Modesty

*updated*
When I was in high school I felt like modesty was a daily battle. (Perhaps because shopping was a nearly daily experience.) Now I find it is a little easier. There are several reasons for that: One, I am confident in who I am and therefore feel way less pressure to be a certain type of person. Two, I think styles have changed a bit to be more flexible - long, knee length, or short skirts - layering longer tanks under shorter shirts, etc. And three, nobody wants to see that much of my body anymore anyway. But modesty is still something I have to deal with every time I shop - it just doesn't cause much mental anguish anymore.

I teach Naomi about modesty. She knows why she can't wear sleeveless shirts and why she needs to sit a certain way when she wears a skirt. The other day in a store we saw two women wearing those beautiful long dresses and headcoverings that I think are from India (if I'm wrong, please forgive my ignorance). She commented on how pretty their dresses were and then asked why they had those "hats" on. I explained to her that they were being modest and that was how they kept their bodies special like Heavenly Father wants them to. She suggested that maybe we should start wearing hats to be more modest. I thought her comment was sweet, and I do look up to those women from around the world who keep their bodies concealed in so beautiful, but not at all a popular way. They are truley being IN the world but not OF the world.

The internet, while having it's bad points, makes modest shopping easier. Below is a list of some of my favorite online shops that cater to the need for modesty. I haven't ordered from all of them, but I keep them bookmarked for the next time I struggle to find an appropriate dress or something.

Shade Clothing - great layering pieces, a few basic dresses

DownEast Basics - great layering pieces, cute dresses, great tops

Shabby Apple Clothes - fab dresses and cute baby-to-girl dresses too *updated*

MikaRose - beautiful dresses but a little more pricey

Molly's Clothes - just found this one, but it looks great

Vintage Hem - basically a skirt elongater (if that's a word)

Chadwick's - not all modest stuff, but it's where I most often find cute long plaid skirts, which I love

Did I miss any? I'm always up for a new shop to browse! What are your favorite modesty tricks?

Oh, if you are like me and always looking for a way to be more cute AND more covered up at the pool - now is a good time to buy a swimsuit. I just bought this swimsuit at Land's End in their "Overstocks" department. I've had my eye on it for two years now but just couldn't convince myself to spend $90 on a swimsuit. It's on sale for $40 right now. $40 I can do.