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)