The other day, when the twins and I were stranded in St. Paul, we decided to tour the old James J. Hill Mansion. I was of course wearing my usual attire: black shirt, gray skirt, and black boots.
And naturally I was minding my own business during this tour, politely listening to our Tour Guide in his ponytail, pink button-up shirt, and skinny jeans.
As we were entering the bed chamber and bathroom of the Mr. James J. Hill’s wife, our Tour Guide commented on the lack of a shower.
He glibly remarked, “You’ll notice, if you look into Mrs. Hill’s bathroom, that you will not see a shower, but rather only a bathtub. In fact, none of her daughters’ bathrooms have showers either, but all the boys do, as well as James Hill. This was because it was thought that if a woman were to take a shower, she may suddenly want to wear…”
He dramatically paused and then smirked, “pants.”
At this point, the Tour Guide grinned and looked directly at me, the only woman wearing a skirt in our group, and then remarked, “You probably don’t have a shower in your home?”
He winked at me and went on, “Watch out for those showers, ladies!”
Honestly, it took all my self-control to hold back an eye roll. Instead, I just interiorly rolled my eyes, for he meant his comment as a slight to any woman who would be backwards enough to prefer the chains of feminine attire.
Well, I do prefer dressing in a feminine way. I like skirts, and I like dresses. And I can really think of two main reasons why this is so:
- I am a woman after all, and I like how skirts and dresses make me feel. I like feeling feminine. Why is that such a bad thing in our culture anyway? Why must we all be the same?
- I’ve noticed that when I do “dress up,” I feel better about everything. My morale goes up. I’m happier. I’m a better wife and a better mother.
For the record, I do own one pair of jeans and one pair of black pants, which I do wear from time-to-time…even though I don’t like them.
Today, however, in honor of my Condescending Tour Guide I want to offer a challenge to any ladies out there who may have never given skirts or dresses a chance. I challenge you to a 30-Day Skirt-Wearing Fiesta. (Or Dress-Wearing Fiesta.)
30-Day Skirt-Wearing Fiesta Guidelines
- Wear a skirt (or dress) for 30 days in a row.
- Notice how it makes you feel. Uncomfortable? Pretty? Frumpy? Feminine? Whatever.
- Does anyone treat you differently because you’re “dressed up” in a seriously “dressed down” culture?
- Write these things down daily. Keep a journal.
- At the end of 30 days, review your thoughts, and let me know what you think. I’m genuinely curious, for I realize that skirts and dresses are not everyone’s cup of tea.
I Did Not Grow Up Wearing Them Either
By the way, I never used to wear skirts every day. It just sort-of grew on me over the years, but I suppose it began about 15 years ago in grad school. I had a friend who consistently wore skirts, and she always looked so well put-together. Later she married and everlastingly wore the same thing: a black pencil skirt and a collared, button-up shirt. I can tell you, her presence commanded more respect and awe than if she had chosen to wear sweatpants and t-shirts.
In any case, I’ll close this post with photos and comments of my 4 skirts that I wear every single day. (I’ve also got a few nicer skirts and dresses for Mass…but I don’t feel like trying those on right now.)
Skirt #1
This is my newest skirt, which I bought at Christopher and Banks for about $45 earlier this year. (It’s still available HERE on their website.) I like the jean material because it’s stiff. I don’t like flimsy material of any kind. The buttons that you see running down the front are deceiving, as they don’t actually unbutton. I also like this skirt because of its length. It’s great for any season. You’ll notice that all my skirts are this length, which is intentional.
Skirt #2
I purchased this skirt for a few dollars at Clothes Mentor, a second-hand store. I’ve had it for a few years, and I still like it, even though I’m not a huge fan of brown.
Skirt #3
I bought this skirt probably 7 or 8 years ago at Christopher and Banks. I don’t remember how much I paid for it. It’s also jean material, like the first skirt. (I clearly like jean material, even if some may think it nerdy.) I realize that when I wear this skirt, I’ve likely got “Homeschool Mom” tattooed on my forehead, but I don’t care.
Skirt #4
Lastly, you’ve already seen this skirt. It was also purchased at Christopher and Banks 7 or 8 years ago, and I still like it, in spite of Condescending Tour Guides.
If you’ve got any other clothing-related questions, be sure to ask! Or, if you’d like a tour of my closet, click HERE.
For those of you who may be new here, I’ve also got some other thoughts on clothing and modesty HERE.
