless sex. Here at Culture of Life Fashion, we know that sex has meaning and value, and, as we have established before, it must be saved for the right person. Tinder in and of itself is not bad: it is an app through which couples can meet, but just as one must consider the people he surrounds himself with, one must also consider the situations he puts himself in.

When it first hit the marker in 2012, Tinder was designed for couples to have “casual relationships.” Almost ten years later, I think we could say that most people who use this app have the same goal in mind: casual relationships, casual sex, and nothing long-term or pleasing to God.

As Christian women, our fashion taste and way of dressing really does portray what we want in a relationship: do we want a “Tinder” relationship: a hookup, one-night stand? Or do we want something more long-lasting and pleasing to God?

Let’s not forget the purpose of dating & dressing during this Valentine’s week and remember not only who we are, but Whose we are.