Hello, I have a question for the ladies/families here. Have any of you had a personal reform in dress after a conversion, reversion, or at any point in your spiritual life?
I reverted to the faith about 4 years ago, and I’ve recently decided I want to start dressing differently. I grew up in shorts and tanks and the like, and I’ve no problem with them, or pants, sleeveless shirts, etc, but ever since I was a little girl I felt that I was a lady and I wanted to dress like one, and that God wanted me to reflect the feminine ideals I held as a part of my Catholic faith. No issue, right? many women today are doing the “dresses only” thing, going for more traditional attire.
Well, I’ve always been drawn especially to old-fashioned gowns. Regency to Victorian to Edwardian, and especially to ruffled prairie dresses. In late high school, I started wearing long peasant skirts and jumpers and button up blouses and denim dresses, all of a fairly modern sense, though. But now, being away from a judgemental family, I’m feeling drawn again to show my personal sensibilities of modesty and feminine dress with the long, collared dresses I’ve always thought were so pretty. WE have a large German menonite population here, and their pretty dresses always make me more aware of my own style of dress, and my desire to follow my sense of personal dignity. I feel so joyul, feminine, and find my prayers, my religious studies and my Church attendance are much more orderly and focused when I feel like I’m dressed to reflect my beliefs.
I still feel somewhat self conscious, though. The clothes I want to wear are NOT fashionable at all; think FLDS in the nineties; wide ruffled collars, pintucks, patterns with roses and trellis flowers. I don’t want to dress in a way that suggests I’m a Menonite, or Amish, or fundamentalist mormon, bt I do find the style of clothing they wear reflects what i want to show in my Catholic devotion.
Anyway, in conclusion, what are your thoughts on Catholics following an ultra-conservative style of dress? I’ve seen sites on the PLain Catholics, but I don’t mean that simple, as I enjoy lace, patterned clothes and varied necklines. Do you think a Catholic can dress this way without being seen as a wrong religion? Do you know anyone who’s made a change to something like this?
I posted this thread to share my view, bring up the concerns I DID have (which are not the concerns brought up by posters here, which I find a non issue) and to see if anyone else shared my view.
But I wish you much fun, happiness, and may God’s blessings rest on you, while you adopt this new way of dressing that brings out the best of your own sense of modesty, fashion (in a timeless sense), individuality, and honors your dignity as a woman and a daughter of the Most High, a precious daughter of our God the Heavenly Father!