by admin | Jan 26, 2012 | Denim Skirt, Dress Code, Girls Knee Length Skirts, Leggings, modest clothing, Sports Skirt
You want to dress your little ones in cute, modest clothing. Your kids just want to dress themselves. Encourage their independence AND guarantee a matching, modest outfit. We’ll tell you how.
To pretty much guarantee your children can pick out their own clothes all by themselves AND look presentable and modest, I have two words for you: Neutral bottoms.
This is a great trick I discovered years ago. With plain bottoms—knee-length denim skirts or jeans are a great example—your kids can spice it up with colorful tops, but still coordinate. (Though my daughter does have an interesting habit of pairing neutrals with neutrals. “If I wear a brown skirt, I should wear a brown shirt.” Yes, if you are dressing up like dirt.)
Tips for Easy Self-Dressing
- Avoid “outfits.” Stay away from any skirt+ shirt or pants + shirt combo. I dislike “outfits” because the colors and patterns are designed to look good only together, so you can’t pair them with a different top or bottom. This is limiting! I protest! And it’s a morning fashion disaster waiting to happen, because you just know one of the pieces will be AWOL. (Tip: It was used as a blanket for a stuffed animal, fell behind your child’s bed when they were “cleaning up” and is serving as the local community center for a population of dust bunnies.)
- Knee-length denim skirts. Many schools require modest length skirts for girls. Or maybe you just hate the child-in-a-miniskirt look. Either way, there are plenty of knee-length denim skirts (or longer lengths) to choose from. Denim, truly, is a girl’s best friend—it goes with anything, and during the colder months, it looks great with a cute pair of leggings underneath.
- Sport skirts. For a change from denim and a softer feel, go for a versatile and functional knee-length “sport” skirt. Sport skirts are made of a soft knit material and move easily. In shades of blues, brown, black or gray, your daughter can pair it with a brightly colored shirt and be ready for an action-packed day.
- Jeans. Like the denim skirt, a good pair of jeans is a must-have for boys. It’s easy to coordinate with shirts and very comfortable. A dark wash of jeans could even be appropriate for a more formal occasion. (Really! Try pairing a dark pair of jeans with a button-down shirt and see how debonair he looks. Sunglasses not included.)
What are your tried and true kid-dressing tips?
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 | Apr 28, 2010 | Fashion Philosophy, Layering shirts, Layering Tops, modest clothing, Modest Clothing Accessories, Uncategorized
A while ago I wrote about how I love wearing my clothing layered to stay warm and stylish in the winter. But now, as I’m slowly changing over my closet from winter to summer clothing, I’m beginning to remember that much of my summer clothing has short sleeves or a low-cut top, styles that are designed to balance well with the summer heat, but that leave me feeling rather exposed. In summers past I used to pair a trusty black (or white) cardigan with nearly every shirt…but I’ve realized over time that I’m covering up my colorful wardrobe and that none of my summer clothing is getting the attention it deserves.
Before and After Sleevies
Fortunately, I’ve found multiple solutions that I think will enhance my summer wardrobe in ways that I never thought possible. The layering clothes that I’m most excited about are Sleevies®. At first glance, Sleevies remind me of legwarmers for my arms, but without the bulkiness or bunchy style of those ’80s staples. Instead, Sleevies are made from cotton and Lycra, so they cover your arm without sliding down or making you too hot. With Sleevies, I’ve been able to resurrect several short-sleeved shirts from my wardrobe, and I’ve even purchased a few more because I know that I can wear them without covering them up or overheating with a full long-sleeved shirt underneath.
Another great item I’ve found which enables me to wear my clothing layered in the summer is a cropped ¾ sleeve layering tee, which as its name suggests, makes it look like I’m wearing a full shirt underneath an outfit, when really, I’m only wearing the top of a shirt. There are 3 major benefits of this type of layering clothing. Firstly, I can cover my arms and my chest modestly and stylishly without having to add a full extra shirt on a hot summer day. Secondly, (and I hope you don’t mind me being a bit personal), is that wearing a cropped shirt often allows me to get two uses out of my top shirt before needing to wash it. Finally, wearing a cropped shirt prevents the bulk that often results when I wear 2 full shirts, so that I can look stylish without looking like I’ve gained 5 pounds.
I know that these fantastic finds will make it possible for me to enjoy the look of layered clothing all summer and to purchase clothing that I would otherwise never consider because of its lack of modesty. I truly love being able to shop in ‘regular’ stores while knowing that I can gently adjust my clothing to become more modest, without compromising on style. In fact, if you ask me, wearing my clothing layered just gives me even more of an opportunity to express myself!
by admin | Feb 11, 2010 | Fashion Philosophy, Leggings, modest clothing
Okay, I admit it. I am in love. I have never found a single article of clothing to be so useful, versatile and multipurpose as my stretch leggings.
I am not a fan of tights, and I’m really not a fan of stockings, and neither are my girls. Leggings provide all four of us with the perfect alternative – thin and flexible, warm and comfortable, yet easy to put on and hard to tear! But, there is so much more I love about my leggings…
Take today for example. I dressed for work in a cozy sweater, a knee-length black skirt and my stretch leggings tucked into a pair of leather boots. Just the right mix of style and class for the office. When I arrived home, I slipped off my boots in exchange for a fuzzy pair of slippers and managed to spend some quality time playing with the kids. The leggings not only protected me from the cold of the tile floor, they kept me confident that my nimble maneuvers wouldn’t compromise my modesty. Once the dishes were cleared and the kids in bed, I started to think about exercising, and of course, I realized that my stretch leggings would give me enough movement for my exercise (I then decided I’d rather write this blog post instead). My oldest daughter, however, wears her leggings to exercise regularly during gym class instead changing into sweatpants.
While I get the most use out of my basic black leggings, when it comes to my girls, leggings with funky colors and patterns are always preferred. They love patterned leggings because they look adorable and give them the freedom to move and play. I love them because they are durable, easy and warm. Of course, I’d be thrilled if they wouldn’t wear spotted leggings with floral dresses…but I guess that’s a lesson for another day.
Whether hidden under a long skirt or exposed for a trendy, layered look, leggings are an absolute winter must have in my book.
