A delve into my past and my journey with modesty and fashion.
To help explain this post, I need to give a little peak into how I was raised. I had an unconventional childhood, in that I grew up in a conservative Christian community that had few interactions with the modern world. I am one of nine children and was raised with conservative values which included no internet, no modern TV, and dressing "modestly". That word is in quotes as I have come to believe that this word can mean very different things to different people.
Growing up, my community's definition of modesty meant skirts that fell to the ankle (no pants of any kind for women). The neckline had to be high and sleeves needed to be at least a short sleeve (no cap sleeves or sleeveless tops). While I understand that this definition of modesty works for many, I found as I grew older that it was too rigid for me. I spent too much time obsessing over whether a collar was high enough or whether my skirt was too short. With age comes wisdom and I now realize that modesty for me is not some inflexible set of rules but rather a way of living that displays my sense of values.
I still wear mostly dresses and skirts and stay away from low cut necklines. However, I believe a fashionable pair of jeans can still be modest and within my values. I also believe if it is hot out, it is acceptable to wear shorts or a dress that falls above the knees. And when swimming, I no longer cover myself in impractical layers of "modest" swimwear.
Again, I realize that this may not be everyone's definition of modest dress. And that's okay. My purpose of dressing is to display my own sense of style while still holding true to my ingrained values. This to me, is the true definition of modesty and explains why it can mean different sets of rules for different individuals. With this in mind, I've put together a collection of modest outfits below in varying degrees of length and design.
All dresses and outfits pictured are available for purchase from DesertTideBoutique.com
