| Author | |
Vanna
Forum Pro
Joined: May 09 2008
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 331
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 11:04am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
clothing.
I've been thinking about this issue for quite a while. I would like your opinion on it. My friend (the Quiverful friend, I've written about before) has started wearing long skirts, instead of pants. She says she feels this is more modest and what she feels God wants of her. She even quoted me a bible verse that talks about it.
Then a couple of days ago, I was at the Bookmobile with my kids when I struck up a conversation with a mom (I heard her mention that she was a homeschooler) that was there with her 3 daughters and 2 sons. The mom and the daughters were all wearing long skirts (ankle length). I didn't think it was appropriate to ask her about it but I am really curious as to what you all think about it.
Thanks.
__________________
Wife to K  Mommy to B (ds18) and G (ds8)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lisbet
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2006
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2706
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 11:21am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Dear Vanna, There has been a great deal of discussion of this topic in the past. Here are a few links for your browsing pleasure! 
Skirts Only Arguement
Skirts and Virtue
For Those in Skirts Exclusivly
Some of these a quite long! Hope you find what you are searching for!
__________________
Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Vanna
Forum Pro
Joined: May 09 2008
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 331
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 11:21am | IP Logged
|
|
|
LOl Thanks! I always forget about the search option. 
__________________
Wife to K Mommy to B (ds18) and G (ds8)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
juststartn
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 17 2007
Location: Oklahoma
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1321
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 11:28am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, we are skirt/dress wearers here, for the most part (the girls have a pair or two of pants, for helping DH with the tractor, roaming in the fields/woods, etc). I changed to this particular "style" of dressing a few years ago, partly because I feel more "feminine", but also a bit more modest (plus, I think that for 99.9% of the women out there, pants are extremely unflattering to the figure, and I've got enough "issues" without those added on top!).
I will say that it is a personal decision that I have come to (and as the one who purchases the clothing for the dc, I dress the dds that way, too). I'm not an "ankle lengther only" type--but it does have to be below the knee. I don't like anything shorter. Preferably mid-calf.
Now, for those who say "I can't do anything in a skirt"--I have 60+ birds (chickens, geese, and ducks), an active dog, 5 small children, 2 acres of yard(there's 8more in pasture, but I don't have much to do out there, lol), a big house, and an enormous (only moderately successful) garden (at 4000 sq ft, its bigger than the house, lol). I can do all of that in a skirt. The only time I have worn shorts/pants in the last few years, was when I was having to climb on the roof in 40mph winds to repair shingles (we don't live on a main road, with VERY little traffic) before a predicted wind/rain storm..seriously. That's it.
There are very few things that would require me to do something NOT dressed in a skirt, so I've got one pair of shorts and pants each. Just in case.
Rachel
__________________
Married DH 4/1/95
Lily 3/11/00
Helena(Layna) 5/23/02
Sophia 4/19/04
John 5/7/07
David 5/7/07
Ava Maria, in the arms of Jesus, 9/5/08
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mackfam
Board Moderator
Non Nobis
Joined: April 24 2006
Location: Alabama
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 14656
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 11:44am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Vanna -
This can be a polarizing issue. I believe that modesty is an interior attitude, and is reflected more accurately in a person's spirit, less in their choice of clothing.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church#2521 and 2522:
Quote:
Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.
Modesty is decency. It inspires ones choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet. |
|
|
Though inseparable, there are two different forces at work in your question - modesty and femininity. I try to seek an attitude of feminine modesty.
We enjoy and prefer wearing skirts and dresses here. They're swingy and breezy, cool in the summer and warm with some cotton tights in the winter. I enjoy the feeling of femininity. I wear capris sometimes, and if we're out hiking, you'll find me in a pair of jeans. I pray for that interior spirit of modesty and use as my guide that directive from the catechism that requires me to refuse "to unveil what should be hidden". I have many female friends who prefer to wear capris or pants - they are no less modest and deserve no judgments or condemnation for their choice in clothing though sadly they sometimes receive it.
I think Helen does this subject a great service when she writes about it - so I'm linking you to her posts on dressing with Our Lady.
__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Vanna
Forum Pro
Joined: May 09 2008
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 331
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 12:13pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Very very interesting.
I was reading all of the old postings on this. I really like the idea of dressing more feminine (my dh would appreciate it...I have gotten so lazy about my attire that I wear HIS clothes around  ).
I do not like skirts that are knee or calf length on me. I would want ankle length or really close to ankle length. I would probably have to make them since I'm (5'9). Does anyone know where there are good skirt patterns? I especially liked the Cotton Wrap skirt that Lisbet had written about in a previous post.wrap skirt I wonder if I could find a pattern for that.
Thanks everyone. 
__________________
Wife to K Mommy to B (ds18) and G (ds8)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
crusermom
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 09 2007
Location: New Jersey
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 878
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 1:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Indygo Junction makes a nice wrap skirt pattern that is pretty simple. It is nice to find clothes that are feminine and modest - but not frumpy. I wish I had more time to sew - but - we know how that is. I will have to read back over some of those posts as we have some families at our parish that think it is pretty much sinful to wear pants. I don't agree with that but I do admire how those families look at Mass with all their daughters.
Mary
__________________
Mary
Army wife and Crusermom to 8 wonderful children!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MarilynW
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 28 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4275
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 1:57pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Mackfam wrote:
Vanna -
I believe that modesty is an interior attitude, and is reflected more accurately in a person's spirit, less in their choice of clothing.
|
|
|
Beautifully put Jen.
__________________
Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Nina
Forum Pro
Joined: Nov 13 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 154
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 5:30pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Vanna, have you read Coleen Hammond's book,Dressing with Dignity? I also mainly wear dresses/skirts.I try to look elegant,NOT frumpy.I also believe that women mostly look slimmer in a modest skirt vs. pants  I only wear pants when I excercise.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Bookswithtea
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 07 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2621
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 6:11pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Vanna, something else to know. When you meet those non Catholic women who are ankle length skirt wearers(this is not true of ALL of them) but *some* of them do so with a very strong conviction that borders on "women who wear anything but skirts/dresses are in sin." It might be better to read Colleen Hammond's book (not the best, but not too bad, either, imho) than to ask them. If they are part of the "its sin" crowd, they are likely to have strong anti Catholic feelings as well.
This is from personal experience, as a convert to Catholicism who used to wear only long dresses she made herself along with head coverings...
As for wrap skirts, there is a looonnnnggg thread on the forum on the Tznius skirt (you can run a search and it should come up). The best ones come from modest world, not the Tznius site, imho, and they do run sales.
hope this helps.
__________________
Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 7:33pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
If you're used to wearing pants a lot it may also take some time for you to feel comfortable in skirts.. I like wearing skirts, always have, and hit a point at one time, because I wear different shirts with skirts than with pants, and I couldn't really afford to get both.. I ended up with two skirts and it took a while of getting used to the new "silouette".. since I tend to the slimer cut pants with tunic length tops and tunic length tops don't work that well with the A-line skirts I prefer. It was very different and looking in a mirror I'd feel fatter.. which didn't really make sense.. but what it was was being used to seeing my legs slimmer.. and the skirts didn't show that. Now I wear whichever.
You might also need some various types of skirts. Like heavier weight fabrics and narrower cut skirts can do well in windy conditions.. no Marilyn Monroe photo ops And of course you probably don't want to work in a garden in a light colored dry clean only skirt
Oh I had to laugh at myself today.. I'd read this thread this morning.. when I was wearing my light khaki capri pants with a navy blue top.. cute and comfy for spending the morning at the pool waiting on this or that child to swim (team practise or lessons) and then I got home and wanted to work in my garden but didn't want to get the light colored pants muddy.. so I changed.. into my denim skirt totally the opposite of what many people would think about skirts.. you know.. skirts are nice when you're doing "nothing" but when you need to work you put on pants.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
albeto
Forum Pro
Joined: March 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 105
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 7:51pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you for providing these! For a newbie to find so much info in one (or three or four) places saves a lot of time.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
juststartn
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 17 2007
Location: Oklahoma
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1321
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 9:30pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Bookswithtea wrote:
Vanna, something else to know. When you meet those non Catholic women who are ankle length skirt wearers(this is not true of ALL of them) but *some* of them do so with a very strong conviction that borders on "women who wear anything but skirts/dresses are in sin." It might be better to read Colleen Hammond's book (not the best, but not too bad, either, imho) than to ask them. If they are part of the "its sin" crowd, they are likely to have strong anti Catholic feelings as well.
This is from personal experience, as a convert to Catholicism who used to wear only long dresses she made herself along with head coverings...
As for wrap skirts, there is a looonnnnggg thread on the forum on the Tznius skirt (you can run a search and it should come up). The best ones come from modest world, not the Tznius site, imho, and they do run sales.
hope this helps. |
|
|
Amen to what was said above. A couple of weeks back, our town had the Peach Festival. THere was a HORDE of long haired, long skirted ladies there...DH mentioned them, and suggested I go over and speak to them...the problem being, of course, that since only 2% of this state is Catholic, and there are LOTS of fundamentalist "Catholics are the Whore of Babylon/idol worshippers" types, well, I declined the opportunity. One vs 25? Not really even odds. Maybe I need a few of you dress/skirt wearing ladies to come next year, so I won't feel so...well...outnumbered?
LOL
Rachel
__________________
Married DH 4/1/95
Lily 3/11/00
Helena(Layna) 5/23/02
Sophia 4/19/04
John 5/7/07
David 5/7/07
Ava Maria, in the arms of Jesus, 9/5/08
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lisbet
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2006
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2706
|
| Posted: July 29 2008 at 5:47am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Mind if I spin off a little here with this discussion? For those of you that wear skirts almost, or nearly almost all of the time, what do you do when you get into a funk? When you are convicted of the merit of wearing skirts, (for yourself of course.) but you really just wanna put on some cute comfy capris, yoga pants, or like me, I am longing looking at Motherhoods 'secret belly' fit pants (they have zero skirts with this belly panel that are suitable. I have a good friend that goes on about how comfortable this style of belly panel is!) I almost bought a pair of jeans the other day. I have another friend that is going through the same thing right now.
My personality is an 'all or nothing' type. I have wore pants in public MAYBE 3 times over the past 3 years. But as of late, it's really a struggle for me to choose the skirt each morning.
__________________
Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MarieC
Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 19 2005
Location: Ohio
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1011
|
| Posted: July 29 2008 at 7:47am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Vanna wrote:
Does anyone know where there are good skirt patterns? I especially liked the Cotton Wrap skirt that Lisbet had written about in a previous post.wrap skirt I wonder if I could find a pattern for that.
Thanks everyone. |
|
|
I haven't made this skirt but I've had it bookmarked for quite a while to try.
__________________
Marie
mom to 6
dds-98, 00, 02 and 09 & dss-03 and 06
Out in the Orchard
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
LLMom
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 19 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 995
|
| Posted: July 29 2008 at 8:40am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Lisbet wrote:
Mind if I spin off a little here with this discussion? For those of you that wear skirts almost, or nearly almost all of the time, what do you do when you get into a funk? When you are convicted of the merit of wearing skirts, (for yourself of course.) but you really just wanna put on some cute comfy capris, yoga pants, or like me, I am longing looking at Motherhoods 'secret belly' fit pants (they have zero skirts with this belly panel that are suitable. I have a good friend that goes on about how comfortable this style of belly panel is!) I almost bought a pair of jeans the other day. I have another friend that is going through the same thing right now.
My personality is an 'all or nothing' type. I have wore pants in public MAYBE 3 times over the past 3 years. But as of late, it's really a struggle for me to choose the skirt each morning. |
|
|
Lisa, I am the same way. (maybe it's the name. ) I get in funks and want to wear jeans. But for me, I don't let myself because I am very vain. (I try to ignore it and offer it up) I was a competitive gymnast for 10 years and body image was such a big thing with it. I loved flaunting my body. There is nothing to flaunt now , but I still have to watch my vanity. I am doing it as reparation for my past sins of vanity and other bad sins against immodest/chastity.
__________________
Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sarahb
Forum Pro
Joined: April 27 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 182
|
| Posted: July 29 2008 at 8:55am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Lisbet wrote:
Mind if I spin off a little here with this discussion? For those of you that wear skirts almost, or nearly almost all of the time, what do you do when you get into a funk? When you are convicted of the merit of wearing skirts, (for yourself of course.) but you really just wanna put on some cute comfy capris, yoga pants, or like me, I am longing looking at Motherhoods 'secret belly' fit pants (they have zero skirts with this belly panel that are suitable. I have a good friend that goes on about how comfortable this style of belly panel is!) I almost bought a pair of jeans the other day. I have another friend that is going through the same thing right now.
My personality is an 'all or nothing' type. I have wore pants in public MAYBE 3 times over the past 3 years. But as of late, it's really a struggle for me to choose the skirt each morning. |
|
|
I do wear pants myself, but I have to say if ever there isa time to consider comforta as well as modesty and conviction, pregnancy is IT.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
DominaCaeli
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 24 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3711
|
| Posted: July 29 2008 at 10:32am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Lisbet wrote:
| Mind if I spin off a little here with this discussion? For those of you that wear skirts almost, or nearly almost all of the time, what do you do when you get into a funk? When you are convicted of the merit of wearing skirts, (for yourself of course.) but you really just wanna put on some cute comfy capris, yoga pants, or like me, I am longing looking at Motherhoods 'secret belly' fit pants (they have zero skirts with this belly panel that are suitable. I have a good friend that goes on about how comfortable this style of belly panel is!) I almost bought a pair of jeans the other day. I have another friend that is going through the same thing right now. |
|
|
My husband is the one that keeps me from giving into the temptation of pants when it comes around--I know he definitely prefers me in skirts and thinks they are more modest, and I know he would be disappointed if I pulled out a pair of pants. That has always been enough impetus for me.
I do often wear pajama pants around the house, though, especially now that I am pregnant. So I guess I "get my fill" that way. By the time I'm getting dressed to leave the house, I'm happy to put on a skirt and feel more pulled together.
__________________
Blessings,
Celeste
Joyous Lessons
Mommy to six: three boys (8, 4, newborn) and four girls (7, 5, 2, and 1)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
juststartn
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 17 2007
Location: Oklahoma
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1321
|
| Posted: July 29 2008 at 10:43am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hm. I bought some modest skirts when I was pregnant with the boys--thanks be to God, reasonably priced, and I was able to get them made the length (and with the extreme girth I needed, even at 34 wks--I measured 42 when I delivered at 34...ugh...lol) I wanted...
I'll see if I can find the link, Lisa
Rachel
__________________
Married DH 4/1/95
Lily 3/11/00
Helena(Layna) 5/23/02
Sophia 4/19/04
John 5/7/07
David 5/7/07
Ava Maria, in the arms of Jesus, 9/5/08
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Vanna
Forum Pro
Joined: May 09 2008
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 331
|
| Posted: July 29 2008 at 11:06am | IP Logged
|
|
|
One of the most amazing aspects of this board has been that I learn about new subjects and then discuss them with my husband.
I brought up wearing only skirts with him last night. I really thought he would say, "Oh that's silly" but he said, "Are you thinking about doing that? I would love that."
LOL The man never ceases to surprise me. Very very interesting.
__________________
Wife to K Mommy to B (ds18) and G (ds8)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
Forum Locked) 
4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: A question about modest...
