by admin | Feb 6, 2012 | 3/4 sleeve, Layering shirts, Layering Tops, Modest Clothing Accessories, Modest Fashion
Quick—how many types of sleeve lengths can you name? If you can only come up with “short” and “long,” it’s time to update your slee-vocuabulary. Worn as layering shirts, shell tops or on their own, you can play around with different sleeve lengths to expand your wardrobe options.
Walk into many stores today, especially stores that specialize in modest clothing, and it’s like the Baskin Robbins of sleeve lengths. So many choices!
Let’s take a look, starting with the shortest and working our way down the arm.
- Sleeveless. This is your classic spaghetti strap shirt. Not overly modest, but it can work beautifully as a layering shirt, like underneath a V-neck sweater. Spice up your sleeveless shirt collection with the addition of a Bolero SleeveOn® mini shrug. The bolero is a comfortable, light accessory to cover those arms and shoulders without sacrificing style. A long tank top is also a perfect addition to your sleeveless wardrobe and looks great under a shrug or cardigan.
- Cap sleeve. Ahhh, cap sleeve shirts bring me back to my youth. Those cute little shirts with fluttery sleeves that j-u-u-u-st cover the shoulder! But cap sleeves don’t jive with a more modest wardrobe. For modest fashionistias, try wearing your cap sleeve shirt as a shell top under a jacket. Or, whip out your oh-so-fashionable-and-functional bolero to cover up your arms while letting your shirt sparkle.
- Short. The classic length, usually ending right below your shoulder. But no reason to write them off because you like something covering your arm. A classic short-sleeve shirt can have infinite uses: It can play shell top to a jacket, or layering shirt over a long sleeve shirt (play around with different colors and shades if you’re feeling bold.) With a short sleeve shirt, the bolero can function as an over-the-shirt jacket, or an under-the-shirt layering shirt. In the summer, when you want as few layers as possible, Sleevies® come to your rescue. A pair of Sleevies® under your short sleeve shirt creates a modest sleeve length.
- Right above the elbow. Eureka! My personal favorite, especially for summer. It covers the arm between the shoulder and elbow, but stops right above the elbow. A modest look that lets you stay cool.
- ¾ length. Different stores and different manufacturers have differing ideas about what makes a shirt “3/4 length,” so you definitely want to try it before you buy it. A shirt of this length could end anywhere from right below the elbow to right above the wrist. Go for the below the elbow length if you want the right fit. Modest and so super-easy, 3/4 length shirts are a must-have for your shirt wardrobe.
- Long. The other classic length, which comes down to your wrist. (Tall shoppers beware: Make sure the sleeve covers your wrist. I have had one too many occurrences of buying a long sleeve shirt without trying it on and seeing that it ends just above my wrist, a fashion no-no.) A fitted long sleeve top coordinates with any skirt and is an easy, modest fashion choice.
What are your favorite sleeve lengths? Do you prefer the ease of a simple long or 3/4-length sleeve, or do you love to layer?
by admin | Nov 27, 2011 | modest clothing, Modest Clothing Accessories, Modest Fashion
The gifting season is upon us, and with it, the endless list-making and hand-wringing as you try to find that perfect gift for all the special someones in your life.
Clothing is always a popular gift option. But also a tricky one—is the size right? What about the style? Can it be returned easily? Does he/she have this already? And if your special someone prefers modest clothing, it can get even trickier.
First, some easy advice: Increase your chances of success by skipping over the entire printed-seasonal-designs section. NO reindeer sweaters, NO dreidel cardigans. Even for little kids. Please, let’s respect their fashion integrity, even at a young age.
So you want to find modest clothing that’s fresh and functional. I mean are you really going to buy another necktie? Or pair of gloves? Come on. Get your giftees something they can really use, day in and day out. A gift that will elicit the sought-after, “Oh, that’s JUST what I needed!” reaction.
(But keep the receipt. Just in case.)
Five clothing gifts that are 99 percent guaranteed to make the clothes-lovers in your life happy:
Open Front Cardigan
- A pretty flowing cardigan. Fashionable (check), modest, (check), functional (check) and fairly easy to figure out what size to get. Remember that the giftee will probably wear this over another article of clothing, so don’t get it too small or tight.
- A silk scarf. I once received a beautiful silk scarf as an end-of-year present from a student, and it’s one of my favorite items of clothing. A silk scarf is a versatile, fashionable item that can be used to cover hair, folded in a headband style or worn around your neck. A multifunctional, well-made gift is always welcome.
- Sleevies®. Spice up a friend of family member’s wardrobe with a set of Sleevies. Your giftee can mix and match Sleevies® with a simple t-shirt to create dozens of modest wardrobe options. Go for the always popular black and white Sleevies®, or a colorful set for the truly daring fashionista in your life.
- Pajamas! How many of us are using ratty old t-shirts and old pants we’ve had since college as pajamas? Treat your family—and yourself—to a cozy pair of new pajamas that actually match!
- NFGC (Never Fail Gift Certificate). Yes, a present you picked out yourself and lovingly watched the store clerk wrap is always preferable. But let’s face it—there are those picky people in our lives that no matter what we do, it’s too small, too dark, wrong color, soooo not their style or it’s all those things AND they already own it. So you can never go wrong with a heartfelt gift certificate as well—watch their eyes light up with excitement at having FREE MONEY to spend however they like!
So good luck with your holiday gift shopping. Let us know how it goes! And please, share your clothing gift ideas with us!
(And if anyone wants to know what to get for me, I’m still wearing a ratty old t-shirt and pajama pants to bed every night….)
by admin | Apr 21, 2011 | 3/4 sleeve, Black, Black Skirts, Denim Skirt, Fashion Must-Haves, Knee-Length Skirt, Long Skirts, modest clothing, Modest Fashion, Pencil Skirts
Modest fashion is attainable while on a budget.
In truth, most of the time you only need a few items to refresh your wardrobe. I am a bit partial to basic pieces, because I am always on the run with my 4 kids. I have to be in and out of the house in a hurry, and the last thing I want to worry about is what I am wearing. I own a few must have items that not only look great all year round, but are also affordable!
- Long black pencil skirt – The knee length black pencil skirt is a great versatile piece in your wardrobe. It is a staple item that is classic because it can be worn anywhere at anytime. The great thing about this modest fashion item is that you can wear it with a variety of shirts and it is a style that is never outdated. Celebrity mom, Victoria Beckham, often opts for this modest fashion choice and looks extremely confident and chic. Designers also like the knee length pencil skirt and was featured in Christian Siriano’s fall 2010 collection, Gap’s fall 2011 collection as well as Ann Taylor’s collection.
- Knee Length Straight Denim Skirt – I just adore straight knee length skirts, especially in denim! The knee length straight denim skirt is great for winter and summer and can be worn to many occasions. You can dress it down with a pair of flats or dress it up with a pair of heels with the right accessories. The denim straight skirt has also been a favorite among celebrity moms such as Courtney Cox and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Long Black A-line Skirt
- The scarf – When you are wearing basic modest fashion items, have some fun by adding colorful scarfs! The scarf is the easiest way to update your wardrobe and it is also the chicest way to cover up. It has been spotted on many 2011 runway shows, such as Yigal Azrouel, Kenzo, Just Cavalli and William Rast.
- Long Black A-line Skirt – The long black A-line skirt is also a great fashion basic item! I have several long black A-line skirts because they are so comfortable without looking sloppy. Whatever shirt I put on always looks better with a long black A-line skirt.
- Basic ¾ Sleeve Shirt – The ¾ sleeve cotton ribbed shirt is a definite must have in your closet! This basic T comes in a variety of colors, and looks great with a long black A-line skirt and a knee length straight denim skirt.
by admin | Nov 15, 2010 | Black Skirts, Denim Skirt, Girls Knee Length Skirts, Knee-Length Skirt, modest clothing, Modest Fashion, Modest Skirts, Pencil Skirts
I have a confession to make. Even though I hold my own where style is concerned, my 12-year-old daughter is the resident fashionista in my house. Not that I don’t pay attention to what’s new and exciting, but let’s just say that she is the one who follows the latest trends. So when she came running into my room today and shouted that we ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY must go out and buy a pencil skirt (or two or three) because ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY EVERYONE is wearing them!!!, I was a little nervous. In my mind, I had immediate visions a barely knee length pencil skirt; very tight and very revealing. Not to mention unbearably uncomfortable! This did not bode well for the preference to dress modestly that both my daughter and I share.
Ughhhh! How uncomfortable does THIS look???
But, I was intrigued, so I did some research. Here is what I found: the knee length pencil skirt actually evolved from the hobble skirt of the early 20th century. The hobble skirt was a full length skirt, gathered at mid-calf, which, although nice and modest, seriously impeded the wearer’s ability to walk. Well, if you ask me, that sounds like fashion hell. Thankfully, the French uber designer Christian Dior re-introduced a much shorter version of the hobble skirt that also included a slit in the back for ease of movement. Thus the modern-day knee length pencil skirt was born. But could I find long pencil skirts that would appeal to my discerning, modest daughter???
Long Pencil Skirt
So my daughter and I hit the mall for some serious shopping. As she tried on pencil skirt after pencil skirt, I had to admit that although I very much liked the silhouette they created, most of these skirts where waaaay too short and tight. So back home we went to try and find something more suitable online. To our delight, we found some great stuff: a decent selection of long pencil skirts that hit well- below the knee, which meant they were both age-appropriate and modest. We decided that the slenderness of the long pencil skirts would be nicely balanced with a loose tunic top or a flowing, soft jacket. We found a couple of terrific denim pencil skirts that would look really cute with leggings underneath, and elegant black pencil skirts that would be great for more fancy occasions.
The added bonus was that these long pencil skirts were made in nice stretchy materials that made them incredibly comfortable to wear. Oh, did I mention that I found some amazing long pencil skirts for me, too?
Even Posh often wears classy, modest long pencil skirts!
So at the end of the day, my daughter ended up with a new wardrobe replete with long pencil skirts that completely fit our modest way of dressing, and I ended up a way cooler, fashion-forward mom!
