The 30 Day Dress Dare

by guest blogger Rosanna Noelle

Last year, I attempted one month of wearing only dresses and skirts. I jumped on this challenge with my friends on the “Defining Beauty” blog, who proposed a “30 Day Dress Dare.” Our mission? To dress femininely during May, the traditional month of Mother Mary, in honor of her beautiful reflection of God.

According to my Catholic faith, Mary is Our Mother Most Pure. Therefore, I wore only modest dresses, skirts, and tops during her month. Tucking away parts of my wardrobe was difficult at first. Finding cute leggings for cold days was annoying, too. But it was all worth it, for my view on my sexuality changed in a revolutionary way!

The one word that encapsulated this entire fashion experiment?  Grace. I learned that being a genuine woman meant being “full of grace”—just like Mother Mary! Wearing modest dresses and skirts day in and day out made me feel more graceful on the outside. And on the inside, I was transformed!

My dresses and skirts donned draped gracefully over my curves, and the way that they contoured my body made a striking difference in how I carried myself. I found myself walking more rhythmically and softly, with a slight sway of the hips.

Dressing more modestly as well, I found myself feeling like I had something far too beautiful to reveal for a five-second stare-down: I had the gift of femininity! I gained a confident elegance in the way that I dressed and walked, and this elegance soon translated to my interior life.

I found myself gentler and more receptive in my thoughts, words, and actions; they began to reflect the authentic womanhood that God was calling me to express. I became more patient, less apt to lose my cool when upset, and even a better listener. With this genuine femininity, I felt empowered! The Dress Dare taught me that the outer appearance  of a woman is meant to reflect her inner dignity, not meant to be lusted after.

After the Dress Dare, I discovered this liberating truth: contrary to being “hot,” which is what today’s media and fashion world try to pitch at women, it is being full of grace that makes a beautiful, empowered, dignified woman.

I loved the 30 Day Dress Dare so much that I extended the challenge to over a year and now wear mostly dresses and skirts! However, I believe that tasteful modesty can be created with a variety of clothing that reflects the unique style and personality of every woman.

I have the power to reflect my inherent dignity and beauty as a woman in the way that I dress. My body is a sacred mystery. In covering myself modestly, I actually reveal the gift of my inherently beautiful femininity to the world!

Vera Wang Pre-Fall 2012

by Anh Nguyen

So I saw Vera Wang’s pre-fall collection and was happy to find a few modest outfits in the bunch. Check it out:

Unfortunately, I am not 6 feet tall with legs that go on forever, so those socks would only shorten my legs even more and make me stumpy. But these looks can definitely be rocked with solid tights. I love the layering action that’s going on here.

Ahh how gorgeous! Look at how flowy and drapey these maxi dresses are!   Tangerine definitely is the color of 2012. And pastels, too.

What are your favorite trends of the season?

Photo courtesy Fashionista

How Short Is Too Short?

by Anh Nguyen

One of the reasons for this blog is that I myself am still exploring the idea of modesty. How low can that neckline plunge until it’s considered inappropriate? How many inches can that hemline rise until it distracts other people’s eyes?

And while I note that it’s not good to be too scrupulous, and that the question really lies in why I even want to reveal so much of myself in the first place, it’s important to also note that old habits die hard. And it’s hard for girls these days to determine at which point our outfits start to distract from who we are as a person and just put the focus on certain parts.

I encountered this problem this past summer when I was in the market for a modest pair of shorts. I found a brown pair on sale at H&M for $10 and decided to try them out. Ladies, I have to tell you: I must’ve spent about 30 very frustrating minutes in front of my mirror, changing from one top to another, this pair of shoes, or this jacket or that cardigan. And nothing was working! I just looked….frumpy.  I eventually settled pairing them with a sheer button-up blouse (with a tank top underneath, of course!) to add a feminine flair, a brown blazer, and heeled sandals to lengthen my short legs (that cut off even more with the long shorts!).

Conclusion? I’ll just stick to dresses, skirts and cropped pants in the summer, thanks.

As we’re heading into winter, I think that outfit is a bit irrelevant. But the advantage of living in Sunny Los Angeles is that the cold never stays for too long, and we can get away with wearing some winter shorts. I like the versatility that layering gives – there are way more options to make an outfit fun! What do you think of this?

Thoughts? How do you guys style your modest shorts?

Modesty: Antiquated or Revolutionary?

Every woman desires to be perceived as beautiful. It’s the truth. But while we’re busy spending hundreds or thousands (or more!) of dollars trying to attain that ideal beauty defined by the world, we compromise our dignity. These days, “sexy” and “beautiful” are synonymous. More skin! More cleavage! If you got it, flaunt it. Why leave anything to the imagination?

Well, I’m not okay with that. Based on my personal experiences and on those of the women close to me, I can tell you that those of us who base our values on our body parts don’t really know what we are worth.

Baring every inch of skin conveys to the world that a woman does not respect her body (and therefore herself), so why should anyone else? On the other hand, a woman who suppresses and hides her femininity in the way she dresses communicates to the world that she doesn’t think she is worth getting to know better, or even being acknowledged. Taking care to present ourselves in the best possible way tells the world that we are women of worth, and we ought to be treated as such. The good news is that there are a lot of good examples out there of current, fashionable and modest ladies. I’m hoping to be able to feature them on this blog.

One of my [many] current fashion obsessions is Ginnifer Goodwin’s character on the show “Once Upon A Time” on ABC. She always dresses in such classy, feminine way.

Isn’t she so pretty??! I watch the show just as much for her outfits as for the story line.

Personally, I adore all things floral print, sequins, colorful, and sparkly. How I dress myself is one of the ways I express my femininity to the world. But I prefer to do this in cuts that do not make certain parts of my body freeze or make me constantly have to do that awkward re-adjustment dance (you know what I’m talking about).

In the eye of a storm where society tells us to flaunt ourselves as sex objects, young women today are desperately trying to cling on to their last inklings of self worth. How much longer will it be until those last bits of dignity are blown away? I am one woman who is not sold on that message. I am the supporter of a cause–for a revolution to take fashion back from our overly sexualized media. I am inviting other young women out there to join me on the quest to empower ourselves by covering up instead of baring all. I am challenging young women to look in their mirrors and ask themselves what their clothes are telling the world about who they are.

And I’m going to look darn good doing it.