‘Dying’ to be feminine, soft, and elegant this season? Try pastels for a delightful twist on the trench!
One of the best things you can do to highlight your skin, giving your face a rosy glow, is wearing pastels—especially those in the pink family! For this outfit, I chose a coral trench without its belt over a tan skirt! And, of course, the shoes compliment the exact hue of the trench!
Trench coats were rarely seen in pastel until recent years, but the combination is quite elegant! To spice it up, don’t forget a beautiful hairband or flower. You are a woman—look like it!
From soft, muted tones of green, blue, and yellow, the pastel trench coat does indeed exist…and thrive!
On to one of my favorites! Truly, seeing an orange trench on a hanger in Bloom might not send your heart racing…unless you can see the possibilities! Adding a fun skirt underneath--basic , neutral, or even something patterned--can really set this off!
I personally would choose a navy pencil skirt with a wild scarf to pull in the umbrella! Too fun! Needless to say, there are a million directions you can take this ensemble; just use your imagination!
While I am certainly not a seamstress (well, not of anything you'd want to wear!), I can certainly point out a great frock when I see one!
And I see tons of them at Dainty Jewell's!!
Most of you have probably discovered her store but for those who haven't, you simply must check this out!!
From ankle-length to knee-length, from Vintage to ultra contemporary, her styles are boundless and simply adorable!
I have a wish list a mile long...Oops! I hope my husband doesn't find it!
They have dresses, men's ties, children's clothing, and even shoes! You've simply got to explore this shop! I may not be a seamstress or own a store, but I love directing my friends to great resources and this one is amazing!
Girls, I've discovered a new shop for skirts of all shapes, sizes, and lengths!
Style J certainly doesn't possess a stock of 5000 items like some of your main department stores but they do carry what we like! No more rummaging through countless immodest and cheaply made products!
Style J offers beautiful skirts in just about every length, including tall and extra tall which I personally prefer!
Check it out today! For updates on newly available skirts and sales, you can choose to subscribe by email! Yes, I've done so and am looking forward to less tedious shopping!
These people know what we like and have some great, stylish selections to choose from!
Why does an Apostolic Pentecostal website even care about Fashion?
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal " (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Having included fashion in this ‘Everything Apostolic Pentecostal’ site, I would like to clarify the reason I've included such a topic for Apostolic Women.
Please do not misunderstand my inclusion of this topic as a statement of salvation; God does not look upon the curtains of your house, he looks upon your heart! God does not judge between the well-dressed sophisticate and the hardier tomboy in her denim skirt and sneakers; he weighs their actions for him.
Based on scripture, God is completely uninterested in the color of the couch, the length of our scarf, or whether we serve appetizers at the ladies luncheon!
As a woman, however, I do understand that we are often concerned with these areas of our lives. Some to the point that they will overstep scriptural mandates to achieve the look they desire; my goal is not to provide a stumbling block or a race for fashion, but rather to provide ideas for securing godly beauty and confidence.
How It All Fits In:
Whether you are a tomboy or a girly-girl, chances are you care what people think of you. Every woman wants to be thought beautiful, smart, worthwhile. There is nothing wrong with this. God created us to be feminine and to care about these things. Just because the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s guilted women for being feminine does not mean it is something we should deny in ourselves. We are women.
And looking nice builds confidence!
Furthermore, just because men have over-reacted against the feminist movement as to discourage our women in their ministerial interests doesn't mean you must give up your dreams and ministry. Before the feminist movement, we had countless women ministers in our midst who started churches, lead the way onto the mission field, and held church families together in rough times. Don't allow your womanhood to be despised!
God addressed our love for beauty and how we are to achieve it:
• I Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 96:9, and Psalm 29:2 "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Holiness makes our worship beautiful!
• Psalm 149:4 "he will beautify the meek with salvation." Salvation is a beauty that he grants us when we submit to him in meekness!
As far as our outside adornment, women do care about their looks but we don't have to push the boundaries of godliness to be attractive. It's important that we learn to be holy, for then we can be beautiful physically and spiritually!
As many of you may have noticed--because people have been noticing all my life--my hair is hardly the typical Apostolic length. Allow me to begin by clarifying that I've never cut nor trimmed my locks before in my entire life.
In fact, the length of my hair is genetic. There are certain families that cannot grow hair much beyond the middle of their back as their bodies do not produce strong enough strands to withstand the onslaught of daily living.
I remember hating my hair as a teenager. Many were the times that some other teen--and sometimes even an adult--would approach me, asking if I had cut my hair. I was always so embarrassed that it wouldn't grow much longer than my shoulder blades. For a couple years during high school, I seldom wore it down. I had learned a few techniques for hiding the length of the my hair in a french twist where the cascading curls were actually taken from the crown of my head.
I didn't want to bring a reproach upon my father's ministry or to shame God. Eventually, however, I found that it's not about what everyone around you thinks. It's about being obedient to God.
If anything, my inability to grow long hair made me more understanding of others' flaws; I think twice before quickly assuming they are in 'transgression' just because what I see doesn't measure up to my expectations. Sometimes, there are genetic difficulties ... or even blessings that we are unaware of.
For instance, I also do not wear make-up but my mother suggested recently that I remove one of my profile pictures because my eyelashes looked too dark. She said, "With your blonde hair, no one will believe that's not make-up!"
Of course, if you know anything about me, you know that my father has--or shall we say had--jet black hair. I was, therefore, born with that same hair color. During my late childhood, my hair turned lighter and lighter like my mother's; my eyebrows and eyelashes remained black, however.
I feel pretty fortunate to have such a combination but, once again, sometimes it leads to disturbing questions.
Still A Quandary
Recently, I have changed careers--all glory to God! My previous position yeilded quite a bit of harrassment and an immense amount of pressure. Often, I couldn't keep the tears from overflowing my cheeks as I made dinner and my husband would just stand aside, not sure how to help.
This past November, my beloved grandfather passed away. November and December were exhausting...overwhelming. I was daily fearful for my job and the death seemed to push my family members and me over the top. So much was happening at once.
In response, my hair, which I had coaxed to almost reach my waist for the first time in my life, began falling out in handfuls. A couple weekends ago, my husband was talking to me while I combed my hair when another section simply came out in the brush. I just looked at him and began sobbing.
Although I am having blood tests taken to test my thyroid and check for anemia, my doctor has assured me that she believes the sudden hair loss to be due to the incredible amount of stress I have been under.
The frustrating part? I'm stressed about being stressed enough to lose my hair! Unfortunately, it is also breaking off like it's suddenly brittle and yellowing blades of grass. Not only can you see through it but it has broken off to shoulder length, roughly resembling the lovely furr of a sheepdog!
What To Do When My Best Falls Apart
Of course, I realize that I am not the only woman who faces such frustration. So many suffer from various maladies--many far more serious than losing hair--and they may not see how the sun will ever shine again.
As I walk through this trial, I just want to encourage any of you facing similar circumstances that, first, God does not look on the outside but rather looks on the heart.
He knows when you've given everything you have and find yourself empty, unable to meet the obligations facing you...and He will make up the difference. Just like he multiplied the oil for the widow whose sons were threatened with slavery, He can multiply the efforts you've made. Believe me...or rather, believe God...it will be enough!
Second, no matter how far down you fall...even when you do make mistakes and fail...God is there to catch you if you'll let Him. Deuteronomy 33:27 says, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Beneath all the failures...beneath rock bottom...beneath it all...His arms are waiting to catch you!
And finally, God knows where you are. In Job 23:10, even Job in all of his trials could say, "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." He has never lost sight of you or lost touch with what you're going through. God has His eye...and His hand on you!
Just steer your eyes away from what you think everyone else is thinking of you...and keep it simple. Keep it just between you and God.
It's Not About Them Anyway
Although I am not Catholic, I love this poem attributed to Mother Teresa:
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; (It was never between you and them anyway.)
I seldom share trials I am currently facing, but for some reason, I felt this may be needed today. I hope you enjoy this song that has given me solace so much lately. God bless...
More and more, designers are making their products reversible!
Check out this hot pink and zebra trench coat!
Not only is it darling but it’s modest and trendy all in one!
Note: Although we appreciate designers, don’t let them dictate how you wear their products! Notice, this young lady took the belt intended for the trench and wrapped it in her hair, choosing a wider belt to cinch the waist of the trench instead.
Keeping the belt and heels in basic black allows a canvas for the trench…and the girl…to shine!
And, of course, should you not feel quite that pink, there’s always the flip side!
What is too funny is that our model here, Shannon, entered church in the pink trench coat, and then changed the outfit around before the end of service!
You should have seen some of the looks people were giving her:
“Was she wearing that? I must have missed something!”
Now, we don’t recommend that as a practice or as a rule, but it was definitely a fun experiment!
Animal print need not be predictable. In fact, just like ‘lions, and tigers, and bears’ (oh my!) in the wild, the prints in our closets can be pretty adventurous too!
This particular trench boasts a metallic edge, which matches well with my metallic, tiger print, gold heels here! Caution: Don’t overdo it! If your jacket and shoes are a bit on the flashy side, balance them with a solid colored, non-flashy skirt! I go for basic brown with these!
Remember, contrast is powerful! Contrast colors, contrast fabrics, contrast bolds with neutrals! Stay out of the rut and keep experimenting!
No matter how many animal print items I stack in my closet, I never get tired of them! Animal prints have the flexibility of being fabulous, glamorous, while also being trendy! This red trench is gorgeous atop a leopard skirt!
A matching scarf would be nice to set it off. If animal print is out for you, try a basic, like black. A knee-length black skirt with the heels pictured here is just what the doctor ordered! Remember, black always makes a bold statement!
The green, heeled penny loafers combined with a matching trench and scarf over my blue jean skirt—a knee-length one of course! Although I have seen trench coats paired with longer skirts, it’s usually best to offset your top with your skirt.
If you have a long top, try a shorter skirt just below the knee. If, however, you have chosen a shorter top, go for the length on the skirt! Too cute! Once again, this look is a no-fuss way to look completely ‘pulled together’ when you’re on the go!
Friday
For the more sophisticated, classic dresser, the trench is perfect!
Who said that being modest has to be a drag?
Beyond a doubt, dressing modestly can be a challenge due to the lack of availability of modest apparel in our malls today.
Luckily, however, layering is 'IN' and there are still some modest styles that have stood the test of time!
Historically, the trench coat served as a lighter weight men's coat and really caught on with the advent of World War I. Thomas Burberry claims to have first designed the coat as an alternative rain coat for British officers in 1901! The coat was in huge supply among those in the military at the time! It was functional, being a good raincoat but also a good source of warmth with its removable wool lining!
It did not take long for women to adopt the trench coat though it primarily served as a work coat, as can be seen in this ad from 1918. The trench was seen as standard ware for military service. Although it soon became standard issue for men in the US armed services, many women still had to purchase theirs. Unfortunately, they weren’t as classy as they are today!
The coat’s popularity increased until it took precedence in several key motion pictures, including Casablanca and Breakfast at Tiffany’s! Not only was it worn by men in this time but had become a staple for women!
To my knowledge, the first woman to make a fashionable public statement in a trench coat was Audrey Hepburn.
Not only is she attributed with the popularity of the little black dress from the film, Breakfast at Tiffany's, but now we owe her for the classic trench from the same film!
Of course, that might be the extent of my knowledge because I am such a fan of this very classy lady!
In the mid-twentieth century, the trench coat was also associated with espionage! Just imagine slipping secret film into the inside lining of your trench and you've got the right idea! Audrey used this look again in Charade! Even the well-known comedic spoof of espionage, Get Smart, utilized the trench coat as a mainstay. In fact, Barbara Feldon, the woman lead in the series, received an award for being the best dressed spy in the business—tongue in cheek, of course!
Since that time, the trench has maintained is popularity! In fact, it is one wardrobe piece that never seems to go out of style! That makes it quite the investment! Even Katie Holmes has been seen in a trench coat styled dress!
The great thing about trench coats is that they are inherently modest! It's next to impossible for a trench to be too tight or too revealing! A trench is a timeless classic that has maintained its popularity since the 1940s in one form or another.
So, if you're looking for wardrobers that will outlast the trends of the moment, a trench is a must! Simply add a few trendy touches here and there!
Tip: Trench coats by themselves can seem almost too masculine or starchy, but accenting them with a colorful belt, skirt, scarf, and heels can make a huge statement!
Layering is a wonderful tool but so is color! Often, we get so bound to basic neutrals such as black, gray, brown, and tan that we neglect many other beautiful hues that look good on us!
I remember when I was about fourteen, the camp meeting I attended had a neat little class where they held different colors of material up next to your face. The other girls would give you feedback on what colors favored you and I left with a list that I still have! Of course, the list is more of a memory for me now than a guide, but what a neat exercise!
As long as the outfit is modest, don’t be afraid to step out on a limb!
My mother has always had a soft spot for shades of yellow, and, I must say, it can be very becoming! Black, white and yellow or simply yellow with black can be very chic as these young ladies can attest!
Notice that these two young ladies have experimented with yellow. The one on the left layered a gold dress over a black shirt and skirt, a very neat and beautiful look! The other used a black bolero jacket to accent!
Always balance a wild new color with a basic. The ladies in this post balanced their yellow with black. Using navy as a neutral, you can always mix in a touch of yellow, green, or red. One of my favorites is using brown as my neutral with a mix of emerald green! Of course, you’ll find I’m a green-a-holic!
Think contrast. Don’t choose colors that are too close in the color wheel; they won’t stand out. At the same time, don’t choose absolute, shocking opposites either, such as yellow and purple–unless you really know what you’re doing! Some exceptions might be combining red with hot pink; the clash is complimentary!
Always choose clothing cuts that flatter your body. Everyone is made differently, which means we can’t all look right in the same cut of dress or color. Find clothing that looks good on your body and you’ll feel and look better! Choosing an outfit because it is the latest trend can get us into trouble with the fashion police!
Furthermore, you can use your clothing as a tool to hide the little imperfections we all have. For instance, my hips are uneven due to a horseback riding incident; rather than wearing tighter skirts, I always make certain they are full enough to fall straight down from the edge of the hip rather than curving around it! Clothing is a wonderful tool for hiding flaws and highlighting your best features so take careful consideration when dressing! Be your best! Everyone has flaws but we don’t have to bare them for all to see!
Finally, accessorize! You’ve heard the saying, ‘The devil is in the details!’ That means it takes effort to be detailed! Just remember, that the class is in the details too! Despite today’s popular hodgepodge, grunge look, a woman who carefully matches her hair scarf, her purse, her shoes, and the elements of her outfit still stands out!
In fact, people do–whether it is right or wrong, ethical or unethical–judge you by your appearance. If you look organized and well put together, they automatically assume you are an organized, confident, in-charge person. Those with a sloppy appearance are viewed as having low confidence, inability to prioritize, and difficulty coping with day-to-day pressures.
Believe me, I used to teach interviewing skills for college students; I’ve spoken with countless employers. While we certainly take precautions in how we look for job interviews, aren’t the ambassadors of God always on stage? What do we say about ourselves by just walking into a room? It matters, believe me! It makes a difference in how people treat you and in how credible they think you are when you speak when you have the right appearance.
Accent with silver or another basic, neutral color!
One of the easiest ways to add a touch of fun is to use a scarf as your belt rather than the typical cloth belt provided!
Or, for a bit more pizzazz, I like to add some red and zebra print!
Adding a simple zebra scarf with matching heels along with a red belt, I’ve only accented the trench. In this way, you allow the trench to speak for itself.
I must admit, this is often my style as it comes off a bit more serious.
I like sophisticated, low-fuss glamour. However, occasionally, I have a wild side….
The Trench Need Not Be So Classic…….It Can Be Quite Fun!
The trench coat is a classic piece that can appeal to the more conservative but also to those who prefer being on the cusp of the next trend! Where once the coats were made from a limited number of fabrics, they are now prevalent in everything from denim to satin! The colors can vary widely too!
Being godly women does not limit us in the realm of fashion. In fact, unlike those who have shorter hair, we are afforded the opportunity of drastically changing our style on a whim! Our clothes are no different. I have often noticed women at work who settle into the mundane pattern of a sweater with their jeans. The glory of modesty is, of course, pleasing God, but the fun of it is the imagination we must use in layering to achieve the right look. The results are nothing short of fantastic!
Apparently, that opinion is shared. Notice, secular women often mimic apostolic style for proms and weddings as well as job interviews! Girls, we have nothing to be ashamed of! There is truly beauty in holiness!
Don’t be afraid to experiment with bright colors, animal print, and, yes, by all means, please match! The hodge-podge, unmatched layering of the grunge style only lends itself to being frumpy. Take interest in the whole picture! We have so much at our disposal: purses, shoes, hair ties, belts, layering camis! It is better to have the reputation of being the one who “always looks so put together” than being the one who “has to wear a skirt!”
It isn’t everyday that such a book comes along that not only speaks invaluable truth into our lives but also provides the methods for applying those truths. The Girl in the Dress by Lori Wagner is one such book. Originally intended for young women, it could easily serve as a valuable resource for any Christian woman with wardrobe questions. It calls us to not only be modest, employing scriptural example as a basis, but it encourages us to be beautiful.
It is true, people respond to the visual. People respond to the way we look–as do we! When I first began college, I wanted more than anything to be a professor or a writer. It required publication and/or acquiring my doctorate. I knew it would be a long road so I made a plan.
Part of that plan was changing how I looked. I began to dress how I felt a professor would dress–with dignity, class, sophistication, and care. Everyday as I looked in the mirror, my appearance reminded me where I was going and that I could get there!
Whatever your dreams, take every opportunity to encourage yourself. Even looking the part in advance allows you to try out those wings a bit! As we know, we are all in the process of becoming, but we’ll never reach our goals if we don’t begin somewhere.
We can begin being beautiful, godly, holy, elegant women today, as so many of our beautiful sisters prove. Layering is in style and works with casual as well as formal dress; there is hardly a look we can’t make lovely!
This book, although written for a younger audience, is already on the agenda for my ladies here at the church. The pastor is excited about distributing it to each of our women, young and old. Not only does it give a rich variety of perspectives and experiences of women who have made holiness their lifestyle, but the latter section addresses all those wardrobe snags a godly woman faces!
From how to layer items of clothing for a flattering though godly look to the intricacies of shopping techniques, this book is a ‘must have’ for every lady! After reading through it for myself and dog-earing several dozen pages, I bought a second book for my hope chest; someday, my little girl will need it!
Trench coats were rarely seen in pastel until recent years, but the combination is quite elegant! To spice it up, don’t forget a beautiful hairband or flower. You are a woman—look like it!
