"All Dressed Up"

You've changed your life style and your attitute is improving. Your new way of dressing femininely in pretty skirts or dresses has given you an optimistic outlook on life. You wake up each day in love with life. You are just wearing a sturdy, practical cotton skirt, with a shirt and a vest; probably not something you would wear to church or a formal Tea. Then, someone says: "Why are you all dressed up?"

In past centuries, there have been three types of clothing: casual,(things you would wear when no on is around or when you are doing some dirty chore), semi-casual (something you would wear at home, in front of the family, when doing errands, --something that is decent and clean enough for going out into the public), and formal (something you would wear to a wedding). In short, ladies would have their nightgowns, their daywear and their formalwear. That seems uncomplicated enough for today and I see no reason to change it.



The idea was to match up the mode of dress, or the kind of clothing, to the kind of occasion (or the place) you were attending. The more formal the occasion,or the more elegant the facility, building, or home, the more formal the dress--get it?

Then, the home began being treated as though it were just a place to flop around casually, laying on the floor or sitting on top of the kitchen cabinet--who cared? The clothing began to match the casual attitudes, rather than the place or the occasion. People began to show up at weddings looking like they just surfed in from a beach party. I probably don't need to describe any other atrocious sights, as you can pretty much fill in the rest, after all you've seen of inappropriate dress in our society.

I saw things begin to change, in the 60's. I remember asking a 16 year old girl what she was going to wear to school (Years later I became a homeschooler) and she pointed to what she had on at the time--an old sweatshirt, denim cut-offs and tennis shoes. "Why should I dress up?" she asked.

When I became a homeschooler I decided to put a stop to all this nonsense. I saw kids at a very early age that were developing depression, attending the schools. We would dress up each day in semi-formal clothing. That is inbetween informal and formal, meaning not your pyjamas and not your prom dress, but clothing designed to help you work and play during a normal day. The boys wore button down shirts, sturdy pants of cotton duck and other masculine fabrics, and the daughter had skirts, blouses and vests. Mother got up in the morning and dressed up as though she was going somewhere.


I don't like changing clothes throughout the day, so I dress up well enough in the beginning, that I don't have to change into something "decent," as they say, to go to the grocery store or greet someone at the door. What I wear in the morning, has to serve me all day, so I have to be careful not to start out dressing too casually. I don't want to be embarrassed if someone comes to the door unexpectedly, or if I am suddenly needed to go somewhere in the public, so I just wear a skirt, which is appropriate for everything except climbing trees.

For years, I grew to expect the remarks of others, like, "Don't you ever wear jeans?" or "You'll have to wear something more casual if you want to come on this outing with us." Even on moving days, when we were packing up a truck, I managed to wear a skirt. What was I going to be doing, anyway, acrobatics and trampoline jumps?

I keep getting letters from women who love the feeling of wearing feminine clothing, but hate the remarks they are getting. I guess I failed to mention that it "comes with the territory." When you take a stand or turn in a different direction, you are going to get some resistance.

There are lots of elderly women who are able bodied and active, that spend tremendous amounts of money and time getting their hair clipped and coiffed, and their nails "done," who pay no attention to the rest of their appearance. They walk around in the "nursing home look" (jeans, tee shirt, reboks) revealing their unshapely bottems, and yet I wouldn't ever say to them (although I would DREAM of it) "Don't you EVER wear a dress?"

This is another painting by Susan Rios. I've got a collection of beautiful paintings by artists from the 1600's to the present, of women. Does any one think this painting would be more charming and appealing if the artist had painted her in the slop-chic that is fashionable today? Would "The Favor" by Edmund Blair Leighton, or "Waiting" by the same artist of the 1800's be such a favorite among moderns, if he had painted these women wearing jeans and tee shirts?

You might do a study of the history of jeans and pants on women. Pants come from the word "pantaloon" which was originally underwear. How did the garment known as underwear 100 years ago, become outerwear on women today? After you do some studying on the matter, you might not think jeans are so pretty. I found valuable information in looking up the Bible words "modest" and "apparel" to find their root meanings. Jeans and pants didn't match up with those definitions. As the rear end is the biggest part of the body, I think it best to disguise it. There are now garments like leggings and cuddle-duds, that you can wear under dresses, for warmth and comfort. If you do wear pants, you can make them more ladylike by wearing a longer top over them that covers the rear end.

In the comments I'll put some good replies to those remarks you get.