She Clothes Herself In...

I love to wear dresses and/or skirts. I am not a dresses only girl, but I sure come close. However, in the past year or so I have really gotten convicted about just how I dress.

I buy most of my clothes at Goodwill (I am not ashamed of that). However, I never really tried anything on before to make sure I looked nice (and not frumpy) in it. It is kind of difficult to take time to try on something before you buy it when you have four kids in tow (thankfully the little boy is little enough I can take him in the dressing room with me without him remembering what he is seeing).

But lately I have been reading some things (When Queens Ride By, The Art of Feminine Dress, The Feminine Appearance for example) that have really caused me to take a closer look at what I am wearing and HOW I look to/FOR my husband.

I have always believed in the importance of looking nice for my husband. Getting dressed instead of being in my nightgown when he comes home from work. Running a brush through my hair, even taking the short time to braid it for him, because he likes it that way. But I really started to look closely at the clothes I have been wearing.

Yes, I have a few nice things (thanks to my mother-in-love who gave me some of her old Weekenders clothes), but most of the stuff I was buying at Goodwill was... well it was not becoming.

Now that is not to say there are not good clothes at Goodwill. I have some VERY nice designer clothes I bought at Goodwill. But none of them fit me! Had I taken the time to try them on beforehand (or at least after I got home), I would have saved myself some money.

I am slowly realizing that it is much better to save up the money and buy one really nice outfit that makes me look and feel attractive, than to spend that money on ten outfits from Goodwill. And no matter where I shop for clothes, I really do need to take the time to try things on to make sure I look nice in them.

QUALITY not quantity is what we are looking for here.

Like I said, you CAN find quality at Goodwill (*IF* you know what to look for). And *IF* you try it on to make sure it fits and flatters you. But I am seeing more and more stores (and even brand name outlets) having GREAT deals on clothes. I am sure your husband will support you in this. Ask for a few hours to go and buy that really nice outfit you have been saving up for. Go look in the clearance sections of your favorite stores. I personally really like Christopher and Banks. I have gotten some $45 outfits for $5!

Shop at the right time too. The best deals on summer clothes are at the END of summer. The best deal on winter clothes is at the END of winter (see a trend here?). :D Dillards has an AMAZING sale at the end of seasons.

I have also realized that my clothes are not only an outward appearance of my representation of Christ, but an outward representation of my HUSBAND too. What does it say about him when I dress in clothes that are too big and frumpy? That he doesn't care about his wife? What about when the kids are dressed in oversized and unkept clothes? What does that say about their Daddy? That he cannot provide for his family?

It is starting to dawn on me why my parents have looked down on my husband for so many years. The clothes I have been wearing ... the clothes the children have been wearing... have been/are sending a silent message to my family about who my husband is. And it is a negative message. That is not to say that we cannot wear things that maybe aren't their style (like we can wear classical period clothes and they can wear modern). But that when we do wear our clothes, different style as they may be, they need to fit and look nice. I am not saying they have to be ironed, but definitely not ones that are so wrinkled because they have set in the dryer too long before being fold (or worse, were never folded at all and just shoved into their drawer).

And I know how difficult it can be to find clothes that are modest for our girls, so we tend to buy 3 sizes bigger so that they are modest. However, think about how your daughter looks. Does it look nice on her? I know that time is short, but we have decided to start making most of our daughters clothes from now on (and mine too if there is time). Not only will we save money (we always spend too much on them at Goodwill anyway), but the clothes will be tailored to them, so they will look nice. Not to mention the hands on training they will get in sewing. :)

Anyways, this was just a conviction I have felt and I wanted to share in hopes that you too might be blessed.