Balancing Modesty and Practicality

I love Pinterest. While my husband surfs Craigslist for 20 year old trucks (he really takes the whole ‘They don’t make ’em like they used to’ thing very seriously), I am scowering for inspiration on tomorrow’s outfit. But it can be such a tease. I always seem to be attracted to the outfits with a ton of stuff going on. Is it really practical to walk around with like 5 layered necklaces, a bunch of rings, and a ton of draping layers up top like we see in the bohemian trends that are sweeping the fashion world? We see these beautiful, creative ideas and attempt to recreate designer clothing with thrifted pieces (which is do-able! don’t get me wrong). But in reality, we are not walking a runway all day. My runway consists of walking across the loading dock into the office I work at, followed by either the grocery store aisles or the walk from my car to the port-o-john to change into my running gear at the trail on the way home from work, and finally the hallway to my closet when I eventually flop home. It can be difficult to balance a practical, fashionable, and modest look every. single. day. Sometimes I want to throw my hands up and just pull the closest things I see out of the closet because seriously I don’t want to fool with the layering and the tugging and shifting and shuffling. Sometimes I put on a top and realize it needs an extra layer and I’m oh so tempted to just leave it because I’m tired and I’m running late per usual. But sometimes, changing more than once is necessary. Sometimes walking back upstairs to get another layer happens. Assuming I’m probably not the only one, I decided to experiment with some basic pieces and see how versatile they were and whether or not the look was practical and functional.

I used to be a patron of the saying ‘Beauty is pain’. But even when I’ve said that recently I’ve questioned whether that was true. I am a lot more picky in my shoe and wardrobe choices than I used to be and I’ve realized my main focus around buying something is, ‘is it something I can wear more than once and is it comfortable?‘. Choosing the right components for your wardrobe can be the most essential part of building a modest closet. If it starts off being relatively or completely modest, without an extra layer, you’ve already eliminated half the battle of bending over backwards in the mirror 5,000 times. If you can find the right balance for your fashion style and life style you’re on the road to chic success!

I’ve been reading an awesome book (I mentioned this in my previous post) called Cheap Chic. It is so enlightening and interesting. It focuses on how to have a defined style that lasts and how to achieve a look tailored to your lifestyle on a budget. I’m only about half way through right now but I’ve already learned so much. It talks essentials. How to hit sales, how re-purpose clothes and how to think out side the box with just simple basics.

Here I’ve taken a simple cardigan in a grayish tan color, a black maxi dress, belt and scarf and transformed them into a skirt/top look. For some reason I’ve been reluctant to layer over my dresses but I think this is going to become a norm for me! You can double the amount of skirts you own without spending a dime by simply layering sweaters and tops over your light-weight dresses!

I went grocery shopping, thrift shopping, cleaned my kitchen, made dirt pudding, and went to a pig roast in this very outfit. On the practicality scale of 1 to 10, this outfit scored an 11!

IMG_0711

IMG_0713

IMG_0716

This next outfit is a work ensemble I put together. I’m torn about the pants. They’re way too short (like high water status- although the pictures don’t show it very well) and I’m considering letting them go. Although this outfit was practical for a day at the office, it was a bit chilly and running errands after work I hated how the pants kept riding up my ankles when the wind blew. I liked that they were not dragging on the ground and I could wear flats without worrying about destroying the ends but I think I need about an inch and a half longer hem. I might be able to take the current hem out and top stitch them if I can’t seem to part with them though. I like the cotton top (it used to be a shirt dress but I cut it off and hemmed the bottom.) But with the weather, I wore a cardigan at the beginning of the day and when I looked in the mirror I felt like a line backer because of the bulky sleeves. This is a solid summer shirt but something less bulky and easier to layer would have been better for this season. Maybe next time I will substitute a brown dress shirt because I do like the color combo.

This outfit gets a score of 6 on the practicality scale. Less fidgeting with the length of the pants and a more layer friendly top would make this a 10 though.

IMG_0735

IMG_0736

Here is an similar alternative example for the outfit above that worked much better when I wore this at the end of summer. In the morning when it was cooler I wore my camo print jacket over a sleeveless white blouse and a pair of navy khakis (actually a different pair- I guess that answers my question on whether I can get rid of the above pair :-P) . They are long enough to wear as full length pants but loose enough to roll up into cropped pants in the warmer months. This was much more comfortable and practical. You could run errands and still look polished; meet friends for lunch or dinner and still be appropriately dressed. Yay for making this a 10 out of 10!

IMG_0026

This next outfit is a simple olive colored khaki skirt. It falls below the knee while sitting and standing and could be worn in any season with just about any shoe or boot. Paired with a thick cotton blend 3/4 length sleeve top with a fun collar makes this look practical, very modest, and fun! The cheetah print collar detail eliminates the need for neck jewelry and this attire is casual enough for errand running but dressy enough for work, bible study, or a lunch date. Paired with the right shoes for the occasion and this scores a 10 out of 10!

IMG_0358

IMG_0359IMG_0365

As you can see, these examples are all pretty simple pieces of clothing paired with the right accessories and shoes. They are practical and easy to put together and just as easy to add your own spin and style to.

Here are a few tips for keeping things practical and fashionable:

1. Keep your jewelry simple. A statement necklace is simple… when paired with simple stud earrings and maybe a ring or a simple bracelet. (I personally don’t care for matching necklace-earring sets. I never wear them together even if I buy them in a set. Pearls and diamonds are the only exceptions.) You could even swap a necklace out for a scarf! Jewelry should never be in your way though. E.g.- bangle bracelets. Oh. My. I can’t stand them. They jingle and jangle and are always in the way. Not practical in my opinion. But to each their own if you like them!

2. Always choose the right shoes for the occasion. I should be taking my own advice on this one. I always seem to get caught in a rain storm in my TOMS and snow storms in my wimpiest heels. It happens. Keep a spare pair of flats or boots in your car if you can. I could conquer the world in a pair of wedges. Heels are fine but no matter what type of insole you have in there your dogs will bark eventually. My cousin always wears heels when we shop and when her feet start hurting she says it’s time to go! 😉

3. Choose a comfortable, breathable material. Whether it be a skirt or dress or even a jacket. Make sure you can wear it all day with out it rubbing you the wrong way. Cotton blends are usually the best. Watch out for those flashy, beautiful leather jacket trends. For some reason I always feel like I’m in a constant cold sweat when I wear a ‘leather’ (in my case pleather- maybe that’s the reason) jacket. Not so comfy. I prefer a cotton or wool fitted but breathable jacket. Usually I end up just grabbing a cardigan and calling it a day when it’s warm enough out.

4. Less is more my friends. I’ve heard this my entire life and it is so true. You don’t have to be over the top to look ‘in-style’. Whatever modest style suits you is the one you should wear and thrive in! Simple is beautiful. Simple is elegant. Simple is modest.

I’d love to know how you are maintaining a simple, balanced wardrobe and style. How do you make it easier on yourself to match an outfit and what are your staple pieces you use again and again? You CAN look stylish and live a normal life… all with minimal effort! 🙂

Keep on keeping on!

cropped-modest-blondie-secondary-logo-4.png

12 Replies to “Balancing Modesty and Practicality”

  1. I have for last few years just automatically put a layer under everything. I have lace trimmed tanks in several colors which I wear backward for the higher neck. And since I mostly wear skirts, I wear bike shorts underneath (learned that from my younger sisters).

    1. Thanks for the good ideas, Livia! I like the idea of wearing camis backwards for a higher neckline! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!

      Taylor

  2. love the outfits! Makes me want to go shopping! I really don’t have much of a style in this stage of life! I always seem to have stains or some sort of goo all over me! Ha ha. I have always layered! So now I get layers of goo tee here! Anyway love the blog great tips! Thanks

    1. It_won’t let me reply in the other section. But yes that would be awesome to do a shopping extravaganza! Just let me know when u have the time!

  3. Love the outfits! Makes me want to go shopping! At this stage in life for me my style is mostly about comfort! I have always layered v my tops! I wouldn’t mind having more go to options that don’t look frumpy! I am always running late and just throw scrubs and a t shirt on! These are great tips! Love the blog!

    1. Steph, I can see why you definitely want comfort! Style is all about what you life and what is practical for your lifestyle. I’d be happy to help in any way I can! Glad you like the blog! 🙂

      Taylor

      1. Oh my goodness sorry about the double response I was using my iPad at first and it gave me trouble so I responded a second time with my phone. Oops sorry! Oh that would be amazing. One of these days I would love to meet up with you to go shopping together! !!! I could always use help! !!!!

    1. Natasha,

      I’m sure you can relate, and you’re much taller than I so you probably run into the pants problem a lot more than me! Thanks for commenting!

      -Taylor

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *