The special occasion of a wedding or graduation calls for you to wear something lovely! It calls for dressing up.
With that season coming upon us, I’ve been thinking a lot about what to wear. As I get older, I sometimes have to put a good bit of effort into attire so I’m not feeling frumpy. As we work on the heart issues of modesty, let’s also turn our attention to the exterior for a few moments.
It has been so much fun looking for clothes that are graceful and feminine, and yet don’t cause us to be despised in the eyes of the world. Happily, there are many women and girls who are standing up to the current downhill slide and saying, “No, I will hold the line!”
Have fun scrolling through some church to wedding to black tie event ideas for your busy schedule.
There are over 30 examples of gorgeous outfits in this post – from a slightly dressier event where you want to look feminine and beautiful to getting all decked out for a prom or party!
From Casual Dressy to Black Tie
For church, I dress nicely, but don’t get terribly fancy. I work in special needs and need freedom to move but still want to go to worship afterwards looking my best. I usually opt for mix and match. (I like to wear a midi and can still chase around with my kids! I always wear flats but also do resort to nice jeans.)
Mix and match is what you make it. It can be very, very laid back and super casual or more uptown.
Mix and match (with any skirt length you prefer) is so easy to do and it is definitely the trend in clothing. Mix and match adds flexibility. This combination is classic, and it should be slimming at the hips with a lighter color on top and the darker (minimizing) at the bottom. Navy, red, and a spring floral cardigan:
Summer weight midi skirt (wear with a slip) and understated, but classic matching cardigan. Somehow the cardigan minimizes my waist. Light-colored shoes lengthen and add height. Black shoes would make this look awkward.
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Caroline from Modest Mom writes, “My sister and I went shopping after our mother passed away for outfits to wear to her memorial service. This is the outfit my sister ended up picking out and wearing (the picture is from Easter Sunday). My mother loved pink, so we both wore that color instead of the traditional black in honor of her.”
This is a great example of how to wear a little sweater or shrug over a sleeveless dress.
Here’s a pretty idea from Pinterest.
My friend calls her gorgeous, handmade dress the Gina dress…
April Cornell has always made such feminine clothing.
Try it on: Lean over, bend, sit, cross your legs…
Every outfit is different. Before you buy anything, if at all possible, always try it on. Lean over, bend, sit, cross your legs. I could have saved myself so much time and effort if I had made that my rule.
Just a thought on this photo below…the solid black top broadens the shoulders. But the tiny print (not a big, busy print), in this case, tiny polka dots, slims and seems to visually shrink the midriff. Will this optical illusion work in every case? No.
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Another fabulous dressy look!
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Classic and pretty ~
with dressy little bow shoes ~
I can think of two reasons for a little shrug or a cardigan. One would be extra coverage for a sleeveless or tighter fitting bodice and the other for chilly weather. But even without those reasons, a simple, classic cardigan over a dress or tailored shirt and blouse makes me the least self-conscious. I want always to dress so I can focus on others and not myself.
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I love this ruffled Georgette dress and this lemon print dupioni midi dress from eShakti for summer. Carry a light accessorizing cardigan for a cool evening if you wish. Both can be customized by adding sleeves, changing the length, neckline, etc.
Sachiko named her J. Crew inspired dress the ‘Ivory Sunlight Dress’. She made it for $13.00 with a 40% off coupon at Joann’s. Here is her tutorial.
That Little Black Dress!
A classic black dress used to be a staple item in a woman’s wardrobe. Hopefully, it still is!
It is slimming to ALL figures if it fits well. Black slims and white expands. For those of you who have commented on having a problem with weight and feeling you don’t look nice in a dress, black is a good place to start. Avoid a gathered waist or one that is pleated and stay with an smooth-laying A-line skirt for the best visual slimming.
This is knock-dead gorgeous, (but modest). You don’t have to reveal your jewels to sparkle!
eShakti makes gorgeous dresses tailored to YOU!
While I am not an affiliate, I want to make you aware of this cool company! You can make sleeve, neckline and skirt cut changes which makes it absolutely a dream to choose your own personal style at a decent price. We (my daughter and I) have purchased a number of garments from eShakti and have been super pleased at the great quality!
This figure-flattering floral print party dress is dupioni and cotton knit! You can change up the neckline, by the way! If you are a new customer, you get a $35. gift coupon!
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While not for a black tie event, I found this particularly dreamy and feminine. Using a Jennie Chancey Sense & Sensibility pattern, I don’t think this would be so very difficult to sew.
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Is There Such Thing as a Modest Prom Dress Today?
To many teenagers, there’s nothing more iconic than the prom. The night lets youngins dress up and act like swanky adults until curfew — or at least that’s what every teen movie from the ’90s taught us. It’s no wonder that choosing an outfit for this evening is kind of a big deal. Prom dress shopping is a rite of passage in itself for many, and trying on magical gowns and flowing skirts is a dream — but some of the gowns out there are more like a nightmare.
Prom dresses today seem more like nightclub attire than for a prom, but you can help rectify that by a deeper search for truly beautiful ones. They do exist!
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Wedding Day
For that so very important day of your wedding, make sure you are totally comfortable in your dress. What I am saying is this: make sure it fits your personality. Comfortable doesn’t need to equate to expensive.
A dress that is modest and well-made will prevent a show when you lean over to kiss a flower girl or buttons that pop off as you hug Aunt Ann.
Above all things put on love
~ Colossians 3:14
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There are gorgeous yet modest wedding dresses to be found. Don’t despair and give up too quickly. You will have to live with that dress in the photos for the rest of your life, and your daughter will likely get some of her thoughts on modesty based on what you wore in your wedding.
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“A modest dress is a very good thing, if it be the genuine indication of a humble heart, and is to instruct; but it is a bad thing if it be the hypocritical disguise of a proud ambitious heart, and is to deceive. Let men {man or womankind} be really as good as they seem to be, but not seem to be better than really they are.” ~ Matthew Henry
Click the ‘Portrait Of Feminine Dress’ button above to find links for the earlier posts 1-6 and more ⇑
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