Outfit & Thoughts || "No Lace, Mrs. Bennett!" // Beauty in Dress
Last Sunday I had the rare opportunity of combining two new things together in an outfit, having a free afternoon, and enjoying a sunshiny day! Everything combined at the right time for my first real blog shoot in...um...I don't remember how long! This one features my new boots and a lovely feminine top. If Mrs. Bennett lived in modern times and had taken it upon herself to describe this outfit to her husband, he probably would have begged her to stop once she started in on the lace. ;)
The simple elegance of this earth-toned outfit is one of my favorite parts about it. Though none of the colors were bright, they made for an interesting and sophisticated combination of warm and cool tones. The lace insets of the top and suede texture of the boots were allowed to stand out. Altogether, the outfit was just right for a Sunday on the cusp of spring.
Outfit Details: Top~Sears; Skirt ~ Thrift or Consignment Store; Tights ~ Gift; Boots ~ Foot Locker
What we wear is one of the first things that people notice about us. Recently I was pondering how our manner of dress reflects the God we serve, and not always in the ways we think. We often remember to show purity in our clothing choices, which is certainly important. How often do we think of beauty and order though?
1 Timothy 2:9 speaks of women adorning themselves with modest clothing. The Strong's definition for the word translated "modest" is "orderly, i.e. decorous:—of good behaviour, modest." This is about more than covering up. When we are orderly, we are being methodical and well regulated- nothing is chaotic. Being decorous means being decent, suitable to the occasion, proper, and befitting. This implies that some thought should go into dress!
If we look flashy and ridiculous, then we are drawing attention to ourselves. Meanwhile, if our garments are drab and lifeless, a stranger might infer that our faith is drab and lifeless. When we dress like we don't care, well, we look like we don't care! What message would modest beauty and thoughtfulness in our dress bring? We have the opportunity to point to The One with the greatest eye for order and beauty. In this light, may the way we dress be one more way to bring glory to our Creator and Savior!
What are your thoughts on this subject?
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Psalm 96:9
Beautiful shirt! I really love the color and the lace!
ReplyDeleteYou pretty well summed up my opinions on dressing/modesty. My sister used to go into schools or churches and teach purity classes. She would touch on modesty by telling the girls to ask themselves what messages they were trying to send every morning when they got dressed. Was it, "Look at my chest", "Look at me, I pay a lot for my clothes", or even "I don't care what I look like"? I ask myself these questions now because they dive into the root of the issue--my heart.
Thanks muchly!
DeleteThat's really neat, thanks for sharing! We definitely need to be reminded of these things. :)
Love this so much <333
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch! <3
DeleteI love your new top the lace on it looks so pretty! The suede boots are classy and stylish I really like them:) I agree with your opinion on how we dress reflects how we appear being humble and modest is a sign of respect to ourselves and our Lord. Good topic. Hope you have a great weekend:) Stephanie
ReplyDeleteThanks so much my friend. ^_^ Well, thank you and the same to you!
DeleteBeautiful outfit! I love how warm and elegant it looks.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Melani! :)
DeleteYou look so lovely and elegant.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
Thanks a bunch Marilyn!
DeleteI hope it's ok to comment as a guy. You look natural, I like that; simple and elegant. I thought of that verse: "take no thought for what you put on...", lol I know it's about not worrying where God'll provide from..ie a cool thrift store. Cause you're right, it's good to care about appearance, as long as it's not just faked. (I'm thinking of the pharisees who looked good outwardly, but who Jesus called hypocrites, all because their appearance faked what was going on in their heart. They wanted to kill Jesus!) You though, I think people see you care.
ReplyDeleteNo problem, it's good to hear perspectives from both guys and girls. Yeah, I think we can definitely dress with a view of showing off our "holiness", which is especially possible in the conservative Christian community. I and other ladies need to do a motives check now and then! :)
DeleteHope you don't mind me replying to your comment as well, Jeremy! Thank you so much for your thoughts on this subject! It is great to hear about a guy's perspective!
DeleteI love your top - especially the lace detailing!
ReplyDeleteThanks! ^_^
DeleteNice combo! Love the boots! :)
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with what you've said about modesty. I think another thing we need to be carful on is how short our dresses and skirts are. The shortest my Dad likes us girls to wear is to our calves. Another way to know if it's long enough is if you sit down, is the skirt covering your knee entirely? I notice even Christian girls wearing knee length and above. Do we really need to show off our knees/legs to the world? Also, that is another way a man is attracted to a girl. Obviously there are more things to point out--necklines, tightness (shirts, dresses, and skirts). Usually I'm aware when something isn't fitting or laying right. But I'm always happy when either my sister, my dad, or my mom points it out if I hadn't realized. As Christian young ladies, we need to be VERY VERY carful with our attire and mannerisms!
Thank you so much for allowing me to tell you my thoughts in this area!
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DeleteThank you! I'm really glad I decided with this boot style.
DeleteThanks for sharing *your* though Rosalyn! :) I like people to be able to enjoy discussing things here!
Ooh! I like your top - super cute. And thanks for sharing your thoughts on the topic of modesty. Especially appreciated the thought of dressing in an orderly way - that was helpful!!
ReplyDeleteThanks muchly! I'm so glad you were encouraged! :)
DeleteSuper classy. I love this outfit! :)
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate your comments on modest dress. Having been homeschooled my whole life and spent a lot of time among other homeschoolers (i.e. very conservative Christians) I have been privy to a lot of the "drab and lifeless" modesty. That sort of thing always bothered me. God calls us to modesty, not to wear potato sacks. If our clothing is reflective of who we are and the God we serve then I don't believe the "drab and lifeless" style is doing our faith and potential to witness any favors. Yet, as you pointed out, going too far the other way isn't good either. I guess you have to find the happy medium. :)
Also, I loved the little nod to the Bennets :D
Thanks Amanda!
DeleteVery true! We all seem to be convicted in different ways, but I think scripture makes it clear that God made us to be apprecitive of beauty. :)
Heehee, so glad you liked it. ^_^
Oh, Paige... This is just so classy! And actually how I especially love to dress! {{Smiles}} And I think you were spot on about how the way we dress has a strong influence on what we stand for! I love dressing in a modest, respectable way without looking drab and frumpy! Loved Amanda's comment about wearing potato sacks... {{smiles}}
ReplyDeleteI also realise each person has their own idea of modesty and sometimes one can get quite bogged down by all the ''dos'' and ''don'ts'' about modesty in the Christian circles...
Thank you for your honesty and for encouraging us as Christian young ladies to always examine our motives before deciding what to wear!
Always a blessing to come by...a blessed day be yours, Paige!
Kelly-Anne
Thank you Kelly-Anne! :) I'm happy that you enjoyed the post...And comments! You are right about all the unwritten "rules" and greatly differing opinion being overwhelming. Thankful God is gracious!
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