Fashion Friday

I’ve mentioned before that I love clothes and shoes. I actually like shoes even more than clothes. I was once wondering aloud to an acquaintance about why this is (after she had complimented me on my shoes) , and she pointed out that it’s far more fun to go shoe shopping than clothes shopping because everyone looks good in a cute pair of shoes. That’s true (the exception for some might be when they’re feet are swollen during pregnancy), and you don’t have to worry about doing foot exercises to make your feet look good in a pair of chunky sandals, floral flats, or classic pumps. Nor do is it necessary to strip down in a room with a huge mirror and fluorescent lighting.

But, anyway, I used to feel guilty about my affinity for fashion. It seemed shallow or materialistic to want to put together a stylish outfit or to enjoy looking nice. However, I’ve come to realize that wearing pretty, stylish clothing and caring about my appearance without making it the most important thing about me is a way to honor not only the man I love but my God as well.

Not that I should be emptying my wallet every week on the latest fashion trends all under the guise of giving glory to God, but there’s nothing wrong with outfitting my closet with some lovely essentials that make me feel pretty and also are functional and don’t affect my ability to carry out my duties as a wife and mother.

About a month ago the fabulous Betty Beguiles (you do know about the record-breaking-Amazon-sellout-of-a-book she edited, right?) wrote a great post about having a daily uniform on hand to help simplify getting ready each day.

Her guidelines for a daily uniform included:

• It should be simple.
• It should be comfortable.
• It should be easy to wash.
• And it should make you happy when you wear it.

While I admit to not having a daily uniform per se  – probably because I like to mix things up a bit – I do have three styles I tend to lean towards: Bohemian chic, a tad trendy, and classic.

On lazy days, I gravitate towards sporty – as in yoga pants or running shorts paired with a comfy tee. Most of the time what I wear falls more in to the classic category. One of my husband’s old classmates used to say I reminded him of a First Lady. He said it with a goofy grin on his face so I never could quite tell if he meant it as a compliment, but I’m going to just infer (hope!) that it was.

Well, I recently received a generous offer from Fresh Produce to select any item of clothing from their website to review. I chose the tiered jersey skirt, and I can see this piece of clothing becoming an essential piece of a woman’s daily uniform. The skirt is the perfect combination of comfort and style.

It’s also very high-quality. I’d really wanted to order a lighter color, but I was afraid the material might be thin and see-through so I ended up ordering it in twilight.  I expected it to be like a deep navy, but it actually has more gray in it. It’s a versatile color that will match well with several tops I already own. However, I know now I could have ordered it in a lighter, breezy springtime color because this made-in-the-USA-skirt boasts a thick yet soft material that still breathes.

As for sizing, I’d say it runs fairly true-to-size; it may run a little on the big side, although I ordered the size I typically wear in skirts, and it fit perfectly.

I love this skirt! I also loved coming up with different outfit ideas.

One of my favorite pairings was a simple scoop neck lemon-colored tee from Loft. I also happen to have yellow wedges from Lands End. Wearing this outfit made me happy. It was comfy. It was simple, and both the top and skirt are easy to launder. So it seems I found an ideal daily uniform.

Plus, my 3-year-old fashionista highly approved of the ensemble. “You look pretty, Mommy!” she said.

(She’s my biggest fan and is frequently good on girl’s ego. She’s always telling our regular babysitter, who does happen to be beautiful young woman inside and out,  how pretty she is and just this week she told her that she was so beautiful that she could get married.)

I just might have to order another tiered skirt or two in a different color. It comes in a rainbow of hues. As a nursing mama, I don’t wear too many dresses, so I’m always looking for a good skirt. Fresh Produce offers a skirt to suit many different tastes and lifestyles – from travel skirts to simple skirts.

Oh, and if you’re ever having trouble deciding what colors go well together, check out this online tool called Color Combos.  It was actually designed to help web developers test out color combinations for websites, but I use it to help guide my fashion choices. Color blocking is very in this season, so have fun with it and don’t be afraid to get bold with your colors.

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The fine print: I received this skirt free of charge from Fresh Produce and was asked to write an honest review of it.

Fresh Produce now ships to over 200 countries, so women outside the US can enjoy the colorful styles, too.

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On another note, I realize this post is completely off topic of what I typically write about; however, I’m thinking of occasionally writing more about fashion and offering my tips, etc. Dressing well for you and your style can help enhance the way you feel about yourself and really can be a body image booster (and boosting body image is something I’m passionate about), and fashion really can be fun. Do let me know if you enjoyed this post and/or if you’d like me to periodically write about style, trends, clothing, etc.

And for those of you who have no interest whatsoever in style and fashion, have no fear. The meat of this blog will remain the same, and I’ll continue to ramble on about motherhood, my faith (or lack thereof),  body image, and of course, how my life revolves around kids’ sleep patterns and bowel movements.

Oh, and if you’re a clothing and/or shoe retailer and are interested in me reviewing women or children’s products, please drop me a line.

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Today is the last day to enter my Easter Giveaway!

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Have a lovely weekend!

My sweet Madeline is making her First Communion on Sunday, so we have a very special weekend ahead of us!