Suggestions Wanted: Modest Not Frumpy
Anyone want to weigh in on this one?
"When you have a very limited budget for clothes, are a small person, and want to dress a certain way without looking frumpy how do you do it?
I am barely 5 ft. tall and weigh about 94 lbs. Clothes do not fit right! I cannot find skirts usually that fit so I usually make them, that is not so much a problem as finding the time to make them and then which colors look neater and stay looking neater when you are a mother? What sort of fabrics hold up well with washing and wearing over and over? I wear alot of sweaters and skirts. But I have trouble getting my sweaters to stay looking nice with washing them. Any tips?
If I got to buy a shirt it is usually too long and looks sloppy. Where do you find cheaper shirts/sweaters that fit right without paying $15-20 a sweater or shirt and then not having it last long. One thing I love to do is go to JC Penny's when they discount things and get quality for a few dollars. But I would love to have a staple list of a wardrobe everyone should have!
Does anyone have one like that? For example: One black skirt, One khaki skirt, etc. -Martha"
"When you have a very limited budget for clothes, are a small person, and want to dress a certain way without looking frumpy how do you do it?
I am barely 5 ft. tall and weigh about 94 lbs. Clothes do not fit right! I cannot find skirts usually that fit so I usually make them, that is not so much a problem as finding the time to make them and then which colors look neater and stay looking neater when you are a mother? What sort of fabrics hold up well with washing and wearing over and over? I wear alot of sweaters and skirts. But I have trouble getting my sweaters to stay looking nice with washing them. Any tips?
If I got to buy a shirt it is usually too long and looks sloppy. Where do you find cheaper shirts/sweaters that fit right without paying $15-20 a sweater or shirt and then not having it last long. One thing I love to do is go to JC Penny's when they discount things and get quality for a few dollars. But I would love to have a staple list of a wardrobe everyone should have!
Does anyone have one like that? For example: One black skirt, One khaki skirt, etc. -Martha"
posted by Crystal Paine at 7:33 PM
20 Comments:
"without paying $15-20 a sweater "
With all do respect, 15-20 dollars is not that much. I mean, the place that is selling the clothes needs to make a profit. That is the whole point of the business.
I love thrift stores! I am tiny as well and it's hard to find clothes for me that aren't "teenagerish". I once found a beautiful, light blue silk skirt with the original tag ($99) for $1. I also am learning to sew...slowly. My mother didn't know how so I had no one to teach me. I have found that if you do the math...making a circle skirt is easy and inexpensive.
As for a "staple" wardrobe. For Fall and Winter I like to have these necessities:
Denim skirts
Khaki skirts
plaid wool skirts
a good pair of denim overalls for the garden
long johns for the wicked winter chill
I have lots of knit/stretch type tops in basic colors. Also, I am fan of autumn colors so I have tons of orange, brown, and maroon. It's easier for everything to be able to mix and match.
I don't do jumpers that much...they are so overused and in my opinion, kindof frumpy. Plus, you can't nurse in them!
Ash, I understand that businesses want to make a profit. But if Martha thinks that $15-20 is a lot for a sweater...then it's a lot for her. Everyone has their budget and if we live within our means we might not be able to spend that much. I think the your disclaimer "with all due respect" was negated by the rest of your post.
Crystal,
sorry I wrote so much! :)
"But if Martha thinks that $15-20 is a lot for a sweater...then it's a lot for her."
Yeah I know not everyone has 15-20 dollars, but you can't very well thinkb many places can afford to sell sweaters for that cheap unless it is clearance (which probably won't work for her size). And I don't mean to put her down because she doesn't have a high clothing budget- it isn't like I'm spending 100 a month on clothes either. I used to work at the clothing store Express. Sweaters there were easily $98 sometimes. Those sweaters didn't sale until they went on sale. But around $40 for something that is decent quality is reasonable. Martha- given your size you might try the kid's or junior’s section of some department stores. Some stores have great sales too. Since you don’t enjoy shopping you may not even be aware of some of the deals out there. Just as an example, I’m on Express’s mailing list. For my birthday they sent me a $10 gift card. Victoria Secret does the same thing. Plus Victoria Secret is always sending me coupons for free panties, no purchase required. That may be something to look into. Plus when you go in with the coupon you can find out when other bras and panties go on sale. Just get on their mailing list. Also Express has a box sale several times a year. Many times you can find last seasons clothes for under 20 dollars. I just a sweater for 14.99 and many of their cardigans were 9.99. Express clothes in extra small might very well be exactly the size you need. The only down side is so many of there clothings are dry clean only.
Those things are great! Keep it coming! I am soaking it in!
I know Ash, that is not much really to spend on clothes. I just live on a income that is less than my bare minimum and so when I get a few dollars I save it so I have enough to buy one sweater and then I want it to last is what I was saying! If I spend that money which is okay, but I want to wear it more than a few times!
So, are the company you mentioned Express, are they good quality? I have never heard of them, but I live in a smaller city in MT where we are backwoodsy! = )
I do check the girls section as I wear a girls 14 best, but sometimes they don't fit a nursing mothers body the way I want them to.
I feel your pain, Martha! I am 5'2" and 100lbs soaking wet. I can afford to spend money on clothes, but not only am I a total cheapskate, I find that price rarely equals quality in any store.
If you can do just a little sewing, even just a straight seam by hand, that will help. When I shop --at outlets, on ebay (you can get GREAT deals there), and during sales-- I only need things to fit in the bust, the shoulder, and the hips. Anything else, I can take in. If you have a tape measure and a needle and thread, you can do the same. :) This allows me to get good quality clothing for a fraction of the cost, and tailoring things myself means a better fit.
As for the clothes themselves, I find that all-natural fibers hold up better during repeated washings, and last for years longer than anything made of polyester. I stick to well-tailored pants, A-line or straight skirts (tip: if you can't find one without a slit, just sew up the slit at home), oxfords, and cardigans. Having "layering pieces" like cardigans is an excellent way to stretch any wardrobe.
Personally, I like having very few choices in clothing, and I keep it in the same color palette so that it all matches and I can just grab and go! For variety, I change around accessories. Scarves are a way to instantly change up an outfit; just tie a colorful scarf around your neck, and your outfit seems new. :) Also, when I'm tired of a shirt or sweater, I might embroider something on it; just one more way to make things pretty and extend their life.
I hope this helps! :)
I guess this suggestion has already come up, but maybe you could try the girls' departments, including their clearance. I'm 5'4" and medium weight, but I've found that girls' things are sized bigger than they used to be. I can buy specific undergarments in the girls' department, because of my size.
Krista
I bought two A-line skirts from Vessels of Mercy (you can find them on Google) earlier this year: one denim and one khaki. She makes them to your size and they are $21 (includes shipping). I was very happy with them, especially because I like mine floor-length (just because they make me feel especially feminine), and she made them as long as I wanted with no slits. We are on a limited budget, but the price is not bad at all to get exactly the size/length you want...
I can find nice tops in thrift stores, but I have a hard time finding nice long skirts there...so this worked for me, since I don't have a sewing maching right now. :-)
You may also wish to hand wash your sweaters with a mild detergent and then lay them out to dry.
Martha,
Christopher and Banks is a really good place to find things on sale. Although I am not sure about the whole size thing. Hmmm.
Their clothes are a bit expensive if you buy them at original price but I bought four skirts there this summer for between $2.99-$4.99.
I am not sure if they have the stores anywhere other than Iowa.
You might be able to find some cute tops there. They only have down to a size four for skirts and also have s,m and large jumpers.
Well, that was all I could come up with.
~Jen
While we're on topic, can anyone provide me with a link to a coherent, unified statement on modesty for Christian women? ... and I mean something concise and explicitly Christian (I have found that Jewish and Muslim sites tend to have excellent theological statements on female modesty, but what is there for us?)... in short, where do I go to find the full statement on the Christian theology of modesty?
Ash, you shop like me.
Before I had children I looked like I could've been in the starring role of "Nightmare Before Christmas." I was a rail. The only store clothes I could find was in the junior's section. Even now, it is difficult for me to find women's clothing that fit me. I wish they made grown up clothing in smaller sizes so I can dress age appropriately.
Sewing your own clothes can be expensive. I don't sew but material isn't cheap. I should learn how to mend, though.
You can get some really good deals during sales at stores like Penneys. I do all my clothing shopping there and am rarely disappointed. I even opened up an account (I just make sure we pay the bill off every month)and have saved a lot with the card during their specials.
Victoria Secret clothing catelogue does have sales at the end of the season. My sister got a beautiful dress for 20 dollars from one of the sales. The only problem with VS is that, I don't think ,a lot of the ladys here would consider most of the clothing from that store, modest. You can find them (long skirts or nice sweaters) but, it is hard and you have to be patient.
-Zan
Learn to knit. ;)
And Old Navy sells nice, plain, modest tee-shirts that go nicely with all my shirts.
Personally, I hope for a nice chunk of Birthday money. ;D
That's "go with my SKIRTS." LOL!
I'm wearing one under my caridgan in my user pic. :) $5 at Old Navy! :D
okay don't get upset I can't help it. I wear anything from a size 0 to a size 4.
I tried shopping in the girls department but I can't get anything around my hips and long sleeved shirts are always too short. I'm trying to sew all my own clothes now because it's just as expensive to sew clothes as it is to buy them in my size. I sew because I have more choices as to what to wear than if I go to buy them in a store.
My advice is to learn how to sew. Try Simplicity patterns and Sewing for Dummies. I don't know anything about sewing either but these are made for beginners. Stay away from McCall's patterns I heard those can be difficult if you don't know anything.
Just to add....if you make your clothes out of cotton Jo~Ann's has cotton on sale for $1.99 yard often. Original price is $2.99 yard.
Other materials are of course more expensive but if you are short like me I'm 4'10" then it takes less fabric to make a dress or other item.
I love historical clothing. I'm working on a civil war ball gown. I found some lovely midnight blue taffeta. I only needed 4 yards and got in on sale for $25 dollars. Now I just need the 70 buttons and 96 yards of lace that are the decoration. haha but it should be gorgeous when I'm done.
I don't have kids and I live with my dad so I have a small rent to pay and few bills. I understand that this isn't the case with you all here.
I've got tips to keep sweaters looking nice, especially for cheaper sweaters:
- wash by hand in the sink with a little Woolite, or on the washer's delicate/handwash cycle in a lingerie bag (I pick up sets of lingerie bags at the $1 store for this purpose). If the sweater has buttins, wash with the buttons undone so that they don't pull during the wash. Dry the sweaters flat, on a table (or on top of the dryer if you have one). Iron sweaters inside out if needed, and store folded if possible. If you must hang a sweater, drape the arms crossed over the hanger to reduce stress on the shoulders.
If the sweater is held shut at the front by only a few buttons, it will tend to stretch and pull at the top & bottom buttonholes. My grandma (she was a professional seamstress) taught me that sewing a couple of hook or snap closures (one just above the top button and one just below the bottom button) reduces stress on the buttonholes.
Another trick to prevent stretching on delicate sweaters (at the sleeve holes, and around the buttons for cardigans) is to sew some edging ribbon or tape as a pretty border at the cuff (you can also sew it on the inside to line the border if you do not want it to show). More expensive sweaters will usually have some kind of lining like this at the button edges, but cheaper sweaters do not.
My last tip for sweaters is to pick up a de-piller (there's also an electric kind) and use it from time to time; it combs off the little balls of fuzz. I can usually find a 2-pack of the little manual depillers at the $1 store (couldn't find a photo online but any fabric store would probably carry them). De-pilling any sweater from time to time will help to keep it looking fresh :)
I'm short as well (5'3") but I'm not skinny. I'm a size 10. I almost always have to shop in the petite section. And I love to shop at Stein-Mart. Do you have one where you live? I always try to shop off season. There, you get name brand, a lot of USA made clothes for knock off prices. Most of the time, if I'm shopping off season, I get lots of nice tops for $7.00-$14.00. Now these are made excellent and hold up a long time. Some things you buy cheap will fall apart in the first wash. As for skirts, they are always harder to find cheaper. But they do have good deals as well if you're shopping off season.
To "mm" - Here is a coherent, unified statement about modesty for Christian women. It it the best article I have ever read on the topic. :)
http://http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/cat_index_16.shtml">http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/article_132.shtml
You can find many more articles on modesty at:
http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/cat_index_16.shtml
Just press "next" when you get to the bottom of the page - they have many pages of excellent modesty articles.
I'm not sure where you live, but I love Hamrick's chain of stores in NC / SC. They have a lot of skirts and modest clothes, and have a great clearance section too. They do sell online but I haven't tried that before.
I'm barely 5ft and 95 lbs, so I have the same problem too.... I just alter most skirts I get (hemming, reducing the waist size for elastic waist skirts, sewing up slits) and the same for blouses.
I stick with a few good skirts that I love--black, white, khaki, and navy blue--and vary the blouses.
Thank you so much for all your practical advice on how to care for clothes.
I do sew, not an expert, but I sew fairly good. Thankfully I make most of my skirts as I have not found it worth it to buy any! I did buy one recently and made another similar.
The problem I have with sewing is finding the time.
Homeschooling and caring for a household with 4 boys doesn't leave alot of extra time, but I squeeze it in here and there! I made a couple of skirts for my sister recently. Anyhow, thank you!
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