Am I the only late-30's, Christ-loving, blessedly-busy lady who has issues with dressing modestly *and* fashionably?
I could go into a long-winded rant about how frustrated I generally am about clothing, but instead I will talk about where I am in this walk, what God has put on my heart regarding this very personal subject.
Modesty is one of my concerns. I know that modesty means a little something different to everyone.
What it means to the Webster's dictionary is:
Modesty~ 1 : freedom from conceit or vanity 2 : propriety in dress, speech, or conduct
But, what does it mean to God?
There are several verses in the bible that speak to modesty of dress as well as modesty of behavior. This is the most common one I've heard.
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works" (1 Timothy 2:9-10).
For me modesty boils down to not drawing too much attention to myself through dress or behavior. It is also my deepest hearts desire to be a good example to my husband and children in my clothing choices.
Another of my concerns is being age appropriate - and what is that anyway.........I am in my late 30's and there are just certain trends that are totally inappropriate. Does anybody even make real clothing for thirtysomething-busy-wife-and-mom types? (barring sweatpants of course...LOL)
My husband likes a certain type of clothing on me. He is more liberal than I am, and I want to please his eyes. I also want to please the Lord. I know that pleasing my husband does please the Lord.....Oh the agony :~)
Can I just say that I *love* dresses and skirts. I find it *very* difficult to find everyday dresses that are not jumpers (no disrespect to jumper dresses it's just that they never fit me right.......I do better with some sort of waistline.....). Skirts are a bit easier to find- I would love to find a dress that is really made for the kind of work we mama's do. All cotton, flattering, mid-calf, comfy....elusive.
What do I do in the winter though? I have resorted to wearing jeans again just to keep my legs warm. Again, nothing against pants, I just *love* skirts and dresses.
And of course, price is always a factor. We are thrifty people in our house, so I sometimes have to search a bit to find clothing that fits the bill.
Oh I could go on and on............
Have any of you found the ticket? Any suggestions, any cool websites? Make my own clothing perhaps!
Oops, I apologize for getting a little *rant-like*.
Sometimes it just helps to throw it out there. Thank you for listening to my internal ramblings. I am certain though, that I am not the only one that struggles with the clothing issue.
Leave me a comment on what works for you or if you have a great resource to share.
I have come across a few websites for fashionably modest clothing:
- Christa Taylor (for the 20-something set mostly, but very cute)
- On the Hip(longer length tshirts and layering pieces)
- FunkyFrum(lots of skirts)
I have been thinking and praying about this post. I wanted to choose my words carefully as not to offend anyone with my words or opinions. Thank you for extending grace to me.
Thanks again for listening to my chatter. I do appreciate you all so much.
Have a beautiful and blessed Wednesday. In God's Love, Tami
Blessings to YOU this day!!!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/2008/04/each-month-here-at-simple-woman-i-will.html
Am I the only late-30's, Christ-loving, blessedly-busy lady who has issues with dressing modestly *and* fashionably?
ReplyDeleteWell - I certainly can identify. My closet has a handful of outfits that I feel comfortable in. That's it. Thanks for the links to the clothing sites. My torso is long and I have so much trouble with finding t-shirts that reach far enough. Eddie Bauer is one of my favorite stores, but I have to plan ahead and save before I go. Land's End also has some everydayish type skirts this spring. Of course, they are just your basic color and shape.:) I'd love to know if you run across others in your search!
Tami,
ReplyDeleteI came here via The Simple Woman blog.
Have you tried "Down East Basics" ?
Nice design, modest apparel, great prices (esp. the sale stuff!)
Hi, Tami...I can certainly identify with the issue of dressing modestly. It's so disappointing to see how immodest all the fashions seem to be getting with both adults and children. I just wish there were some simple, classic clothing stores that didn't hype up on all the latest fads...
ReplyDeleteI really do like Lands End and LL Bean...some of their styles are very classic...can be casual or dressy...lots of options, just sometimes the prices can be a bit much.
I've considered making some things for myself....I'm pretty sure that skirts (with a simple line) would be very easy to make. I also love the skirts found here... http://www.libertyworth.com/libbydibbyskirts.htm but again a little pricey. They are reversible, though.
Great Post!
Dear Tami,
ReplyDeleteI love Eddie Bauer also. But, only when it is on sale!
Blessings, dear friend,
Carrie
Tami,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you! I usually have NO luck when I go out shopping. It can be discouraging, can't it?
A couple of years ago I discovered Shade clothing. They sell t-shirts and camisoles and swimwear. (No pants or skirts, though.) I like their shirts because they're longer in length and modest at the neck. Plus they're in great colors. My only complaint is they're a little on the fitted side... I wish they were a little looser. But then, you may be skinnier than me and not have that problem! :) But I wear their camis and often their long-sleeved or 3/4-length sleeved shirts under other clothes all the time.
Here's the website if you're interested: http://www.shadeclothing.com/
My new goal is to make myself a bunch of skirts. :)
~Stacy
Thank you so much for the great resources. I am so thankkful to know I am not alone in this. We have a Eddie Bauer outlet store near us that I will check out. I did find a few things the other day. I will post pics soon. Bless you all! In God's Love, Tami
ReplyDelete