Lack of modest, fashionable clothes

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KingAlfred said:
I suggest plain clothing – ordinary attire, of the appropriate size (instead of skin-tight items), that doesn’t reveal much. Why not? Why operate in the world dressed to entice and distract people? What’s the message – “I’m good-looking. Look at me.”??? Daily life shouldn’t be a meat-market. No offense.
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Plain clothing is actually attractive. When I see a combination of leather, plastic and bare skin, I just think, “eh, another one,” and skip. When I see a tasteful skirt and blouse, or trousers that aren’t one size too small, by contrast, I’m inclined to try and start a conversation.
 
As to how to get rid of clothes that aren’t all that modest, try talking to someplace like Salvation Army (& I know there is a Catholic place that does about the same). They not only sell used clothes, but they recycle the fabrics taht come in, in unsaleable clothing.
My church has rummage sales, a thrift shop, & we donate to a local charity that distributes to folks in need. But–all of the above also donate bags of things to charity groups that sell the fiber to manufacturers who re-use the material…I am betting that a few phone calls should find you someone who would be glad to use up cloth this way. They get paid for it by the pound.
I have no idea what the fibers are used for…I do know that my living room carpet is one that my grandmother had made at half price, by sending in old clothing to the company. They took everything. (I have always wondered if my rug has anything 🙂 familiar in it, or if they used what they had on hand…).

As far as finding modest clothing, one good idea is to find stores that cater to Mormons. (Not FLDS; regular Mormons). We have a store in a nearby city called “Great Lengths” that sells lovely fashionable things but the skirts are longer, they have shorts that have a 12" to 14" inseam (instead of 4" or 6"), and cap sleeves instead of sleeveless. Stylewise, they are lovely. Just they have :D"great lengths".
 
I agree that clothes are getting skimpier and skimpier nowadays. I admit I’ve worn some outfits that could be considered a little racy, mostly because the attention I got from it made me feel beautiful. It kind of boosted my self esteem. But now I dress fashionably and conservatively and get just as much attention (but positive). I shop mostly at…Target actually. I just got the cutest dress from there. I’ll post a pic up of it sometime if I can get the pic on my computer. Another suggestion is to put leggings under shorter skirts and dresses. This is what I did for my Homecoming Dance. Without the leggings my dress would have been way too short and inappropriate.
 
I actually feel less modest in my skirts. Yes, even long skirts. I end up having to wear leggings underneath, and then knee socks, and I feel bulky. Plus they are awkward for me. Partly because I am a SAHM, and am often getting down on the floor with my kids, and I am just helpless at being graceful in a skirt. :o I do much better in jeans, and I make sure they are not form fitting :eek: or low rise. I have found Ruby Road jeans are good for this, and my dear husband is getting me a pair of Not Your Daughter’s Jeans for Epiphany. 😃

It’s long shirts with decent necklines that are hard to find for me. I am high-waisted, and I like long sleeves, and I need to just get out there and shop for some modest long-sleeved tees that go down long enough so that my jeans and shirt don’t part company, if you get my drift. :o
 
samcarter14 said:
I actually feel less modest in my skirts. Yes, even long skirts. I end up having to wear leggings underneath, and then knee socks, and I feel bulky. Plus they are awkward for me. Partly because I am a SAHM, and am often getting down on the floor with my kids, and I am just helpless at being graceful in a skirt. :o I do much better in jeans, and I make sure they are not form fitting :eek: or low rise. I have found Ruby Road jeans are good for this, and my dear husband is getting me a pair of Not Your Daughter’s Jeans for Epiphany. 😃

It’s long shirts with decent necklines that are hard to find for me. I am high-waisted, and I like long sleeves, and I need to just get out there and shop for some modest long-sleeved tees that go down long enough so that my jeans and shirt don’t part company, if you get my drift. :o
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modestclothes.com/LDS/lds-clothing.html

Which I see includes the online version of Great Lengths, as well as Molly’s Clothing
The Mormons do modest necks, and extra long tops as well as anyone…Although this page: modestclothes.com/trendy/chic-modest-teen-clothing.html includes other sites as well.

I actually can remember when everybody could buy these kinds of things without having to hunt for them…I must be getting really, **really:blush: ** old…
 
There have always been poor clothing choices down through history. You just gotta bear with it and be a good example.

I know Target has some good clothes 🙂
 
+J.M.J.+
Modbe has great tops that are longer than the average top, so as to cover in your front and in your back areas.
 
Zooey said:
As far as finding modest clothing, one good idea is to find stores that cater to Mormons. (Not FLDS; regular Mormons). We have a store in a nearby city called “Great Lengths” that sells lovely fashionable things but the skirts are longer, they have shorts that have a 12" to 14" inseam (instead of 4" or 6"), and cap sleeves instead of sleeveless. Stylewise, they are lovely. Just they have :D"great lengths".
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Great Lengths- I like that. I prefer my shorts to have straight legs and hit at or just above the knee, like the Bermuda or city shorts styles. I’m not a big fan of showing off my thighs, even if it’s 90 degrees out. I AM, however, a big fan of Old Navy. I think these are really cute. I might have to buy them in a couple of colors.
 
In all honesty, the clothes found on “modest clothes sites” are not fashionable unless you happen to be Amish or live in a compound. I agree with the other readers that have suggested “Soft Surroundings”, “Eddie Bauer”, “Land’s End”, and “Old Navy”, along with using good common sense. Unless you are truly into that “denim jumper” look, and by your comments, I doubt that you are, I think you’ll find those links to “modest clothes” a throw back to the Evangelical Pentecostals that ban haircuts, make-up, and pants on women.😃
 
bella_mama said:
In all honesty, the clothes found on “modest clothes sites” are not fashionable unless you happen to be Amish or live in a compound. I agree with the other readers that have suggested “Soft Surroundings”, “Eddie Bauer”, “Land’s End”, and “Old Navy”, along with using good common sense. Unless you are truly into that “denim jumper” look, and by your comments, I doubt that you are, I think you’ll find those links to “modest clothes” a throw back to the Evangelical Pentecostals that ban haircuts, make-up, and pants on women.😃
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Which is why I started this thread in the first place (in regards to the modest clothes sites)… it is really difficult finding modest clothing websites that aren’t frequented by my very few Amish, Mennonite, and Apostolic (as in part of the Pentacostal movement) neighbors. And as far as haircuts go, a little less than a year ago, I ended up shaving my head… :rolleyes: I mentioned this to one my Apostolic neighbors, and she reacted as if I had a horn growing out of the third eye in the middle of my purple forehead… Not that I’m going to shave my head again (it was pretty stupid for me to do it, especially since it was in the middle of a really bad manic phase and I hadn’t slept in almost 4 whole days by then, and the week before, I had slept maybe 20 hours total), but I personally don’t see the big deal with it, as I ended up saving TONS of money for hair care products, and used that money to add to the collection plate. And now that it’s grown back in, it’s healthier than I’ve ever seen it in the 10 years of dying it. Oh, by the way, it’s been literally ever single color of the rainbow and then some. I’m just glad that I have all of that out of my system, and the last time I’ve dyed it was back to my natural hair color. My New Years resolution is to not dye it at all this year. It’s going to be really difficult, because I really enjoy it, but since I’m growing it out for Locks of Love, I want it to be as healthy as possible.

God Bless!
Ericka
 
Jea9 said:
I also use Men’s undershirts for my own undershirts…not the tank top type but actual t-shirts. I love v-neck shirts but not the skin they show. PLUS you can tuck it into pants or skirts so that if you bend over nothing shows. I don’t like women’s tank tops and/or camisoles because they aren’t long enough, and I’ve never seen one that doesn’t show cleavage…however I have not seen every tank/cami on every person so I’m willing to admit that some people’s don’t 😉 just not my experience.
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I remember trying to get plain dark-colored tee shirts in the women’s department of Wal-Mart, but I couldn’t find any that hadn’t had weird things done to the necklines. So I finally said “Heck with it” and went to the men’s department, where I found exactly what I was looking for.
 
ericka1701 said:
I’ve had a nudge of conscious lately regarding the way I dress. It’s winter right now, so I am very covered 😉 but the past few summers, it seems that I’ve been wearing fewer and fewer clothes each year. I know that in scriptures it also advises women to wear modest attire, and I am wanting very much to do that, but the problem is when I try to look at companies that makes modest clothing specifically… let’s put it this way, I’m much too vain to be able to wear that type of clothing (at least at this point). I am really looking for shirts that don’t come down more than a few inches below my collar bone, that completely covers my midriff… and for skirts and shorts that comes down to at least my knees. In most of the retail stores here, I usually confuse the clothing with swim wear (and it covers about the same).

I would really appreciate any help with this. I have a few months before summer starts, but I would like to go ahead and buy some clothes so I can go ahead and clean out my closet and give the other stuff to Goodwill.

God Bless!
Ericka
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It’s great that you plan to update your wardrobe in a modesty-conscious way. First re your donations, if you can, keep St. Vincent de Paul Stores in mind. They have re-sale stores all over the nation and the Society of StVdP is a legitimate Catholic ministry. As for shopping, check out the re-sale stores for yourself. If there’s a StVdP store near a wealthy neighborhood, the odds are that its stock will include high-quality, MODEST clothes for women and girls. Ditto for the Episcopalian re-sale shops. Do look around. Bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
 
bella_mama said:
In all honesty, the clothes found on “modest clothes sites” are not fashionable unless you happen to be Amish or live in a compound. I agree with the other readers that have suggested “Soft Surroundings”, “Eddie Bauer”, “Land’s End”, and “Old Navy”, along with using good common sense. Unless you are truly into that “denim jumper” look, and by your comments, I doubt that you are, I think you’ll find those links to “modest clothes” a throw back to the Evangelical Pentecostals that ban haircuts, make-up, and pants on women.😃
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Yes, there are a lot of those; but really, the Mormons (regular ones, I mean) have some of the prettiest & most fashionable modest clothes out there.
(Side note: If anyone is looking for a modest wedding gown–or just a modest prom dress for a young lady), check out the LDS sites. Eternity dresses are*** gorgeous***, and they are actually modest as well).
catharina said:
It’s great that you plan to update your wardrobe in a modesty-conscious way. First re your donations, if you can, keep St. Vincent de Paul Stores in mind. They have re-sale stores all over the nation and the Society of StVdP is a legitimate Catholic ministry. As for shopping, check out the re-sale stores for yourself. If there’s a StVdP store near a wealthy neighborhood, the odds are that its stock will include high-quality, MODEST clothes for women and girls. Ditto for the Episcopalian re-sale shops. Do look around. Bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
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That’s it!! St Vincent De Paul!!👍 👍 I have been going:blush: nuts, trying to remember the saint’s name for the Catholic thrift stores.I bet they would be happy to take old, not-so-modest clothing to sell for reclaimed fiber. Thank you!! I was doing a total blank.
Another (non-religious) thrift store where I have found lovely clothing is the Volunteers of America. Around here at least, they tend toward very upscale things, that are often lovely modest clothing.
I also thought of this, because my local fabric store has a sign up: How about looking into finding a seamstress to make you what you want? A good one can raise necks, lengthen hems, etc…and often at a cost comparable to (or even less than) off the rack clothing. And patterns–there are a million of them!! And one you find a style that you like & but the pattern for it–you can have it made up for all seasons.👍
 
WatchfulPilgrim said:
Lack of modest fashionable clothes? That’s because modesty IS unfasionable!
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I wonder whether “stylish” would have been a better word? I used to live near a young Chasidic Jewish couple, a rabbi and his wife. They adhere to very strict standards of modesty: no pants, no tight (body-hugging, figure-revealing) clothing, hemlines comfortably below the knee (usually mid-calf at least), necklines up to the collarbone or above, sleeves below the elbow.

Even pregnant, in which state this dear lady spent a lot of time as the mother of at least 7 children by now, she was consistently well-dressed and stylish. She once commented that the clothes she saw in stores that fit her religious requirements always seemed better constructed and made of better fabric than the skimpier fare. She kept her wardrobe simple with pieces that could combine in different ways, so it probably wasn’t as expensive altogether as most of our everyday American wardrobes.

Chana was a living example that modesty doesn’t require dressing unattractively but merely means not dressing in a way that exposes or draws attention to parts of the body that are sacred. Modesty and chic can coexist after all!
 
I know what you mean about having a hard time finding “Modest” clothes in the Regular stores. Todays Clothing market seems to “lean” towards the “sexy” style. But again hasn’t that been in fashion for many years.

It’s hard to find tops that aren’t mid-drift instead of long enough to tuck into a skirt in the regular stores.

I find my long dress, jumpers and skirts in the Thrift Stores, Good Will, Salvation Army and local Christian Thrift Stores. When you hear a church is having a “Church Yard Sale” that’s a good place to look. In the summer when communties, small towns, get together and have yard sales, look there. Some “flea Markets” have clothes too.
 
Just wear whatever you like to be honest. As long as you do so in love. So for example; don’t wear something that may cause others to stumble (like think of you sexually). Just as long as you consider others, wear whatever I say!

Oh, and it’s not your fault if others do stumble and look at you lustfully. It is but our sinful nature that causes us to do that. So pray for them, and love them all the same.

As for those who not yet know Christ… I guess you should dress in a way so that God may be glorified.

But know that it’s not a sin to wear a mini skirt!

Brother in Christ,
Jacky
 
adelore said:
I know what you mean about having a hard time finding “Modest” clothes in the Regular stores. Todays Clothing market seems to “lean” towards the “sexy” style. But again hasn’t that been in fashion for many years.

It’s hard to find tops that aren’t mid-drift instead of long enough to tuck into a skirt in the regular stores.

I find my long dress, jumpers and skirts in the Thrift Stores, Good Will, Salvation Army and local Christian Thrift Stores. When you hear a church is having a “Church Yard Sale” that’s a good place to look. In the summer when communties, small towns, get together and have yard sales, look there. Some “flea Markets” have clothes too.
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I found a thrift store recently that’s run by Apostolics (they have very similar beliefs to Pentacostals/Church of God). They usually dress very conservatively, so I should have some luck there. I’ve not been thrifting that much in a long time. I used to go every week when I was much younger, but I stopped a few years ago. I don’t really know why. 😊 I feel like a dummy, because before I stopped, I used to dress pretty modestly because of body image back then (and would get most of my clothes at Goodwill), but I gained too much body image, started buying everything pretty revealing, and the results weren’t very pretty… 😊 I’m just glad I’m back on the right track again. It feels wonderful feeling good about good things again.

God Bless!
Ericka
 
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