I know very little about the Church of Latter Day Saints. I have, however, developed quite the appreciation (via bloggers like cjane, nienie, gabrielle, and the adorable Elaine) for modest, fashionable clothing. C prefers to dress modestly (and her school requires modest dress - no short shorts or micro-mini skirts and no sleeveless/tank/spaghetti strap shirts). Don't get me wrong, she loves her fashion but she doesn't like to "give it away for free" (stop for a moment and think about how it feels to a mama to hear your 11-year-old daughter say "give it away for free" *gulp*). So, I sought out sources for less-revealing but still cute and stylish clothes and found the LDS ladies are my friend in the fight.
In the process, I realized I want to dress more modestly, too. I've always had a love for the short skirt (especially when I've been keeping up with my running and my legs stop jiggling and start flexing when I walk. I'm not back to that point yet but I'm working on it.) but I do fear looking trashy or like I'm trying too hard to look younger when I wear them.
So, part of the goal of the "uniform" I'm trying to build for myself will be to dress modestly and still put-together. All that role model talk is really starting to hit home with one soon-to-be teen and one "wise" beyond her years first grader.
Hi fivin' you on that one and it doesn't seem as easy as it should be. There's too many people wanting to bare it all and though I'm not one to shun others (stop giggling) I just don't get it! But I am loving T9 more and more these days - they do the "just in case you don't want to show too much" lines - gotta love that. Also, check out patagonia (I'm sure you have) it's pricey but they have some nice stuff. Friends up north are big fans of lululemon - stylish but a little out of my budget just yet (oh, there's a big surprise!!).
ReplyDeleteI so hear you. When my 17 year old was younger she was a modest dresser, and it very much helped that she wore a uniform till grade 8. When she entered HS grade nine was ok but by the summer of grade 10. Wow momma, watch out. She had lost some weight and started to get more attention. Be very careful at this time if your daughter goes through this as then a eating disorder started that she struggles with to this day. But I digress, we now are in a constant battle over pull up the tip we don't want to see those puppies, and pull up the pants we don't want to see your butt. I would like to know how did plumbers but become a fashion thing that all the girls seem to want.
ReplyDeleteThe 9 year old has always had a fashion eye and thankfully she is in a uniform for school but I tell you when it is a dress down day it is tough here trying to keep her fully dressed! It doesn't help that shopping for a modest dress is close to impossible as the girls want to wear the brands like there friends. We had a fashion show for young girls ages 4 to 11 at our church last year and for the organizers it was a challenge finding outfits that covered the body and were age appropriate. You would think with enough parents complaining about the style of clothes retailers would hear us, but I guess there are more parents who are ok with skin, skin and more skin showing. To this day I hear from some family members because I would not let either of my girls wear bikinis when they were young. I am only conceding to a tankini for the 9 year old because it is easier to use the bathroom. I could go on and on with this, might try to write something on my blog about it!
Thank for the suggestions for sources, T! I also really like Downeast Basics. They're super affordable and pretty cute.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'm at the tip of the body-baring iceberg. It is honestly SO hard to find appropriate clothing that doesn't look baby-ish for my 11-year-old who still wears girls size 8's. I can't even imagine what it will be lie when she hits juniors sizes!
Oy!
Regarding Patagonia, you can often find great deals on their 'Web Specials' page: http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/shop/web-specials?slc=en_US&sct=US&k=ga
ReplyDeleteThe size ranges and selection sometimes aren't the best but I'll often find stuff there for half the regular price.
Thank you, my fashion sensei ;-)
ReplyDeleteSleeping in FC tonight?
Hey Craig thanks for the heads-up on the P website... (made myself chuckle there). I'll be sure to check that out too!
ReplyDelete