Nick has really been blessed by the Youth Ministry there, and [Youth] Pastor Gabe is really a neat person.

We dressed as we always do. Wolf and R.T. were by far the best dressed men in the place, including pastoral staff. We got a lot of comments about how cute R.T.’s suit was, since it was such a novelty to them.

Being aware of the climate there, and working towards balance with a growing-up young man of 17, we allowed Nick to wear his “good jeans” with a button shirt and dress shoes. Not what we would choose, but still a step above the general dress of the congregation.

(The photo is my handsome son, but unrelated to the specific outfits mentioned in this musing).

We came home afterwards, and most of us began changing out of our “church clothes” into more casual apparel for a relaxed afternoon.

Nick, on the other hand, was going to a “dress rehearsal” with the mock trial team. He began changing to dress up - into his suit and tie.

Hmm.

To me, this would indicate that the mock trial competition is more important than God. Or that making a good impression on the “judge” is more important than making a good impression on the Lord.

It’s not a new concept, of course, in our house. You can read all about it in Wolf’s post Are You Ready?

They were kind enough to send me one of their lovely Open Drape Cardigans for review (like the photo, only in black). The garment is well-made and attractive, they were a pleasure to deal with, and the shipping was quick.

Kosher Casual features a lot of products good for layering. They seem to follow the philosophy that if the skin is covered to a certain place, then you are modestly covered.

To that end they have layering shells, snug tanks, stretchy “sleevies,” etc.

And, hey, they include a piece of Israeli Kosher Bazooka bubble gum with each order! Bazooka Joe speaks Hebrew!

My personal taste is to have clothing be less form-fitting, so I really like the draped front of this top. Unfortunately, the sleeves are cut rather snug. With stretchy fabric, it’s not that it’s binding, or too tight – just not me.

My loss is your gain, however:

I’m going to pass this lovely item on to one of my readers!

Just enter using the handy-dandy RaffleCoptor form below before the year ends…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

There are the obvious “finer points” debates, about exactly how long a skirt should be, or what the appropriate length is for sleeves.

There are some more significant choices debated, about whether women should wear pants, how to handle swimming suits, etc.

And there are some totally philosophical arguments. One extreme says that “they” are being vain about their appearance and that’s not a modest attitude; while the opposite camp insists that a woman should make herself look good to appreciate the gifts God has given her and to please her husband (among other reasons), and “they” are getting holier-than-thou and being proud of being frumpy. Whew!

One thing that I realized from all this debate is that we are spending a lot of time and energy talking about this, thinking about this, and writing about this.

What if we didn’t have to?

If you’re a “conservative Mennonite” like these ladies, you and your friends don’t have to worry about debating the finer points.

While you may or may not consider the group’s “dress code” to be 100% in line with your deepest personal beliefs, you, and everyone else at your church, have agreed to follow them.

So you know what length your skirt and sleeves should be.

No stress, no debate.

And, obviously, they are modest.

That seems to me like a valuable thing. One less distraction on the path. One less question that the Enemy can use to start a nagging concern in the back of your head, or an afternoon debate over coffee with a friend.

Couldn’t that time and energy be put to better use? Studying Scripture? “Debating” how to implement a new service project? Or playing with your kids?

Me? I’m willing to die to self a little more, for that gain.

Faith: I am a Bible Believing, Truth Seeking Baptist

Life Situation: Married nearly 16 years, with 7 childen (#8 is due any time now!). I am a stay-at-home wife and mom, homeschooling my children. We are church-planting missionaries living in Guatemala, Central America, since 2002.

How long have you been dressing modestly? My parents were not really strict about it but did express distaste if I pushed the limit. I guess it’s been about seventeen years since I made the personal decision to dress modestly.

Can you share a little about your journey to modest dress? My manner of dress has gotten progressively more modest over the years. I was kinda chubby when I was a child (and suffered some teasing because of it), but blossomed by the time I reached high school age. I had a nice figure and I knew it. I guess I was a little hungry for the attention, because I would show it off sometimes, violating my own conscience. I knew God was calling me to something greater, and I’d have to give up my self-centered ways. While in college I decided to stop wearing jeans and slacks, because I realized how they showed the form of my body (read: rear-end and thighs). I’ve been wearing dresses and skirts since then.

Through the years, I’ve also considered the modesty of certain types of fabrics, and the cut of certain dresses. Not everything which covers from “here” to “there” is actually modest. Does it cling? Show every curve? Clothing was made (in the beginning) to COVER, not to reveal.

I also came to realize that modesty is more than just covering the body, it is a state of the heart. What are my motives for wearing this today? If it is to draw attention, and catch a man’s eye, to make girlfriends jealous, to show off wealth… these are not modest attitudes.

Thank you for “joining” us today, Tammy!

And be sure to stop by Tammy’s blog, This Pilgrimage, if you’d like to hear more from her.

** ** ** **

Please remember that I am always looking for new ladies to profile for this column. If you or someone you know would be willing to share, please let me know!

Today I want to share my personal clothing dilemma with you. Sounds exciting, eh? It isn’t “about modesty” necessarily, just about my adventures with modest dressing.

As you probably know, I was not raised dressing in the modest manner I do now. Nor have we had an excess of money at any point in our marriage, whith which I could just run out and buy a whole new wardrobe (even if I wanted to).

So, what happened, was a gradual transition.

I picked up a skirt off the department store clearance rack. I picked up a skirt at a thrift store.

I bought a couple of men’s short-sleeved button-down shirts at a discount store. The fact they are “men’s garments” here seemed to weigh less heavily than the fact that the “women’s” styles available all had plunging necklines, or a too-fitted cut, or other similar issues.

Every once in a while (birthday, etc.), I would be able to order an item from a WAHM online shop that made modest clothes to order. A jumper here, a skirt there…

And headcoverings happened the same way. A couple purchased here and there, a couple won on blogs and giveaways, a couple of gifts.

But the end result is quite a hodgepodge of, well, themes.

Ideally, I’d like to have the most combinations and options available from the relatively small number of items I might have in my closet.

Although this photo (from Wardrobe 911)doesn’t match my modesty choices entirely, it gives you a good visual:

All three bottoms … go with all four tops … go with both jackets.

With just the seven base pieces, you have twelve outfits (plus the jacket options). And you’d never have the last clean top not match the bottom you wanted to wear.

My current wardrobe, however, doesn’t work that way. (I’m leaving the “church clothes” and “serious work clothes” out of the equation, since they don’t need to be mixed and matched in).

I have:

Plain jumper (brown)
Three patterned jumpers
Denim skirt
Denim skirt with “pinstripe” pattern

That’s plenty of bottoms, really. But then there’s the tops:

White blouse – goes with anything
Tan blouse – goes with anything
Green blouse – goes with plain jumper, one pattern jumper, both denim skirts
Green/white check blouse – goes with plain jumper, plain denim skirt
Greenish “Hawaiian Shirt” – goes with plain jumper, plain denim skirt

Okay, that’s still a pretty good setup, if maybe not “ideal”.

Then there’s the headcoverings.

Now, it’s true that I could just wear a white one, and it would go with everything. But I have some other cute ones that I’d really like to wear!

The trouble is – they don’t play well with others.

I have a really neat headcovering from Sowers of Hope that is a brown and navy print on white. (The one pictured is from their shop; not mine, but to give you an idea how the bold prints can look).

So, I can’t wear it with anything patterned. That leaves out all the bottoms except the one plain jumper and one plain denim skirt (I could probably get away with the pinstriped denim) — and then only if worn with a plain top in a coordinating color. Hm.

And there’s that adorable tichel I have that’s tan with dark brown stars. I’ve only worn it a couple of times, since it only really seems to work with the brown jumper and white blouse.

Too many patterns!

The easiest coordination system would be with no patterns at all, but that could get a little dull.

Maybe the answer is to only have one category patterned – tops, bottoms, or headcoverings. If everything in the other two categories was solid colored, that would make for a lot more combination options.

What do you think? What do you do?

I have a couple other ladies in the process of completing their Modesty Monday profiles, but I would really appreciate your help in finding more!

Who do you know that dresses (and behaves!) modestly? A blogger you know of? A WAHM with a cottage business? A friend from church? YOU?

Please pass along the request to anyone you know who would be a good guest for Modesty Monday. The “requirements” are very simple, and very flexible.

They (or you) can email Tiffany at: tiffany (at) tiffanyblitz.com

Thank you!

Anyhow, I’d like to introduce you to Ringger Clothing, a family-run business that I have somehow missed since they moved online in 2003 (they started from home in 1987!). That’s their beautiful family in the photo.

They ran a special over the summer for a “we pick the fabric” pair of A-line skirts, which I decided to take advantage of for Jewel.

Of course we added pockets for Miss Hankie, and they were happy to customize for her tall, skinny measurements. They were also wonderful about allowing us to have input into the colors / patterns we’d like, from the pieces they had available for this promotion.

Here’s Jewel, replacing a lost statue on the grounds at Beauvoir, wearing one of the lovely skirts we received.

We were delighted with the skirts, and especially delighted with the service. I would not hesitate to recommend Ringger for all your modest clothing needs.

One thing you definitely need to do is head over to the Ringger Clothing website, and sign up for their newsletter. That way you’ll hear about all the great sales and specials that come along!

AND … Amy of Ringger Clothing would like to offer some specials just for you, the faithful As For My House readers!

Through the end of November, you can take advantage of these great offers. And naturally, knowing how I am about them, she included POCKETS!

• Order any ladies or plus size skirt and get free pockets or a free ruffle on it.
• Order any TWO girls skirts and get free pockets or a free ruffle on one of them.

To take advantage of these, place your order through the website for the “basic” skirt(s), then send them an email to Amy (ringgerclothing (at) gmail.com) with your “upgrade” request, mentioning that you saw the offer on As For My House.

• Also, you can visit their Unique and Preowned page and choose a free item worth $20 or less if you place any order on the website (from that page, or custom made) over $75. This deal is only good until Nov. 7, 2011.

Don’t forget – you’ll find Ringger Clothing, and many other great resources, listed on the Modest Clothing Links page!

(This is not a sponsored post)

I have worn both my denim skirt AND my denim jumper literally beyond frayed edges, and Jewel and I are supposed to wear denim bottoms for our Keepers at Home club “uniform” to the meetings. So I ordered an A-line Cargo Skirt.

This elastic waist a-line skirt has cargo pockets on each side. It comes in twill or denim. 100 % cotton / poly cotton fabrics. Machine wash – tumble dry. Great for everyday wear. Comes in sizes XS through XL. Lengths are 34 or 37 inches. Also available in Plus and Girls Sizes.

Mine is a very cute denim pinstripe that doesn’t seem to be listed on the site anymore. (And might be pushing it a bit for the Keepers “uniform”, but so be it!) 37″ is my usual length, so their intended “long” skirt is perfect for me.

The charming and helpful proprietor, Ginny, assures me, however, that they can make any adjustments needed to the garment (within the possibilities of the design) – adding length, adding pockets (since you know I asked that!), etc. Although the website can give the impression of ready-to-wear, in-stock clothes, they are actually a family business doing things to order.

Apparently my measuring went awry, and the waist is still too big, so I need to tighten the elastic up a little bit before I can wear it. But I wanted to tell you how excited I am about the skirt, which is well-made and lovely.

Don’t forget – you’ll find Far Above Rubies, and many other great resources, listed on the Modest Clothing Links page!

(This is not a sponsored post)

Our Modest Matron today is Sarah, who shares her story in her own words:

I am a Christian and I’ve been saved since I was 5 years old and I’m 28 now. However I’ve only been really trying to live for God in the past few years. I’ve been married for 9 years, almost 10 and I have a son that is 3 years old. I’ve worked for a health food store for 9 years in various positions, my current is in the IT department for the store.

My “modest” journey really began in earnest a year or so ago. I was raised in a Christian home and went to a Christian school through 12th grade but things like modesty were forced on me (such as in school there were regular “dress checks” even going so far as to ask you if you were wearing a slip under your dress!) As I neared the completion of high school I swore to myself that once I was out of here I would live as I wanted to and I would never force myself or anyone else to go through what I had been through. It was my life and I deserved to live as I saw fit! While I was running away from God I lived and dressed as I wanted to, nothing overtly revealing but I made no effort to hide my body, my jeans too tight, my tops too low. I felt that voice of God in my head, telling me what I was doing was not pleasing to Him but I ignored it. This was MY life and I wouldn’t let God “mess” it up for me!

My husband was in a similar situation. He was running from God and running hard. Over the years he had gotten a big motorcycle, two forearms full of tattoos and a nickname because of his extremely short attitude and menacing demeanor – The Reaper. His leather vest bore that nickname along with several skulls – a really bad person to mess with. It was not uncommon for him to make threats to people if they made him angry. Then one day – things changed. God began to work on him, began to change him. I saw these changes and felt God tugging at my heart as well but still I resisted. He began to dress differently, talk differently and at first I was put off. He seemed so much “better” and “holy” than I was which made me mad and I ran away from God all the more.

My husband brought the idea of headcovering and modest dress up and I, in no uncertain terms, told him he was an idiot for dressing the way he was (he was dressing in a “plain” style at that time, beard and all) and the only way I would dress the way he wanted me to would be when I was dead and in my casket! If I could go back in time and tell myself what I know now, I don’t think I would believe it, because here I am, dressing, acting and living this way! When God gets a hold of someone’s heart that you think is as dry as a desert, a heart that will never bring forth any good fruit again (my husband and myself included) and I can actually watch the change happen – that makes one consider their own life.

I began to study, to read, to ask questions of not only my husband but of God. I finally began dressing modestly to please my husband and God because that is what the Bible asks me to do, what God asks me to do. There is no glory in showing off my body to others when I was dressing after the world. But there is glory and honor to God when I dress the way a woman should.

It can also be a wonderful opportunity to share the good news of the Gospel to others. Especially since I wear a headcovering there are lots of people that ask questions and I’m always happy to share why I dress this way and why I do the things I do. I do them because I serve a wonderful God who wants me to not cause others to sin, to be a help meet to my husband and most of all, to keep my focus on the only thing that matters – God!

Thanks for sharing with us, Sarah!

If you want to read more, you can click the “Modesty” topic on the left side of the page, or search for “Modesty Monday”. If you would like to share your profile, or know someone who would, please let us know!

Modest Clothing Links

I hope it will be a blessing to you.

Please let me know if you find any broken links, or have any suggestions for stores to add to the list.