Considering switching to skirts...few questions!

[surfinpure]

I, also, have had my thinking turned “right-side-up” by Colleen Hammond’s book. Since reading it I have switched primarily to skirts and dresses, and when I do wear jeans (because everything else is dirty) they’re loose fitting.

I think a good standard for length is a hem-line that falls below the knees even when one is sitting. Unfortunately I’m unable to recommend a store to you that sells good skirts for tall women, since I am only 5’3’’ and had a very hard time finding modest skirts myself! I have learned that certain seasons seem to be much better for skirt shopping, such as spring. I’ve also had quite a bit of luck finding nice, modest skirts at our local Goodwill.

I applaud you for doing the difficult thing and going against our culture of death. I am always saddened by the Catholics who hold so tightly to their wordly attachments, when changing for the sake of Christ ought to be such a welcome and joyous act. We must remember to pray for them each time we are tempted to judge them harshly. After all, there was once a time when I could not have been persuaded by God or man to give up my Levi’s.

 

[surfinpure]

I hate to tell most guys this but modest dress-pants or skirts-has little to do with attracting or not attracting guys and more to do with honoring God and the woman’s own self worth.

A very good point, deb. I would add that a woman being modest, feminine, and graceful cannot fail to be attractive. That’s the very nature of femininity.

 

[lizaanne]

… that dress you think is modest is far sexier to us than a hillary clinton pantsuit anyday.

You know, I never would have thought this, but I guess I’m inclined to believe you. I volunteer at Saint Michael’s Media, where my DH works, on nights when we are taping shows. We all wear black or black with a bit of white so we look like a cohesive group, as well as those who have to be behind the camera and stuff so they don’t stick out. Well a few weeks ago I put on a very modest skirt suit, black, with a long tailored straight skirt to the ankles, with a modest walking slit in the back, and a matching jacket that zipped up. My blouse was white with ruffled cuffs, ruffles on the front of the blouse, and a high collar of small ruffles. I thought I looked like a school teacher actually. Oh - and high heel black dress shoes. Well - my husband must have told me a dozen times that night how hot I looked. You could have blown me over with a feather - I never would have guessed, I actually felt a little dowdy with the ruffled blouse.

So - you never can tell. I give up trying to second guess men when it comes to such things.

~Liza

 

[deb1]

Grace is not a good standard… she was simply beautiful, in a strata unto herself. ( but still, just under my wife’s attractiveness (honey if you read this ). you could have put her in a sack and it’d be sexy

http://www.poster.net/kelly-grace/kelly-grace-photo-grace-kelly-6206436.jpg

http://www.monroegallery.com/showcase/images/Hepburn_Kelly.jpg

you know, there are some that will respond that the dress shes wearing is immodest. please tell me about it. i enjoy the laughs i get from reading crazy responses.

Women can believe what they want, but for the most part, as a rule of thumb… that dress you think is modest is far sexier to us than a hillary clinton pantsuit anyday.

thats all i’m saying…do it for the right reasons… because you WANT to wear a skirt. nothing more or less.

If Grace Kelly was going to a formal party then her dress seems fine to me. If she was going to pick up her son at school, it might be a tad to much.

 

[SeekerJen]

If Grace Kelly was going to a formal party then her dress seems fine to me. If she was going to pick up her son at school, it might be a tad to much.

Well, she was a princess. Is it even possible for princesses to overdress?

 

[thechrismyster]

So - you never can tell. I give up trying to second guess men when it comes to such things.

~Liza

however simple you think we are, ladies, take 90% of the complexity you imagine our manly minds containing, and just ditch it. take the remaining complexity you imagine, reduce it by a factor of 4 and then… only then… then you get a slight idea of how simple we men really are. i think thats always the disconnect between men and women. they overestimate us.



ok, i won’t disrupt this thread anymore. by skirting the issue the OP wanted to discuss…

 

[deb1]

ok, i won’t disrupt this thread anymore. by skirting the issue the OP wanted to discuss…

:doh2: These two smilies say it all. Bad pun. LOL

 

[deb1]

All I can say is 6’3"!!! Wow I never quite made it to 5’

Sorry I can’t help much as I always have to chop off six inches from my pants. But generally speaking I find knee length is okay, and prefer just below the knee length in my skirts. I understand about showing too much leg but I think if you go for ankle length ones it would only accentuate your height more. I would avoid “trendy” stores that you would probably normally shop at, because the skirts barely cover you there. Not sure if you have these in the US, but here I would look at Fairweather, Reitman’s, stores for a slightly older crowd that would have more professional clothing. Maybe start with black/blue/beige skirts that you can mix and match with your current shirts.

I saw a woman at church the other day who was quite tall. Maybe not 6’ 3" but very, very tall. She was walking on a cane-not elderly though-and wearing a long full black dress-mid calf- with a string of pearls. She was also wearing black heels.

I had to look twice not because she looked funny but because she looked so majestic! Really, this woman looked queenly.

She stood out but in a good way.

 

[peregrinator_it]

To the OP: I am not a fan of skirts in general. I find them impractical and expensive, so I don’t own many. Consequently the few that I do own I really like.

When you’re shopping around, you might try the Gap. One of my sisters bought my favorite skirt for me there. It’s an A-line in lightweight fawn wool that I can wear from fall through winter and into early spring. My only complaint about it (that it’s a bit long on me- nearly ankle-length- I’m another shorty) means it would probably fit someone of your height well. I don’t know if they make/sell skirts like this any longer, but this skirt is worth checking for .

Re modesty: I think it’s ultimately a purity of heart/mind/intention issue. Witness that standards of modesty have changed drastically over the years. There were times when standards of behavior (especially sexual behavior) in society as whole were much higher than those of today (e.g. Regency England) but the fashions (for women and men!) were not modest by today’s standards! (Cleavage and tight breeches:bigyikes

Clothes are just clothes and not that important in the grand scheme of things. If I am called up in front of the Almighty for sinning against modesty, I don’t expect to hear of litany of the offending articles I wore, but rather the accusation that I used my body and clothing with the intention of causing my brothers to sin. Personally, I think Colleen Hammond and that Fascinating Womanhood lady hail from planets other than Earth.

 

[monicatholic]

boho skirts are cute, fun and modest because they’re long, flowy and not curve-clinging.

also, get a seamstress to convert some of your jeans to skirts for everyday-- recycle!!

i second the low-heeled boot suggestion, too.

 

[mercygate]

boho skirts are cute, fun and modest because they’re long, flowy and not curve-clinging.

also, get a seamstress to convert some of your jeans to skirts for everyday-- recycle!!

i second the low-heeled boot suggestion, too.

What’s a “boho” skirt?

Not worth the price to convert jeans to skirts, and they always look so STUPID.

Here’s a good look for Sunday:

appleseeds.com/images/us///local/7Q1/branding/PRIME_P_SKIRT_7Q_main.jpg

Here’s a good easy-going everyday skirt:
image.appleseeds.com/appleseeds/images/us/local/products/detail/A03398_dt.jpg

 

[AmberDale]

I’ve also been thinking about this for awhile. I haven’t read Colleen’s book, though I want to. It’s hard for me to find skirts, especially ones I like.
I’ve 5’10" and plus size. The plus size is the issue. sigh CJ Banks has skirts, but those are the kinds of skirts i wear to church. I want jean or khaki skirts for everyday. KWIM?

My SIL is a nurse in a PICU and she wears skirts even to work (she made her scrub skirts). She wears them mid-calf to ankle. Some are straight, some are flowy. She just looks so refined and nice everyday, unlike slobbish me lol.
What she wears depends on what she is doing. She’s going hiking, biking, and done pretty much any activity in her skirts. Her girls also wear skirts and do more activites than most girls I see nowadays. They do where short type things under them in the summer for climbing and stuff.

It all just depends on you. If you feel God is pushing your heart in that direction it’s for you to do. Not for us to tell you

 

[deb1]

Where is a good place to get low heeled boots? I am looking for some at a reasonable price.

 

[surfinpure]

I’ve also been thinking about this for awhile. I haven’t read Colleen’s book, though I want to. It’s hard for me to find skirts, especially ones I like.
I’ve 5’10" and plus size. The plus size is the issue. sigh CJ Banks has skirts, but those are the kinds of skirts i wear to church. I want jean or khaki skirts for everyday. KWIM?

My SIL is a nurse in a PICU and she wears skirts even to work (she made her scrub skirts). She wears them mid-calf to ankle. Some are straight, some are flowy. She just looks so refined and nice everyday, unlike slobbish me lol.
What she wears depends on what she is doing. She’s going hiking, biking, and done pretty much any activity in her skirts. Her girls also wear skirts and do more activites than most girls I see nowadays. They do where short type things under them in the summer for climbing and stuff.

It all just depends on you. If you feel God is pushing your heart in that direction it’s for you to do. Not for us to tell you

Do you have a Lane Bryant in your area? I’ve known them to sell tasteful plus-size clothing. What their skirt selection is, I couldn’t tell you.

I do think that full-figured women look much more dignified in skirts and dresses, and when I see current fashions cut to plus sizes I just shake my head at how poorly they complement the women who wear them. Certain clothing just does a woman justice, while other things take from her dignity. I suppose that’s what Mrs. Hammond’s book all boils down to.

 

[deb1]

When we lived in Iowa, I primarily wore dresses. When I switched back to jeans, I was shocked how much warmer my dresses were. This was because you can layer more warmth under a dress or skirt then you can a pair of jeans!

Also, I discovered that skirts that are long enough-about mid calf-are excellent for doing just about everything that one does in pants. You can sit on the floor Indian style and not worry about exposing yourself, You also have the same range of movement in your legs that you do in jeans.

I found my everyday dresses to be very comfortable.

I am back in jeans mainly because I don’t know any other women who want to wear just dresses so I felt like an odd duck.

 

[AmberDale]

Do you have a Lane Bryant in your area? I’ve known them to sell tasteful plus-size clothing. What their skirt selection is, I couldn’t tell you.

I do think that full-figured women look much more dignified in skirts and dresses, and when I see current fashions cut to plus sizes I just shake my head at how poorly they complement the women who wear them. Certain clothing just does a woman justice, while other things take from her dignity. I suppose that’s what Mrs. Hammond’s book all boils down to.

We used to have a Lane Bryants, but their skirt selection wasn’t much for my taste. My taste is opening up now, but then again I am now 26 and not 18 when we last had a Lane Bryant’s here. sigh
I’m loosing weight, but it’s a uphill battle due to my kidney issues and medications.

My problem with jeans is they are either to tight, loose, or long. If I buy average it’s an okay length but most the times they are just tight. sigh

I may ask my SIL to make me some, she makes all hers (she’s 5’11" but definately NOT plus size lol) she just likes using fun fabrics.

 

[mercygate]

We used to have a Lane Bryants, but their skirt selection wasn’t much for my taste. My taste is opening up now, but then again I am now 26 and not 18 when we last had a Lane Bryant’s here. sigh
I’m loosing weight, but it’s a uphill battle due to my kidney issues and medications.

My problem with jeans is they are either to tight, loose, or long. If I buy average it’s an okay length but most the times they are just tight. sigh

I may ask my SIL to make me some, she makes all hers (she’s 5’11" but definately NOT plus size lol) she just likes using fun fabrics.

Length is never a problem, either for skirts or for slacks. You hem them. If you don’t know how to do this, it is easy to learn. You don’t need a sewing machine.

If you don’t want to learn, you can take them to the local dry cleaner and they usually do alterations and repairs. Now, where my country house is, the nearest dry cleaner is 20 miles away – but that’s another issue.

 

[surfinpure]

We used to have a Lane Bryants, but their skirt selection wasn’t much for my taste. My taste is opening up now, but then again I am now 26 and not 18 when we last had a Lane Bryant’s here. sigh
I’m loosing weight, but it’s a uphill battle due to my kidney issues and medications.

My problem with jeans is they are either to tight, loose, or long. If I buy average it’s an okay length but most the times they are just tight. sigh

I may ask my SIL to make me some, she makes all hers (she’s 5’11" but definately NOT plus size lol) she just likes using fun fabrics.

I’m also 26 now, and I honestly don’t know what I would have done if this revelation had hit me at 18! LOL

I think it would be loads of fun to pick out fabrics and make some or get somebody to make some skirts. Among the other pleasant surprises I’ve found (such as the functionality of long skirts, as deb1 mentioned) is that skirts allow for much more “artistic” expression, if you will. It’s not like wearing the same old blue jeans every day!

 

[PatienceAndLove]

We used to have a Lane Bryants, but their skirt selection wasn’t much for my taste. My taste is opening up now, but then again I am now 26 and not 18 when we last had a Lane Bryant’s here. sigh
I’m loosing weight, but it’s a uphill battle due to my kidney issues and medications.

My problem with jeans is they are either to tight, loose, or long. If I buy average it’s an okay length but most the times they are just tight. sigh

I may ask my SIL to make me some, she makes all hers (she’s 5’11" but definately NOT plus size lol) she just likes using fun fabrics.

I am plus size as well. And I had to go to having my skirts made. I actually enjoy it more because then I get the exact thing I want, rather than settling. Also- a wrap dress is lovely on us plus size ladies, because you tie the dress under the bust and then it skims over the tummy. Slimming as anything! BTW- I had to have my wrap dress made as well.

 

[jazzbaby1]

I recently made the switch to skirts and dresses full time and for me it’s been very liberating. I’ve had three C-sections and there is no way I’ll ever get rid of the belly flap I have. Pants don’t look right on me anymore but a skirt skims right over it. I still wear jeans for raking leaves and such, but I love wearing skirts. I got most of mine at thrift stores. Good luck on your search!