The Question for 2015.

 

No this is NOT me!

 

This is my best friend Lisa. She came around for coffee and a chat this morning and you guessed right - Hannah wanted to take a photo of her.

 

We chatted about various things and she had a look at my recent blog posts. You will recall from my early posts that Lisa was my friend who finally persuaded me to buy some trousers just over a year ago. In fact she let me try on hers to see what it felt like to be in trousers as we are the same size. I am glad she was so persuasive as I now quite like the option of occasionally wearing trousers instead of a skirt.

 

Lisa used to be a skirts/dresses only person as well but now wears trousers far more often than me. You will notice that she also wears jeans but in a modest way - under a tunic. She bought her jeans in Primark. She is trying to persuade me to wear jeans but as I have said in previous posts I am just not convinced about the image.

 

I do need some more casual trousers for wearing around the house and at weekends but I am not a lover of denim. I also think skinny jeans would feel a bit too restrictive - even if worn modestly. I know that there are other styles available but I will take a lot of convincing that jeans are right for me!

 

So the question for 2015 is - will Rebecca buy a pair of jeans?

 

I would love to hear what other ladies think

 



Another Work Skirt from a charity shop

This black skirt was a real bargain - just £1.25 on the reduced rail. Obviously it hadn't sold for several weeks and, as it was my size, I couldn't resist it for that price even though it was slightly shorter that I would have liked.

The shoes were also from a charity shop - I can't remember the price but they are my favourite style for work as I find heels can get uncomfortable if you are in them all day.

The top was bought new from Peacocks in my local High Street.

Work Outfit

This outfit was purchased entirely from charity shops. The blouse was reduced to £1.25 and the pencil skirt cost me £3.50. I was really pleased with the shoes though as they were virtually new and made by Clarks. They are really comfortable and the style I like for the office. They were a bargain at £5.00!

I do like a smart black and white outfit for the office. I feel that it promotes a professional image which is important when meeting clients.

 

I wear black skirts during late spring, summer and early autumn and black trousers during the colder winter months. There are several photos of my black trousers in previous posts.

Charity Shop Finds

I have a break from work this week as my office is closed between Christmas and 5th January. I thought I would do a series on my charity shop purchases over the past few months. My young daughter had a camera as a Christmas present and desperately wanted to try it out - so please excuse some of the pictures. You just can't disappoint a 9 year old can you?

This dress cost me £4.50 in mid August and I liked the style and colour. I wore it quite a lot at weekends during the late summer/early autumn. It didn't have a manufacturer's label so I am not sure of its original source.

Avoiding the Stress of Christmas

As I have mentioned in previous posts, my faith is important to me and my family always strive to avoid the ever increasing commercialisation of Christmas.

We do exchange presents but only small gifts. The children have one main present each and a few smaller ones such as educational books. How many children are given the latest expensive toys that their parents cannot afford and have more pleasure playing with the wrapping paper and the empty boxes?

I have bought all our gifts in my home town where we have a small High Street with mainly independent shops and some charity shops which I love browsing on a regular basis. I have therefore not had the stress of shopping in one of those busy city centres or out of town shopping centres where big business compete for our hard earned cash with the raucous Slade and Wizard blaring forth on a continuous loop. I suppose the PC Brigade prevent these multi-nationals from playing traditional carols!

 

Fortunately my children do attend a school which still have nativity plays and still have a carol concert. It is sad that more and more schools are no longer teaching children the true meaning of Christmas and are replacing it with a "winter festival".

 

The whole family will be attending Church for a Carol Service tomorrow and a Christingle Service on Christmas Eve. I will be attending Midnight Mass late on Christmas Eve with my friend, Lisa while my husband looks after the children (who hopefully will be sleeping by then!)

 

We will be having a family time on Christmas Day and Boxing Day with relatives calling in for a chat and some food - and no - the television will NOT be on all the time.

 

How will you be spending Christmas?

Christmas Jumper

I managed to buy this jumper for £2.50 in a charity shop this week.

I don't normally wear red but it has a festive look to it and will be ideal for my office Christmas meal and other events over the Christmas and New Year period.

It has a "George" label and appears to be virtually new so I am pleased with this purchase.

My First Anniversary

It does not seem possible but this week will be the first anniversary of the day I first wore trousers!

The time has simply flown by!

I thought that it would be good to outline a few of my thoughts and a brief update on the subject.

I now own four pairs of trousers. The first pair (shown above) and a black trouser suit (from a charity shop) are specifically for work. (I work in an office environment).

I also have a cream pair in a more casual style which I tend to wear around the house and a grey wide leg pair (again from a charity shop) which I really haven't worn that much yet.

 

I do not own any denim jeans as I am not sure I like their image. I just don't think they are me somehow. My friend Lisa has bought some jeans but seldom wears them. Are there any other people who wear trousers but not jeans?

I still maintain my modesty standards of wearing a tunic, jacket or other long top to prevent views of my rear or crotch when wearing trousers in public. I feel this is important to me and is due to my strong Christian faith.

Do I feel that it is wrong for Christian women to wear trousers? I used to but after a lot of careful thought and prayer I changed my views on this subject. All of my trousers are specifically designed for women and therefore cannot be regarded as men's apparel and none of them are so tight as to reveal the female form - especially with the addition of my own modesty standards.

Do I wear trousers regularly? Not really. During the late spring through to early autumn I largely reverted to skirts and dresses only - and in fact persuaded some of my younger work colleagues who rarely wore skirts or dresses to try them out and they were pleasantly surprised at how good they looked in them and also how comfortable they were in warmer weather. I will wear trousers to work more once the colder weather arrives in the UK.

What did my family think of me wearing trousers? My husband was fine about it. He left the decision to me and was happy to support me with my change of style. My children told me that "I look like all the other mums now"

 

If there are any skirts/dresses only people out there who are thinking of experimenting with trousers like I did a year ago, I would recommend that they give them a try. They might take some getting used to for a few days but they are very comfortable, versatile and warmer in winter conditions.

Getting the Most out of Charity Shops

Many readers will know that I am a charity shop addict (I think they are known as thrift stores in the USA). I thought it would be helpful if I gave a few tips on how I find I get the most out of my charity shop expeditions!

1) Visit regularly - at least four times each week;

2) Find out if rails are re-stocked at set times and, if so, time your visits just afterwards;

3) Get to know the volunteers - they will often be pleased to have a chat and if you let them know your interests e.g. vintage style, they will tell you if something of interest has been donated;

4) Be prepared to search thoroughly through the rails each time you visit. You may not find anything of interest 9 times out of 10 but then you might just find a designer item in your size for a few pounds!

5) After a set number of weeks at full price, items are reduced to half price and then to £1. Slightly faulty garments are also placed on the £1 rail. I always search through the reduced items as even if they don't fit perfectly they can be altered, repaired or even made into a different item.

 

If you have any charity shop tips, I would be delighted to hear from you.

Alterations Complete

These are the trousers that I bought recently in a local charity shop. I needed to reduce the leg length slightly and I managed to complete the task last week. These trousers will be ideal for wearing to work if we get a cold winter as the material is thicker (a woollen blend) than my other trousers which I wear to work.

Before anyone comments, I will ensure that I wear a jacket or tunic top when wearing these trousers in public as I am still very self conscious at showing my bottom in public due to my modesty standards. Do other Christian ladies feel self conscious in this way when wearing trousers?

Some Recent Bargains

I thought I would do a quick post on some recent bargains I have been lucky enough to find in charity shops

 

This skirt cost £2.50 and I wore it several times to work before the weather started to get cooler. It has a vintage feel to it and I got quite a few complimentary comments from my colleagues.

 

I have also managed to find a pair of  trousers for £3.50 in a thicker woollen mix fabric which will be nice and warm for the winter. They are quite modest in style which is important to me and I will post a picture as soon as I have carried out a minor alteration to the leg length.

 





Visit to Bath

Apologies for not posting for a few weeks. I have been exceptionally busy at work due to a colleague being off sick at the same time as others were taking annual leave.

I am still seeking vintage style bargains in local charity shops and recently had a trip to Bath where there a number of small independent shops selling vintage (at a price) or vintage style clothes. Bath is well worth a visit for vintage clothes enthusiasts.

 

The photo shows a window display. It was commemorating the Second World War I believe. I quite liked the dress but sadly it wasn't for sale.

 

I did make a few purchases and will post details shortly. 



Walk Through History

I went to a Walk Through History Event held at out local Arena over the Bank Holiday Weekend.
There were displays and re-enactments of life and battles through the ages from Medieval Times through to World War II. There were some wonderful costumes to view. It made me think how uncomfortable it must have been for women to conduct their ordinary lives in some of the period costumes and how lucky we are with the comfortable and practical clothes we have today.

I had hoped to be able to buy some vintage clothes but sadly there were none on general sale. I have recently become very interested in the 1940s and 1950s and hope to add to my very limited wardrobe very soon.

Fifteenth Century

First World War soldier meeting Victorian Ladies!

Vintage Style Dress - Charity Shop Find

I recently posted that I have become interested in vintage style clothing after getting a lot of ideas from reading some lovely blogs.

This week I found a vintage style dress in my favourite local charity shop and couldn't resist it for £4.50! It doesn't fit perfectly at the moment and I will need to get some minor alterations carried out but for that price I felt it worth taking a chance with it. I also don't normally wear red so that will be a change for me as well.

Summer Holidays

Sorry folks for the delay since I last posted but I have enjoyed a lovely family holiday in South Devon. It is a wonderful part of the world with beautiful scenery and lovely beaches together with numerous places of interest to explore.

I returned to work on Monday and was brought back to reality with a full in tray and a list of problems to solve! I was impressed and perhaps a little surprised if i'm honest that my colleagues were still in skirts. It is still quite warm in the UK and in my opinion you can remain cooler in skirts. I didn't think the younger girls who seldom wore anything other than white tops and black trousers - probably a continuation from their school uniforms  - would still keep up skirt wearing in my absence.

 

I have recently become interested in vintage clothes and may experiment a little with vintage styles over the coming months. I will be sure to post details and will welcome comments!

Back to Skirt Wearing

It has been really warm and sunny here in the UK since May and I have reverted to full time skirt wearing at work. In fact I have managed to persuade many of my colleagues to try wearing skirts for a change as they are much cooler during the summer months. Several of the younger girls have told me that it is a new experience for them as they wore black trousers to school and just kept wearing black trousers each day to the office as the norm! They found it fun to accept my challenge and have worn skirts for at least 2 weeks.

I have also been reading a number of vintage clothing blogs and am tempted to experiment with a few vintage styles in skirts, dresses and perhaps later in the year trousers. I recently bought this skirt in a charity shop for £3.50 and it has a vintage feel to it.

The Most Modest Trousers Ever!

With the lovely warm sunny weather here in the UK at the moment, I have reverted back to a full time skirt wearer. It is just too hot to wear trousers in the office and most of my colleagues have joined me in wearing skirts.

We recently had a short holiday in London and I saw a lady wearing the most modest pair of trousers (pants for my American friends) possible. Fortunately I had my camera with me and managed to take a quick photo of her. The trousers were very much like a loose skirt down to her knees and her crotch was literally at knee level. I am not sure how comfortable it would be to wear this garment but it would be interesting to hear if those bloggers who never wear trousers might consider these acceptable on modesty grounds.

 

White Trousers

With warmer weather now with us thank goodness, I have reverted to wearing skirts to work virtually full time. Black skirts are more comfortable than black trousers in the office while the sun is shining!
I have therefore been actively looking for some summer trousers for my leisure time. I currently only have one pair of more casual trousers and have been thinking of getting a white pair.

I have visited a number of stores and have discovered that most of the white trousers on sale are far too tight to suit my modest style of dress. I can illustrate this with the following photo of a mother collecting children from the school my daughter attends.

These trousers show far too much of the ladies body shape to be considered modest even if worn with a tunic. It just would not feel right if I wore trousers like these and they would compromise my modesty values.

If any readers can suggest ideas for a more modest style of white trousers, I would love to hear from them.

 

My Sixth Month Anniversary

This weekend will mark the sixth month anniversary of the day I first put on a pair of trousers.It seems impossible logically that a woman could reach her mid 30s without ever wearing trousers or jeans but, being raised in a strict religious environment where female family members wore skirts or dresses, the thought never really crossed my mind until recently.

I was not alone as several other girls who became my best friends also had similar dress codes and it was these friends who first decided to start to wear trousers and persuaded me to join them.

I would like to review my experience in this post.

I do not think (and never have done) that wearing trousers is against any teachings of Our Lord provided that the trousers are specifically designed for women. They cannot then be regarded as men's apparel.

 

Did my husband mind me wearing trousers? No, he was fine about it. When I mentioned that I was considering buying some trousers and his reaction was "I look forward to seeing you in them" My children told me that I look like all the other mums now!

I have always maintained a modest style of dress and make sure that when I wear trousers in public, I wear a tunic or long cardigan to cover my bottom and crotch area. I may relax this rule when in the privacy of my own home.

I still do not own any jeans but do have a more casual pair of trousers for wearing around the house or in the garden. I am not convinced about the image of jeans. I would never wear skinny jeans but may consider a more modest style - perhaps a pair of vintage style jeans which have a very loose fit.

Do I wear trousers every day? No is the answer. I wore trousers to the office about three days a week in the winter but, with the warmer weather now with us in the UK, I have now reverted to skirts most days. It is just nice to be able to choose to put on a pair of trousers when I feel like it.

 

Are certain tasks easier in trousers than a skirt. Yes is the answer! You often read of women writing about how they can cycle, garden and go on hikes in skirts and dresses but my experience is that they would find these tasks so much easier in a pair of trousers.

 

My next step will be to buy some summer trousers - perhaps in white cotton - if I can find some in a suitable style.

Retaining Modesty

A quick post this week to share with you a long cardigan that a found in my favourite charity shop.
It is far longer than my tunics and there is no prospect of it riding up when I am working and giving strangers a view of my bottom, which I am still nervous about.

It cost £3.50 and I am very pleased with it. I do apologise for the quality of the photo. It was taken by my 8 year old daughter when I was not unaware of her intentions and she insists that I use it on my blog. I must not disappoint!

The Big Jeans Question

I am still weighing up the pros and cons of wearing jeans and still maintaining my standards of modesty. I was greatly inspired by a recent excellent post by Caroline on her Modest Mom Blog which I visit daily.

The link is http://www.themodestmomblog.com/2014/04/ask-caroline-can-jeans-be-worn-modestly/

Sadly she received a lot of unnecessary negative feedback from a few women who maintain a very strict "skirts only" policy and had to suspend comments on this post.

I am now convinced that it is possible for a women who values her modesty to wear a pair of jeans in a way that maintains her standards and can offend no one. A tunic or dress worn over the jeans will hide areas which you would not wish to be visible - yet give you the freedom to play with children, go on hikes, ride bicycles or work in the garden which is not always so easy in skirts or dresses.

 

Are there other women who wear jeans or are thinking of wearing jeans in a similar way?

A Shopping Trip with Lisa

I went on a shopping trip with my friend Lisa this week. We both took a days leave and braved the rain and spent about 4 hours in the City Centre shops.

Lisa, who you will remember persuaded me to buy my first pair of trousers, had far more success than I did. She bought some lovely blouses suitable for work in various pastel shades and a knee length skirt. I just bought a top in navy blue in New Look - reduced to £3.99 from £9.99. I think I may be programmed to buy items which are either reduced or in charity shops rather than pay the full price for anything. Am I alone?

On the jeans front - no real progress. Lisa and I did look in New Look and Primark but nothing really appealed to me. I am just not sure about the image - it may be my strict religious background which is making me cautious.

Lisa also wears trousers in a modest way - ensuring that she wears a tunic or similar long top when in public and chosing styles which are in no way tight. Her latest pair are shown below (purchased from M & S)

No Jeans Yet - and Charity Shop Bargains

I am still planning to buy some jeans - something which would have been unthinkable only a few months ago!

I am still a little uncertain about the image - definitely no skinny jeans or jeans with holes in the knees!

I am still not comfortable entirely about modesty issues but I have read a number of lovely posts on other blogs as to how to wear jeans modestly and one way that I have been considering is to wear a dress over them. I am conscious about displaying my bottom when wearing trousers in public - this is one issue that I have not come to terms with - probably a legacy of my strict Christian upbringing.

I think a pair of jeans would be really useful when undertaking work like gardening and some of the other activities where skirts or dresses might make life more difficult - like walking the dog in the woods. I often read how some women claim how they can carry out tasks like haymaking and potato harvesting in skirts but, now that I have first hand experience - they would find it much easier if they wore trousers!

I have been looking at jeans in my local charity shop (I think they are called thrift shops in the USA) where they cost about £3.50. Sadly, since I have been trying to buy a pair there have been no suitable pairs in my size.

I am a charity shop addict and visit my local shop two or three times a week. You are often lucky enough to find a real bargain of a designer item for a few pounds or an unworn garment still with the manufacturer's labels intact at a fraction of the original price.

What is your top bargain from a charity shop?

Charity Shop Bargain!

Now that I am feeling comfortable in wearing trousers fairly regularly, I have been looking for some extra pairs suitable for work.

I discovered a trouser suit a few days ago in a charity shop which was nearly new and actually fitted me. It cost £5.50 and I feel an absolute bargain. It is also fairly modest, which I feel is very important to me, as the jacket covers my bottom from unwanted attention when in the street.

What do you folks think?

Casual but not Jeans!

I had been wanting a more casual pair of trousers to wear around the house for a few weeks but did not really feel comfortable with the prospect of wearing jeans. I suppose it was my upbringing of wearing modest, feminine clothes still dominating my thoughts. Jeans just didn't seem right for me, at least for the present time. It was a big step for me to start wearing trousers in the first place but I am glad that I did as I now wear them to work at least twice a week.

I enjoy visiting charity shops and cannot resist a bargain and came across a casual pair of trousers in my size. They were a fairly loose fit and did not emphasise the shape of my bottom too much, a point that I am still not comfortable with when I wear trousers. They cost £3.50 and I could not resist them. I feel that I can wear these without a tunic or long jumper and they are really comfortable.

What do you think?

Can I find modest jeans?

I suppose a natural progression after buying my first ever pair of trousers would be to buy a pair of jeans.

I have never really been too keen on the image of jeans. A lot of my friends at school wore jeans in their spare time but I was never tempted. I prefered to relax in a comfy skirt and was always more interested in books than the outdoor life. I tended to be regarded as the class swot and was always the last girl to be chosen for any sports team!

 

I do not really like tight clothing and feel that skinny jeans would be too restrictive around my legs. Many of the other styles also seem to tight around the bottom and crotch areas.

 

I am also still concerned about modesty issues. It must be my Christian upbringing still influencing my style of dress. I have read a number of very interesting and informative posts on blogs about wearing trousers (pants in the USA) and jeans modestly but I am still worried about my bottom and crotch area being on display when I wear my trousers in public.

 

A friends' daughter volunteered to illustrate my fears in her skinnies

 I am convinced that most eyes are directed to her bottom and that my legs would feel most uncomfortable in those tight Levis. Even worn with a long tunic, I am certain that this style of jeans would not suit me.

 

I would really welcome the opinion of other people, particularly those who like modest styles of clothing, as to whether they feel I can find some jeans that I will feel comfortable with.

 

 

A Giant Leap for Me!

Lisa finally convinced me that I should buy a pair of trousers and offered to come with me to the local shopping centre. I knew that I wanted black trousers suitable for wearing to the office and that they should be fairly modest in style to accord with my normal choice of clothing. We had done some research on line and knew which shops would give a reasonable selection to choose from.

We spent nearly an hour searching what seemed endless rails of ladies trousers and me disappearing into changing rooms. Eventually, I discovered a pair in M & S which fitted well, were a modest cut and very comfortable. They were not the cheapest (nearly £35.00) but were good quality and I felt happy with them. I was really excited when I left the shop clutching the green carrier - I had my own trousers! I felt like a child at Christmas rather than a grown women in her 30s.

I tried them on again at home and kept looking at myself in the mirror. I kept on doing a double take - I was wearing trousers! I wondered what the reaction would be when my husband and children first saw me. The children just exclaimed "Wow!" and were left with their mouths open and then said "you look like all the other mums now" My husband thought that I looked great and wondered why I had not bought some trousers sooner.

 

I still had reservations at wearing them in public. I was conscious at strangers being able to look at my crotch area and at my bottom. I am sure that it was due to my Christian upbringing. I concluded that it would be best to wear a long shirt or tunic to conceal those more delicate areas at least at first until I got used to wearing them in public.

 

My first appearance in trousers in the office resulted in more gasps of astonishment and cries of "but you don't do trousers!" I was pleased that I was now like the other girls in trousers but it still felt odd with material encasing my legs after a lifetime of skirts!

 
My first appearance wearing trousers in public

I Try on Trousers for the First Time Ever!

The question of whether I should start wearing trousers occupied my thoughts for several weeks.

Several things happened to help me make up my mind.

Firstly, I started to work part time in an accountancy office. My family were now growing up and at school all day so I felt I was able to work a few hours in the middle of the day without harming their welfare. I was there when they left the house in the morning and there when they returned in late afternoon. I could work from home or take leave during school holidays.

I wore a white blouse and knee length black or grey skirt to the office but it was a noticeable that the other women, who were of a similar age to me, all regularly wore black trousers. After a week or so, one of my colleagues asked me why I didn't wear trousers to work and she was very surprised when I told her that I never had any and had never worn them. The other girls joined in and they all said how comfortable trousers were to wear, how practical they were for various activities and how warm they were in winter. I told them that I had managed to carry out all sorts of tasks in skirts throughout my life without any problems but it just gave me further food for thought, no doubt as I was already considering the idea. Previously I would have dismissed the subject from my mind very quickly.

 

Secondly, Lisa my other friend who was a skirts/dresses only wearer bought a pair of grey trousers. I didn't realise that she wore jeans and trousers for a while when she was away at Uni so it was not such a big step for her. Like Marie, my other friend, I could not deny that trousers suited her. Lisa knew I was considering wearing trousers as well and knew that I was having real difficulty in making a decision.

 

I discussed the issue at length with my husband and he told me that it was my decision. He did not mind if I wanted to wear trousers and he would support whichever conclusion I came to.

 

Lisa invited me around for coffee on a day when I didn't have to go into the office. We are about the same size in clothes and she suggested that I try on her trousers to see how they felt and so that I could see what I looked like in them. I, at first, laughed at the suggestion but Lisa knew how the matter was troubling me and eventually persuaded me to change in her bathroom. I knew that she would not take no for an answer and felt that it would be better than trying on trousers for the first time in a shop changing room!

 

Lisa's trousers fitted me quite well but they did feel really strange. My legs felt strange when I walked encased in material and there was a different sensation with tighter material around my bottom. Lisa took some photos to mark the momentous occasion and also to let me judge on how appropriate my possible new look might be.

The trousers were a very modest cut with fairly wide legs. They were actually surprisingly comfortable. I did have some modesty concerns however. I was concerned that attention would be drawn to my crotch area from the front and also I was worried about the emphasis on my bottom from the rear. I was not used to my bottom being so prominent in clothing.

 

I felt that these modesty concerns would need to be addressed if I decided to buy some trousers of my own.

 

Growing up as a Skirt/Dresses only wearer

I grew up in a Christian environment where we attended Church each Sunday. My family were not overly religious but my mother always wore skirts and dresses and I followed suit. A number of other girls in my school who became my best friends also always wore skirts and dresses and we never really considered the need or had any desire to wear trousers or jeans.

In early October, one of my two closest friends announced that she had been considering buying a pair of trousers. My other friend and I were somewhat surprised as we had not given the subject that much thought. I had never really had any strong desire to wear trousers but did not have any objection to women who did. I was simply content wearing my skirts.

I do not believe women's trousers contravene the teachings of Deuteronomy 22.5 "that woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man...." as they are specifically designed for the female body.

I was, however, surprised how smart my friend looked in trousers and that started to sew the thought in my mind of wondering whether I should follow suit.

 

My friend wearing trousers for the first time