Christmas Market & Tunic

I had to visit Bristol again this week, this time to attend a work training event. I did get an opportunity however for a quick visit to a German Christmas Market which has recently set up in the Broadmead Shopping Centre.

There was an enormous Christmas tree with an illuminated star above a wooden structure which served alcohol and other drinks.

There were also a lot of little wooden cabins where you could buy a wide selection of German foods, sweets and wooden Christmas decorations. German people were serving the customers which added to the atmosphere. We had lunch provided so I didn't sample any of the hot foods but I did buy some small cakes which we enjoyed at home during the evening.

The market is not on the same scale as one I once visited at Cologne but it certainly adds a lot of interest and variety for the Christmas shoppers in Bristol.

 

My latest charity shop purchase has been this turquoise green tunic. It has a white motif on the front. Turquoise has always been one of my favourite colours so I soon decided to buy it when I discovered it was my size. It was only £2.00. I was looking for more tunics or long shirts as I have just started to wear trousers again and I always try to keep my rear covered when in public in the interest of modesty.

 

In case you all wondered I quickly went in and put on a jumper after Hannah took this picture as it was not that warm outside.

 

Oh and please don't look at the weeds in my patio!

 

 

 

Winter Woollies

We have now had our first frosts here in the UK and I thought I would do a quick post on my latest charity shop find which is ready for the cold weather which is now with us.

This woolly is quite snug and warm and the grey and black goes well with a number of my skirts and trousers. It cost me £3.50 but I should get a lot of wear out of it during the next three or four months. I need to get a few more woollies as my winter wardrobe needs restocking after I took a lot of my older winter clothes to the charity shop during the summer.

Have you bought any new winter clothes recently?

My Second Trouser (Pants) Wearing Anniversary

 

This week will be the second anniversary of the day I first wore trousers! It does not seem that long - time seems to go by so quickly these days.

As it was my venture into trouser wearing that started my blogging career (hence the name of my blog in case you hadn't guessed), I thought that it would be good to give a brief resume of my thoughts and an update on the subject.

 

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.

 

The topic first came up after our new minister told us that it was acceptable for women to wear trousers provided that were specifically made for the female body. He did not believe women's trousers contravened the teachings of Deuteronomy 22.5 "that woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man...." as they were not men's clothing. In fact his wife frequently wore trousers.

In October 2013, 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 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.

 

Lisa my other friend who was a skirts/dresses only wearer shortly afterwards bought a pair of grey trousers. I didn't realise that she wore jeans for a while when she was away at Uni so it was not such a big step for her.  I could not deny that trousers suited her.

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 knew I was considering trousers and knew that I was having real difficulty in making a decision. She 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.

 

My first ever time in trousers

Lisa 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 spent nearly an hour searching what seemed endless rails of ladies trousers and me disappearing into changing rooms. Eventually, I discovered a pair in Marks & Spencers which fitted well, were a modest cut and very comfortable. They were not the cheapest 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.

 The first trousers of my own

 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!

 

Maintaining modesty

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. I do relax this standard when in the privacy of my home.

 

Do I feel that it is wrong for Christian women to wear trousers? I maybe 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 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 and how comfortable they were in warmer weather. I have recently started to wear trousers to work once more as the winter storms have arrived in the UK.

I still don't own any jeans as I am not happy with the image. I do need some more casual trousers and have been considering buying some corduroys for the winter.

If there are any skirts/dresses only people out there who are thinking of experimenting with trousers like I did two years ago, I would recommend that they give them a try. They might take some getting used to and you may feel a little self conscious wearing them at first but they are very comfortable, versatile and warmer in winter conditions.

I know that this is a controversial topic with some of you but I would welcome comments

An Evening Out!

We were invited out for a meal this week to celebrate my friend Lisa's husband's birthday. It was quite a treat for us as well as we don't go out much as a couple without the children as I think it is important to put their welfare first while they are relatively young. Fortunately a good neighbour was able to stay with them (I don't like to use the term baby sitting anymore!).

We went out to a quiet country pub and had a lovely carvery. I wore this outfit. The top was rediscovered in a drawer. I bought it some time ago and I can't even remember if it was new at the time. It has a George label. I thought that the green would tone well with the grey pencil skirt. The skirt is another of my charity shop finds. I liked it as it was knee length and not too restrictive in style. It cost me £3.50. Sadly, it is the wrong colour to wear to work.



We needed our raincoats during the evening as one of the first winter storms decided to hit the UK. The weather experts have started to give our storms names - starting with the letter A. It was rather appropriate that this one was named "Abigail" as the main problem was high winds!

 

During my few days leave from work I took advantage to have a good wardrobe clear out. I do tend to buy too many clothes when I see a bargain in a charity shop. I just can't resist it. I like supporting good causes but it does pose a problem of storing the clothes at home. Some of the items were also mistakes or didn't fit very well.

 

I filled two large bags of my clothes to donate back to charity and a further bag of the children's clothes which they had outgrown. One of the items to go was the yellow dress I featured in a recent post. It was a size too small and while it may have made me look nice and slim, it was too tight around the waist to be comfortable! Hopefully someone else will enjoy it. 

My Shopping Trip with Lisa - Part 2

Further to my last post, I did have some success with purchases on my day out with my friend Lisa in Broadmead and Cabot Circus, Bristol. I stocked up with lingerie and deoderants - I never have such a choice in my local town and I bought this dress.

I

My regular blogging friends will know that I enjoy regular visits to local charity shops and frequently find bargains on their rails. However every now and then it is good to have a change and visit some large department stores with a friend and see what they have on offer. I could not resist this floral patterned dress in Debenhams. You will not be surprised to know that it at a reduced price - 25% off - and it cost me £19.99. It was a slightly unusual design with clusters of large flowers on a green and black background.

As it is now getting slightly chilly to wear a dress outside without some protection, I have added a jacket which I bought a few weeks ago in a charity shop for £8. It was nearly new and, although difficult to see in the picture, the material is a fine corduroy and it should be hardwearing.

I try on Jeans!!!

I have had a week's leave from work and in addition to catching up with jobs around the house while my husband was at work and the children at school, I took the opportunity of arranging a shopping trip to Bristol with my friend, Lisa.

I have known Lisa for many years. We have attended the same Church since we were at school and our families have enjoyed each others company at lots of Church social events and functions. You may remember that it was Lisa who finally persuaded me that I should start to wear trousers nearly two years ago. Lisa and a few other Church  ladies had bought trousers a month or so before me after our new minister told us that it was acceptable for women to wear trousers that were specifically made for the female body.

Lisa wears trousers far more than I do and also wears jeans. She always wears them modestly however with a tunic or similar garment covering her rear (see below)

I have worn skirts and dresses exclusively since May as I still prefer them when the weather is warm and it is still remarkably mild for November (although dull and overcast). I did venture into leggings recently but have resisted jeans as somehow I just don't like the image and I have an aversion to denim. 

Lisa has been trying to persuade me to get some jeans and my daughter Hannah would like a pair as some of her her friends wear them. The answer has been no in both cases! However, on our expedition around many large clothing stores in Broadmead and Cabot Circus, Bristol, Lisa wore me down and selected a pair of skinny jeans in my size and guided me towards a changing room booth. Luckily, I could take a quick photo with the aid of mirrors and here is the result.

It is not an image I like as it goes against all my modesty standards. I found the jeans clung to my legs and bottom in a rather uncomfortable way and revealed far too much of the shape of my body. They were far tighter than my trousers but on a plus side the denim was not so heavy as I expected. Lisa was hoping that I would try some other styles but one pair was enough for me and we adjourned to a cafe for a well earned coffee!

 

Will I ever buy some jeans? - you never know but they won't be skinnies!

 

Am I the only person out there that does not wear jeans?

Yellow Dress

No new charity shop bargains to post this week due to our short family break in Scotland so I thought I would do a quick post on this summery dress which I bought for £4.50 a few weeks ago. Its label was missing so I am not sure of its origin but it feels good quality.

It is still warm enough in the UK to wear it (with a cardigan). We are so lucky to start November without any cold weather - it is dry with blue skies today!

The dress is rather a tight fit around the waste so I am not sure if I will keep it but it does make me look nice and slim!

I have some more leave booked this week so have arranged a girly shopping trip to Bristol with my friend Lisa. Hopefully I will have more to update on later.