January 7, 2009

Modesty and a Giveaway

Keep reading until the last paragraph for details on a giveaway, or (better yet!) click on the blog below for all of the details!
Sarah Mae over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee is posting an on-going series about modesty. I encourage all of you to check out her series. Modesty is not something addressed much in the church today, and it should be. I seek a lot of outfits in churches nowadays that would have been scandalous a generation ago. I know that times and styles change, but good taste doesn't. We shouldn't lecture men about staying pure and then encourage them to lust by what we wear.
The world's point of view has so steadily crept into the Christian's way of thinking that even many believers think of frumpy and outdated clothing when modesty is mentioned.
I believe that I always dressed modestly growing up and as a young adult. For me, the struggle with modesty didn't occur until I was pregnant with BB. I had to buy maternity clothes, and let's face it, the stomach isn't the only body part that grows with pregnancy! I loved having new clothes and buying new clothes. So what if my pregnant belly showed a bit when I reached for something, or a shirt was a tad revealing? I was pregnant! Before this, I had never really been into clothes shopping. I would buy a piece or two of clothing here and there, or an outfit for a certain event. I was simply not into fashion.
Once BB was born and I was a SAHM, I felt so out-of-it, and I missed having an excuse to buy clothes. In a decidedly not-frugal moment, I gave most of my clothes to Goodwill and I bought new clothes. I traded in my high-waist jeans for mid-rise, and my 2XL t-shirts for ones that actually fit. While I certainly didn't become a fashion plate, I could at least say that my clothes were new, instead of hand-me-downs that I'd kept from junior high (not an exaggeration)! I felt better about myself when I wore the new clothes. That is, except for the occasional moment when I would sit down, bend over, or reach up - you know, moves that a mom never has to do in everyday life. I told myself that I was just overreacting and I needed to stop being paranoid.
Around the time BB was born, my parents bought a camcorder. We also started taking a lot more pictures. When I started seeing the pictures and watching the videos, I caught glimpses of me that I knew other people were seeing as well. Nothing too much, but still something.
From then until now, I haven't done anything about the clothing problem except to buy some long tank tops. These (when I remember to wear them) are to wear under my shirts and to tuck into my jeans. That solves one problem, but tank tops aren't cut very high, which leaves another problem. I also realized recently that if I have to plan all items of clothes based on what shirt I am wearing, that is probably a sign that my shirt is too form-fitting.
Part of me really has a problem with these realizations. I like knowing that the clothes I am wearing aren't frumpy. I know that I will never be a trend-setter, but do I have to go back to mom jeans and baggy t-shirts? Or button-up shirts that go to my neck? Yes, I know that there are labels that offer modest clothing, but most of those labels are, in my humble opinion, for mature women. I've seen some pictures of what other people are doing to solve the modesty problem, and I don't have the sewing talent to add onto necklines and waist-bands of stylish clothing. What to do?
Here's one solution: Christa Taylor. Her site is full of stylish and modest clothing, with reasonable prices. Not Goodwill prices, to be sure, but definitely prices comparable to JC Penney's or Target. Best of all, with her clothes, I won't have to worry about dressing inappropriately for my age. If you go over to Like a Warm Cup of Cofee to this post, Sarah Mae is offering a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Christa Taylor. The contest ends Friday, January 16th, at midnight, so head over now!

2 comments:

  1. This is a topic that I think a lot about, because I have young daughters. I'm so upset by some of the clothing marketed to little girls!

    I tend to dress very modestly - certainly nothing revealing, ever. I do like my jeans though, and I can't imagine going "dresses only."

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  2. Heather: I don't think I could ever go dresses only, either! I love dresses, but I'd have to shave my legs way too often ;)

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