"When Queens Ride By"

A friend of mine just made me aware of the short story: "When Queens Ride By", and I found the entire story posted here. Please, oh, please, if you haven't read it before, take the time to read it now. I was so touched by it, and I know you will be too. If you'd like to own the story, by Agnes Slight Turnbull (1888), you can find it here.

"Ladies' Days" in the Old Days Had to be Green

"Women of ancient cultures couldn’t buy feminine hygiene products at the supermarket or drugstore chain, so they improvised, fashioning them instead out of various natural and biodegradable materials — from papyrus and wool to grasses and vegetable fibers. Modern women, however, have relied on a variety of disposable products that create significant after-use waste and can also be dangerous to their health. "

An article on the use of feminine hygiene products, aimed at modern women of all types. It made me think of what the ladies in the old days must have done, and still retained their ladyship. I won't research that particular thing, but I will pass on the link to this article. Being earth friendly during times when you just want to be alone...

Please read: Greener and Healthier Feminine Hygiene

Modesty in the news

Ya, ya. More on modest fashions. I got the google alert set on it.

"Girls Gone Mild(er)? A New Modesty Movement" in Newsweek. Including a secular point of view. Concluding paragraph:

What makes the movement unique, according to Shalit, is that it's the adults who are often pushing sexual boundaries, and the kids who are slamming on the brakes. "Well-meaning experts and parents say that they understand kids' wanting to be 'bad' instead of 'good'," she writes in her book. "Yet this reversal of adults' expectations is often experienced not as a gift of freedom but a new kind of oppression." Which just may prove that rebelling against Mom and Dad is one trend that will never go out of style.

Links mentioned in the article:

Pure Fashion - a Celebration of Style and Virtue

Modest Apparel USA - "Because a modest woman is a beautiful woman"

Modest By Design - "Clothing your father would approve of"

Dress Modestly - "Modest AND in style"

Eliza Magazine - [a little more on the wild side, but not as wild as some other fashion mags - LM]

Shade Clothing - "founded by two Mormon women wanting trendy, but not-revealing, clothes"

Miss Utah's one-piece bathing suit entry - article from local KUTV

Modesty Zone - "for good girls in hiding, everywhere," a website by Wendy Shalit, author of "Girls Gone Mild"

Flapper, by Joshua Zeitz - A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern

Dressing with Joy at the Wedding

above image of a 1988 wedding from fashion-era.com

Alternatives to modern barely-there swim wear are available, as I reported in an earlier entry, "Dress with Joy this Swimwear Season."

Alternatives to modern "sexy" bridal gowns are also available. I'm sure there is a listing somewhere else as well (such as at ModestClothes.com/modest formal dresses), but I'll provide here a list of some websites with beautiful photos of bridal gowns that glorify the purity and beauty of a new bride. Most of these sites also provide dresses for the bridal party, as well as formal wear for other special occasions.

[Personal note: after reading several articles about and praying about living modestly and simply, as in the previous articles, I think that it is also possible to buy, borrow, rent or make a wedding dress for a modest amount of money; but you must look carefully and think creatively. You may even consider breaking the whole "bridal gown" tradition in favour of using what would have been spent on a gown for good works; but that, of course, is up to you.] above image from BridalImage.com

Let me first remind you of my understanding of my thoughts on dressing with joy and pride when appearing in a formal situation:

* You don't need to be undressed to be pretty. Please have a look at these websites, and any others you can find in a web-search on "modest wedding gowns". The ladies that you see are extremely beautiful and classy. right image from Eternitygowns.com

* Dressing discretely at your wedding does not mean that you are ashamed of the body you are presenting to your new husband. The Christian lady will remember the description of the holy city being "adorned as a bride" for her husband, Christ. There is a sense of glory, beauty, wonder and even splendor in being dressed for him. The description of the woman's breasts as being something to satisfy really are directed toward her husband and no one else. He should be able to "rejoice in the wife of his youth" and be satisfied with her breasts - can he do that if everyone else is rejoicing in them too? If either the bride or the groom wants to show off what he's got, that is considered pride, and it also places her body as a prize rather than something which he will cherish as precious and special for him alone (as illustrated in Song of Solomon).

* Men do not just need to learn to live with women baring their chests in public. They really don't.image from Allposters.com
Here's an article on how to pick your modest bridal gown: "Modest Wedding Dresses for Every Kind of Girl," from Buzzle.com, which begins with these lines: "I think it would be safe to say that today most brides prefer sleeveless wedding dresses. However, you might be surprised to know that many brides prefer modest wedding dresses and you might be even more surprised that they look lovely in them." (This article was written in January 2007) Published in January 2006, is "The Hunt for a Modest Wedding Dress", showing that women were looking for alternatives to the modern styles without being "frowsy" a long time ago, such as online sites, what to tell your seamstress, or how to do it yourself. You see, it is not impossible to retain your modesty and dignity if you really want to. See also the articles under the topic "Modest Wedding Dress" at LoveToKnow.com, for more descriptions and help on finding the perfect dress for your once in a lifetime occasion.

None of the following websites paid me for promoting them. The fact that these are listed does not mean that you will approve of every thing that you see, nor need you. These websites are merely provided to present you with a list of some of what IS available as an alternative to the modern strapless or very low cut bridal gown. This list is also not a complete list, and does not include dresses for sale on ebay or craigslist.org. Please, pass on the link to this article if you know of anyone who says, "But there just AREN'T any decent wedding gowns out there!"

Totally Modest
Latter Day Brides
Victoria's Bridal
Eternity
Kathleen's Bridal
Simply Elegant
A Formal Choice
Bonny; Bliss collection
The Bridal Online Store
Gowns by Simple Elegance
Anastasia Modest Bridal
Dress of a Lifetime
Carilynn's Modest Wedding Collection
Lydia of Purple
Katrina Marie Designs
Bridal Fantasies
Legacy Bridal
Simcha Wear

Living Modestly, in another sense

The Walled Garden posted some wonderful thoughts about living more "modestly", in the sense that was brought up in the article I posted the other day called "the 13th Sunday" (see previous post). Her article refers to sponsorship of someone in need, and may seem to be from only a "Roman Catholic" perspective - but we all know that there is some lovely Truth in living simply. The more I have, the less I can do; do you see? "If you want to see what children can do, you must stop giving them things," wrote Norman Douglas.

I know that some people feel that a truly old-fashioned lady has a room full of fru-fru and antiques and lots of other bric a brac. To quote an old-fashioned song, "It ain't necessarily so." Give some further thought to living modestly, in other ways than merely dressing appropriately.