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Outdoor Activities and Exercise: A Portrait Of Feminine Dress

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There is so much to enjoy outdoors, but you don’t have to look frumpy or random to fully enjoy and be comfortable swimming, biking or trekking wild coastal waters, woodlands, pastures, or country roads.

I am showing both pant styles and skirts (for those who prefer them). We will not be discussing modesty in this post. Here are ideas for you elegantly curved, plus-sized women.

First, The More Decidedly Feminine Outdoor Ideas

Bring a little romance and beauty to your life. Here is Tara’s lovely 1940s sundress -her creation for the beach. How clever to have a dress that can double for dressier or for a stroll beside the crashing waves… and you can always wear your skimpier suit underneath for your husband when the beach is yours alone!

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, 1940s on the beach, yellow sun dress, modest, feminine(A Lass of Yesteryear)

Shannon is making a splash with this very cute nautical bathing suit of her own creation. For years now, she has made an impact on my young daughter’s taste by sharing her creative sewing skills and ideas on feminine dress. Thank you, dear Shannon 🙂

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, modest swim attire, 1940s style, beach wear

This looks like a painting, but it’s not…it’s from Aspiring Homemaker. Their family shared a sunrise picnic on the beach before the crowds arrived. I can’t imagine anything more lovely than an early breakfast as the sun ascends into the sky.

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, woman strolling the beach at dawn or sunset, Aspiring Homemakers, in skirt, modest

In Paris, France, this young lady was photographed dressing with modest and classic good taste. I wonder, is she heading to la boulangerie (the bakery) ? She looks so typically French!

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, France, Paris,

 (source)

Pairing capris and leggings with a wrap-dress is a classic idea. This collection is from the UK.

There have been a lot of reader questions about footwear…and how to look great in a skirt. In the summer, we wear nice flip-flops quite a bit, and they go with everything unless it is dressy. Crocs as foot wear are a cute, comfortable, and a quick on-and-off shoe for treks and also some casual situations.

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, Linen Pantaloons in colour PISTACHIO, Susan Dashwood, New Verity Hope  (Susannah Dashwood Etsy)

Such a dreamy, whimsical look.

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, Berkshire

( Susannah Dashwood Etsy)

Homestead and outdoor friendly, this is helpful for gardening, keeping chickens, long walks with the children to catch tadpoles, and work on nature journals where long flowing skirts just aren’t practical. On some of our home-school treks into the wilds, I would get tangled up in vines and thorns or covered with burrs, so I had to rethink what I wore! Lol

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful,

The Kitty Pinafore

This is a fresh idea for your young ladies.

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, young girls riding bike for two, (source)

There is something refreshing to see a mother and daughter coordinate outfits. We still coordinate color in our home occasionally.

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, April Cornell, mother and daughter outfits, blouse and skirt combo, feminine, modest(source)

Riding on a horse in a skirt is not unsafe, unless you don’t know how to ride 🙂 These ladies have done this together for years and always in skirts.

There are times when you just need to get out and work with your animals or help with the birth of a calf! A sturdy woman can handle it, maybe in a skirt, and maybe not. With a shorter skirt, you need not fall over yourself! Ha.

cowgirl, modest work clothes, active wear,

(source)

Now, Sportier Active Outdoor Wear

You can look put-together (even though you may not totally feel it) romping with the children in the great outdoor. It is often the best form of exercise.

These are pieces that can cover areas we want to minimize and can be worn all day long and stand up to the “use and abuse” of serious adventures. As a woman, you’ll appreciate clothing that is worth our hard-earned money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can still look adorable outdoor for snowy days. Go build a snowman and throw snowballs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muck boots can make an casual outdoor statement look.

(Source)You can still look feminine and trendy out in the rugged hill country or camping!

There is some really cute swimwear out there now, too, although a bit more expensive than a bikini that you could floss with. It doesn’t have to billed as ‘modest’. I think it is well worth it, and the fabrics are wonderful.

A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful, HydroChic, ultra chlorine-proof swimwear, fitness skirt

(source)

As much time as we spend outdoor walking, running, swimming and biking, we have had to find cute, practical and fun ways to dress. Hope these give you some ideas!

 “Being a woman doesn’t make me a different kind of Christian, but being a Christian makes me a different kind of woman.” ~ Elisabeth Elliot

Pin It! Pin It!

 A Portrait Of Feminine Dress, Part 3 ~ Outdoor Activities and Exercise, Susan Dashwood, Verity Hope dress, Kitty pinafore, horse riding in skirts, exercise outfits, modest, feminine, sundress, beach wear, pantaloons, Christian women, Elizabeth Elliot, quote, mother and daughter, homestead, swimwear, homemade, homemaking, keeper at home, bicycle for two, culottes, horse riding in skirts, simpler time, athletic wear, exercise wear, active wear, Aspiring Homemaker, Marie-Madeline Studio, Hydro Chic swimwear, pretty, beautiful,   

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Thanks for reading!

Jacqueline
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Comments

  1. What lovely pictures that inspire a lovely dress and attitude 🙂

    I especially loved the pinafore look (haven’t seen that before)… My daughter and I made some split skirts a while back for our horseback riding ventures which was a lot of fun. Before that we always wore leggings underneath which are excellent back up! 🙂 We have hiked, horse-back rode, played sports with great success…

    Wonderful series and thanks for sharing!

  2. “a bikini that you could floss with”

    thanks for the laugh this morning! 🙂
    amanda

  4. Shalom,
    Thank you for this post with all these great ideas! I will say my biggest struggle is SHOES, because I don’t want to wear tennis shoes with a skirt when I am exercising. Many of these pictures had the feet chopped off or were barefoot 🙁 Does anyone have some suggestions?
    Shalom and thanks,
    Moira

      • I second the Croc idea. I LOVE my mary jane crocs so much! They are comfortable and easy to slip on. I also have 2 different styles of croc flip flops that are comfortable too. 🙂

  5. Wonderful photos and resource links! Thank you.

    Swimwear is always a challenge, I am going to check out your link to the swimskirts.

    I have enjoyed this series.

  8. Very funny words about the bikinis. Skimpy enough to floss with is comical but unfortunately true.

  10. Beautiful! But running around among the thorns and thistles in those beautiful clothes would make me cringe.

    “Bikinis you can floss with” is a wonderful line! 🙂

  13. My oldest daughter is 14 and already developed into a lovely young lady.We wear a very similar style and we still wear/make matching clothes. She is a little less frilly than I am so she usually doesn’t accessorize as much as I. I am having a blessed time reading this series.

    • I am delighted to hear that you and your daughter are having fun and enjoying each other! My daughter was talking about the same thing yesterday…she said it would be so hard for her (since we are so close in taste musically and in fashion)to have a daughter who was extremely different in taste…

  14. What lovely pictures and beautiful ways of dressing. Wish these clothes were readily available. Somehow commands more respect. Not everybody wants to wear skimpy, badly made clothes.

    • Petra, it seems it is getting harder to find really well mad and cute clothing, but also, the Lord takes us to places often where we are surprised with something lovely, so we give thanks!

  15. i am having a hard time with shoes together with skirts. i want to look cute but i need a good support shoe for high arches. I hope you will address this issue. i just found you by searching wearing dresses with tennis shoes

  16. Where do you get a swimsuit like pictured above? I like it very much, but don’t know anywhere to find it.

  17. Those are all such great outfits -I found your post to be quite inspiring! I really like the modest and feminine look and want to strive for more of that in my wardrobe.

  18. Hi I live in Australia and recently came up with an idea for a modest swimsuit similar to one of your photos. Aldi stores from time to time get in stocks of knee length tights with a short skirt attached. I paired one of these with a rashie top. I also bought a pair of longer board shorts for an alternate bottom.
    I’m looking for ideas for skirts to wear casually outside, but I have a real issue with insect bites, so still wear jeans sometimes. I like pairing skirts with boots. In Australia it’s really too hot to consider wearing leggins under skirts for protection in summer, and I don’t like insect repellants. I love the modest fashion ideas on your blog.
    Claire

  19. Love your blog. We’ve been wearing dresses/skirts for years. For swimming I found a “running dress” with work-out capris works well and is comfy. Would like to know where to purchase some of the items you have pictures.

    • Susan, Many of them are photos from Pinterest and other blogs who feature a more modest look. If I could link to the source, I usually do, but it is usually difficult to find where the garments were purchased. I wish I could help.
      I love the idea of your swim attire! Blessings!

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