After the Pioneer Day, I heard several women say sadly that they wish they had been born in a different time, particularly because of the clothing. The costumes we wore, even with stays and corsets, were surprisingly comfortable and elegant feeling. Here are some from Cattle Kate http://www.cattlekate.com/womenswear.html This one on the left is called the walking jacket, and the blue one is "Tea Party Dress," and the These patterns found in the costume sections of the sewing pattern books at fabric stores, are not difficult to make.
So, to answer the sorrowful comment about being born at the wrong time, I would say that you are born at the right time. Perhaps a lot of you are here, like Esther was in her time, for just this sort of thing: to help bring back some decency and beauty into the scene. I was looking at old photographs of the Pioneer era, and in close ups of the streets of the towns and cities where both men, women and children were freely walking around, saw not one bit of immodesty in any one of these photographs, compared to the same streets of the same towns today. If you like these fashions, just wear them. You might have been brought here for such a time as this.
There are clothes available that follow the same principles of line and beauty that these clothes have, so you can still dress nicely and modestly without looking like you are from the 1800's. April Cornell is popular now, with all the feminine trims, and the shawls and accessories are most appealing. http://www.aprilcornell.com/
Another from Victorian Cowgirl: there are many patterns available that could easily be sewn into garments similar to these. Check out their wedding gallery also.
From http://www.recollections.biz/ there are a couple of nice outfits, and http://www.victoriancowgirl.com/gallery.htm has beautiful suits, gowns, every day dresses. This is from Victorian Cowgirl:
1 comment:
I loved your articles on feminine modesty both here and at www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com though I consider myself a feminist.....Is www.guardthehome.blogspot.com also ur blog? I did'nt find it in the blogroll like Lovely Whatevers so I wondered. And can you pl add www.passionatehomemaking.com to your blogroll. Lindsay Edmonds is a beautiful person and I check her blog regularly.
I think she's a fan of your blog, because thats how I stumbled upon your blog. She had given a link to ur site on creative boxes. She's also a friend of Mrs June Fuentes @ http://proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/
I thought I'd share a few thoughts with you. When I was in college, it was the cool, hep thing to wear jeans and western attire. The guys would always be hanging around with such 'cool, hep girls. But my mother never let me wear anything but traditional Indian clothes, because she told me "I was a Christian and she did'nt want anyone getting ideas."
And she also would'nt let me go out with boys. She said we had a phone at home, if I had anything to say to any guy, I could do so from home and in privacy.
At that time I thought my mother was ridiculous, because even our pastor's daughters used to wear jeans and everybody dated guys. I used to have tiffs with my mother, because my grandparents and cousins sometimes used to gift me t-shirts and pants and I could'nt wear any of it, except at home or while walking the dogs.
Later, after I finished my under-graduate studies and started pursuing my masters, I found there were not too many 'cool, hep' girls in class anymore. All the girls, who were serious about studying, had better things to do than bother about their clothes.
But it was only after I became a teacher at vacation bible school and started working that I realised the importance of 'sensible clothes.' At the Bible school, everyone dressed nicely but modestly. And I was also expected to dress well. Earlier, I was careless about appearances, but I realised if I wanted my students to be nice, modest and polite, I had better set them the example.
At the age of 21, without ever having gone man-hunting, I met my husband and married him. While my more liberal, but boy-crazy friends are still unmarried. One of my friends, after two relationships had gone awry, came to my house and told me, "I was a lucky bitch to have a faithful husband." But then luck has nothing to do with it. If I had partied, gone to pubs, drunk the whole night..I would have met someone with similar interests. I forwarded a few of your articles to her. She's not a Christian, but she's currently down in the dumps and I'm trying to cheer her up.
I wish you would write a few articles on how to stop feeling guilty for the past. Some of my friends always accuse me of not having lived it, to know how it feels. They say I have had a protected life with nothing to worry about.
I also have now reconnected with most of my college friends. My friends earlier used to tease me for being old-fashioned and weird. But now I find they really respect me and always call me when in trouble. I find myself doing free counselling for so many people.
I only wish girls would realise its very easy to get attention, but its quite a slow and long process to gain respect.
God Bless you Lydia for the good work your doing on the net
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