Modest Dressing//Bree Holloway

When asked to be a part of this lovely little event Rachel has planned for us, I knew immediately what I wanted to do. One of the topics I can prattle on about most is modesty tips. I wasn't taught these in a class or anything, no, I don't have a diploma in fashion, but I do love fashion, and it is very important to me.

On to the tips, shall we?

1. Trend alert! Layers are in. And I mean in. And that is good news for those of us struggling to make something fashionable, and modest. Layers are super helpful: whether it's a pretty colored tank top underneath that just-too-close top, or a large, thick sweater with a shirt just a little to slight. When you need a quick too-low-top-fixer, layering is the way to go.

2. Leggings are your friend. Whether it's a dress, a cute skirt, or even a pair of shorts that are too short, a great modest fix is leggings. Yes, I said it, leggings under shorts. It's actually quite popular this fall - that is, paired with some cute rainboots. If your not so keen on the idea, leggings are still helpful for dresses and skirts. I also own a pair of jeggings, which are longer and thicker (but essentially the same thing) for under sweater dresses. 

3. Legwarmers. (okay, I admit it: this isn't a modesty tip. Just a fashion tip because I couldn't resist. ;)) Legwarmers and/or patterned socks look great between your boots and adorable winter tights. Definitely a trend I am loving this season. 

4. When your shirt just doesn't quite cover your hips, bending down is a problem in the rear. How to fix this? Undershirts (again with the layering). Undershirts can be so helpful, especially because there are a lot of nice long ones out there. you can tuck it in, leave it out, whatever you want to do. This is definitely a fashion staple.

5. LBD. LBD stands for "Little Black Dress" in the fashion world. But I like to use LBD for "Long Black Dress". Why? Oh, only that long black dresses (maxis) are very in. Not to mention comfortable. And cute. And comfortable. And gorgeous. And comfortable. And twirly. Did I mention comfortable? Yeah. <3 Pair 'em with a pair of cute boots, a belt, a long sweater, comfy flats...great travel wear, actually. :)

So those are just a couple tips to help you when dressing this fall - I hope I've helped you dears!

Who's this little Bree girl?

Oh, nothing much, of course. 5'2'' in stature (and proud of it), loves color (especially pink), is in the process of writing a book (because if she didn't write she would wrong), takes pictures (because someone has to capture this beauty God made), loves Jesus Christ (He made her & died for her, how could she not?), devours old literature (it's like candy to her. but not. she doesn't like candy.), designs blogs like there's no tommorow (there wouldn't be if there were ugly blog layouts), is a strong conservative (my daddy is my inspiration), and dances constanty (okay, maybe only 10 hours a week). Oh, and she loves to meet new friends. Like you. :)

blog//pinterest//twitter//email//blog design 

{My Style}: Sweet Cherry Stripes

Because of a peculiar disease Sarah's camera battery has contracted, y'all get some iPhone pictures today. Don't you feel special? ;) This is my "Sweet Cherry Stripes" outfit and one that I love. There is something about Tootsie-pop red that is just....fall.

Skeptical about modeling...as usual.

You were going to get photos in a lovely neighbors' yard today, but the battery died and I was not walking another 1/2 mile to trek back over once it charged. ;) Hence we are back at the side of my shabby-chic garage. (hardy-har-har.)

Detail on the jacket...

My two favorite accessories could *both* be used in this outfit! Yeah!

The Edwardian-looking, vintage glass-bead necklace I bought at our county-fair...

And my cherry-red picnic-wedges. :) These are the most adorable shoes I've owned in my life. I love them.

Today I'm also linking up with Modest Ladies Fashion Show over at Through the Lilac Bushes! 

What are your outfits for today? Remember to leave a link in the comment if you've participated!

Eight ways to dress for money's sake

 "I love America, and I love American women. But there is one thing that deeply shocks me--American closets. I cannot believe one can dress well when you have so much."

-Andree Putman

A wardrobe is quite an easy thing to concoct for one's self...online that is. My Pinterest-closet is the most amazing thing you've ever clamped eyes on--I could dress the world out of it. Only...I can't. That's right. Though I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to fabulous wearables, My clothing is somewhat limited on behalf of budget and that-shirt-is-perfectly-good-even-if-it-isn't-flattering kind of things.

So what's a girl to do when she's inspired for fashion and has a very slim budget? I'll give you my tips on how to dress well without emptying your pockets and exhausting yourself. All you will need is a good eye, a deal of patience, and a bit of money.

 
1.} When sorting through your current clothing, don't keep anything that you don't wear. Chances are if you haven't worn it yet, you never will.Instead, get that clothing out of your drawers so you don't sit there staring at a stuffed dresser wondering what in the blue blazes there is to wear. Makes a person feel stupid to do that.

2.} Shop at thrift-stores and consignment shops: really, this is oughtta be Rule Number One. Sure you feel like you need to bathe in flea solution after coming into contact with some of them, but you've gotta admit that when you're shopping at most thrift stores you've got all the rich, pitying people donating their designer clothes. I'll admit that some thrift-stores are pointless to go to. Visit a few around your area and learn which ones have the clothes and which don't. Generally the shops in rural areas just won't be that great. Instead, look for thrift-stores near the posh parts of a city--chances are the wealthy folks around town will be dropping off all their cast-aways here. I think it's safe to say that....90% of my wardrobe is made of hand-me-downs or thrift-store clothes. It's the way we've rolled for years.

3.} Don't buy it unless you are absolutely certain you'll wear it: This is something I've had to train myself to do. I'll find a shirt or skirt and put it in my basket because it'll work, but when I look at it five minutes later I give it a good going-over. Does this color look good on me? Does this style look good on me? Will I actually wear it? Sometimes the shirt or skirt is just plain ugly. Don't stress about not buying it--you'd do much better to save your five dollars and spend it on something you'll actually get some use out of. We all have that graveyard-in-the-closet where those bad choices dwell. It's full enough already.

4.} When buying new clothes, keep in mind the clothes you already have: Mama taught me a long time ago to be wise in choosing clothes, even if it fits and it's pretty. Sometimes I'll pick up the most beautiful skirt but after considering it, I realize I have nothing that would match with it, it isn't a very versatile thing, and unless I am okay wearing the same exact outfit eight times to church this summer, I really shouldn't buy it. It's hard to do, but in the end when you consider everything you could do with a different item, you'll cheer up.

Someday when you marry that millionaire you can splurge. ;)

5.} Think simple, then snazzy: If you've got the chance to buy four items of clothing, pick three that are simple, multipurpose colors/styles, and one accent piece. You'll find you can stretch out your out-fits pairing the things you have at home with these new pieces. While the accent pieces are fun and necessary, if you bought four accent pieces you might find you didn't have anything to match and instead of opening up a whole new batch of possibilities, you'd limit yourself severely in comparison.

 The striped skirt could be the accent piece you buy, but the grey top can be re-purposed so many ways!

6.} Accessorize as much as you can: (And no, I don't mean all at once.) Look for belts, long necklaces, sweater, shrugs, vests...anything you can think of that is versatile and will change the look of an otherwise drab outfit.

The neat thing about most accessories is that you can wear them with multiple outfits and if you look hard enough they are not expensive. (and necklaces and belts are not that expensive to begin with!) You'll be surprised how much wider your range of outfits will be just by introducing a new piece or two.

7.} Watch the sales racks: this is an area I haven't explored much because I don't have time to frequent Cato and Belk and other stores that have great sales. But many of my girl-friends tell me that the sales can be killer if you just lurk around long enough. I imagine this would be a fabulous time to get some of the things you'd not be able to afford otherwise. Splurge on a bit of a wild, works-with-one-outfit kind of thing here!

8.} Blink, wink, and think: Sometimes you get to the point where there is not a red cent to your name and you're sick to death of every outfit you've put together. Now is the time to get creative with the clothes you do have. Set out some of your clothes in their usual outfits. Then separate them into piles of tops and bottoms. Try mixing and matching and see what you come up with. Often you'll find a color combo you'd never have thought of! (stay tuned to see the Blue Peacock Whimsy outfit I rummaged up a few Sundays ago.) The important thing here is not to over-think it. Cross your eyes if you have to. But I guarantee that you'll come up with something wearable.

I hope these pointers have aided you in remembering to dress well even when you feel poor as Job's turkey! What are some of your tips and tricks? <3

Glorious Blues: eShakti product review!

When I contacted Ms. Jennifer Mayer of eShakti about doing a dress review, I had not expected she would take me up on the offer. But when I got the very prompt email that eShakti would indeed be pleased if I would feature one of their beautiful dresses on this blog, I was estatic. After much debating over the gorgeous array of items on the website, I picked my poison:

 (caught mid-spin, eh?)

One of the first things about eShakti that greatly impressed me was the promptness of all communications: Ms. Mayer got back with me extremely quickly and the order was filled and shipped soon after. The coolest thing about this up-and-coming company is that they exist just to provide custom clothing for you. Of course you can buy ready-made sizes, but there are also slots for nearly every measurement that you can fill in with your own particular sizes. Beyond custom fitting you can also choose various alterations to the styles of the dresses ( neckline, sleeve, length, etc.) for a very reasonable price.

My dress was ordered and I waited eagerly for it. Within a week and a half I got an email that my dress had shipped from the site in India....the next day it was at my doorstep. I was astonished (and ecstatic!) that service was so fast! I pulled the dress out of the packaging, and with the consideration an relatively experienced seamstress weighed the garment in my hand. It was amazingly well-made, and the dress felt nice. It looked amazing too, but I was even more impressed with the handiwork. I fell deeper in love when I found the hidden pockets! Two big deep ones that could hold a cell-phone or lip-gloss or whatever! <3

The only slight glitch I had with the product is no fault of eShakti itself--the sweet-heart neckline was too low for me, so I ripped some lace off an old slip and pinned it inside to make a little more modest.

All told, eShakti now has my full, enlightened, applauding approval and I say "get thee a dress as soon as can be!" The shop is full to bursting with glorious styles for this Autumn Season!

Lots to Love: Dressing for your body-type

A huge component of dressing well is knowing what looks good on you. And I'm not talking about colors here. I'm talking about styles. This is something that I have had to learn over the years as my fashion-sense has grown and matured.
Now, there are some fortunate women who look great in anything they put on. They have a body type that lends itself to any outfit. Such are the women we sigh over and wish we resembled. But if God created us and created our particular body-type, then I know that He wants us to do our best to dress that body-type in the clothes that suit it. I myself am what I've termed a "Robust Hourglass." I have a waist and hips and they are defined enough, but certainly not what you'd call willow-y. :)

So let's pretend to dress up a young woman with ample curves who could even possibly stand to lose some weight. (I am one of them, so this is a lesson from my personal experience. :)

Take Example A:

She is standing kinda funny anyway, but these skinny-jeans definitely accentuate the fact that Model A is a plump person. Plus, wide-stripes running across her middle aren't that flattering. She's going for the slim look of wearing dark-bottoms, but she forgot to take into account the style of pants she ought to wear. If you have toothpick legs, by all means, wear straight-leg jeans but if you've got some to spare, try taking notes from Example B:

Haha! Look--They're standing the same way too--bonus points! {Is that the same model? Nah..don't think so.}This model, like Model A is wearing horizontal stripes. But Model B did something neat and broke up the stripes with another garment, thus directing the eyes away from the side-to-side view. I love the combination of patterns and the colors. Model B chose a really good pair of jeans for her build too. Bell-bottom, boot-cut, and flare jeans are all the best choices for a robust hour-glass figure or a pear-shape because they balance the effect of the hips by flaring out at the bottoms themselves, resulting a slimmer, more proportionate look.

Now that we've covered jeans/slacks, let's move on to skirts and dresses! Quite frankly this...

...is just not real flattering. 

It's a sheath dress and sheath dresses are generally formatted for tall, slim girls. Not the hippies. (Pun intended. ;)

I don't like short dresses anyway, but especially not on a heftier frame. I mean, honestly. It just kinda points out all the places you aren't looking your best. (And goodness--I know I keep using the same model, but she's just got every example I'm looking for, so sorry. :P) Instead, if you've got curves you ought to stick to what actually looks good on your type:

A pretty, classy skirt and blouse with a belt. Definitely flattering.

 I mean, she looks beautiful in this dress!

Maxi dresses, peasant gowns, princess dresses, Greek-inspired gowns, like the one above, longer shirt-dresses...these are made for women with our body types! Stop trying to squeeze into the teeny-tiny things that only make you feel like a sausage in a casing, and start buying things that suit your figure! I promise you that wearing something that actually fits in the right places will automatically make you feel more confident and pretty.

There are so many beautiful pieces of clothing that you can wear and that will actually be flattering...not fattening. Here are just some of my favorites I've pinned onto my Fabulous Wearables Pinterest Board. :) Pairing items of clothing like a blouse with a sweater or belt is another trick to break up the figure and draw attention away from your "problem" areas like a not-so-thin waist or plumpish arms. ;)

I absolutely love the style of this gown, though I'd personally choose a brighter color!

So, dear girls, let's all try to learn our body type and think before we wear something that just wasn't made the way we were. Each and every style of body is a beautiful creation of God and it's a responsibility of ours to present ourselves beautifully each day. Whether you were blessed to be able to wear every single style or whether you're better off choosing carefully, pick things that fit you and your type--not that the world says you ought to wear. 

{My Style}: Bicycle Built for Two

Today was another casual day--by virtue of the duties required of me, the fact that I am not going out, and the other fact that I'm marathon-writing to finish my book, I didn't feel like going fancy.
Today you'll see two pieces that don't belong to me. They belong to Sarah. And Sarah was at work today.
"Sarah," I asked her in my head, "Will you let me borrow your shoes and your shirt?" and Sarah was generous and lovely {as she usually is} and agreed. So that is why this outfit is dedicated to her.

Courtesy of living in a farmer's field. No shade except smack-dab against the house.

Love my blue-thing! I don't even know what the real name for it is...

Very simple hair-do. Teeny beginning of a French-braid pinned with a sparkly bobby.

Close-up on the CUTE graphics on this top!

I love this bicycle-shirt of Sarah's! I found it for her at the thrift-store not too long ago, but back then it didn't fit me. Now it does because of an excellent little thing called a Shrinkage Plan, and I'm wishing I'd kept it. ;) I love the French-market feel of the shirt. Graphic-tees are so much fun--I am keeping my eye out for more next time I go thrift-store shopping.

Aren't these the most darling shoes? They are sort of wedge-converses and perfect footwear for a casual, cute outfit! I think we found them at a thrift-store. 

In the next two pictures I was attempting to show you the way I did my makeup today. Oh well. You can't really see it. But I used some of the things I showed you yesterday (some of those were wakeup-calls for me too) and used a pinkish-purplish color on the lids and used heavier eyeliner than usual to make my lashes look longer. :)  I am very pleased. 

What's your style for today?