I love to dress up! When I went to Bible College, I was amazed at all the trends that came and went. It was always fascinating to watch as girls and guys walk the halls and expressed their personality through there style. How you dress and handle yourself is really the first impression you can give someone.
Finding modest and stylish clothing is NOT easy! ESPECIALLY now that I pregnant…the struggle is real! I enjoy the challenge, but sometimes it can get the best of me. It is hard not to settle and cave into the styles of today when you aren’t able to find the mix of modest, stylish and classy. One of my friends found out that I was moving back home to good old Tyrone, Pennsylvania and told me that I was going to turn into a “country bumpkin.” This made me laugh but was also a good reminder not to “let myself go” just because I wasn’t required to dress up every day and look my absolute best. I love where I live (“country living” atmosphere), but still love to get dressed up for church, work, and activities. I do not believe that being a born-again believer means that we have to let ourselves go, nor do I believe that it means we have to be out of style. There is a balance to be achieved, and I believe that balance can be achieved with a classy style. I don’t generally try to find the latest trends as much as I try to stay simple BUT classy. Classy is my favorite word associated with the way we can dress.
Now my post is all about staying classy for free. I am not telling you where you can find things for cheap or how to style your wardrobe. I am going to focus on things you can do to really help the wardrobe you have…or in some cases not ruin the wardrobe you have. Did you know that you can have the trendiest clothes but still look really “frumpy?” Here are five easy tips and tricks to keep that from happening.
1. Use a lint roller!
I can’t tell you how many times I thought someone’s outfit was super cute or classy, but my mind was quickly changed when I got up close and saw all the hair on their outfit. I’m mainly talking about animal hair, but I know there are times our own hair can be the source of the problem. If you have animals, it should be an automatic routine to run a lint roller on yourself as you run out the door! I have a lint roller at home and in my desk at work to keep the hair and lint off of my clothes. While I style my hair, I try not to wear the exact shirt I will be wearing out and about to keep from getting my own hair on my clothing…it happens, but can be prevented. Hair on clothing whether it is your own or an animal’s can be a quick super easy fix. Removing it can really make a big difference in your appearance and how you care for your clothes and yourself.
2. Iron out the wrinkles!
This has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves. I remember spending time at my gram and paps house ironing shirts, dresses, and handkerchiefs, before putting them away. This is where I learned how to iron and put clothes away. When I had a cleaning business, I worked for a couple that had me iron EVERYTHING! When I say everything, I mean everything! Socks, Under Garments and even their Bed Sheets, were a few of the crazy things they had me iron! Now I won’t lie…everything was super neat and tidy, but I’m not that much of a perfectionist to do that at my house. However, I do not allow wrinkled clothes to be worn out to church or anywhere for that matter. Not only is that not classy, but that is a sign of laziness. It can be solved pretty quickly by one of three ways.
A. Get an iron and iron your clothes! It does not take that long and the result is a very satisfying feeling. I do not let my husband do the ironing, because he only irons what you can see! So I pick out and iron the dress clothes.
B. Buy wrinkle-free clothes. If you do not like the thought of ironing then don’t buy clothes that need ironing! My mom does this, she buys clothes that can be taken from the dryer, hung up and worn without plugging an iron in. She’s a smart woman!
C. Hang up/Fold your clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer. I do not iron everything that I wear. However, I do fold/hang up our clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer so they don’t sit in a basket and get wrinkly. This is where a lot of people are failing. Clothes sit in a basket for a few days and then get put away, or maybe they never get put away and live out of a basket! Clothes are wrinkly from the get-go and unless they iron everything…everything they wear is wrinkled and can give the appearance of not even being clean. Don’t make this mistake!
3. Keep it Natural!
I’m not about to preach a sermon on not wearing make-up, because I wear makeup…I don’t leave my house without my mascara! 😉 However, I do believe that God made your skin color, eye color, and facial features just the way he wanted them. I’ve seen some crazy before and afters of people who literally changed their appearance, with nothing more than make-up! Keep your makeup fresh and simple.
4. Keep your nails clean!
Clean underneath your fingernails and don’t let them get unnaturally long. By all means, paint your nails! I enjoy freshly painted nails, but when they chip…I repaint them! Chipped fingernail polish is not classy or attractive and again … it just means that you’re not willing to take the time to fix it.
5. Wear clothes that fit!
I did not say, wear clothes that look like you had to paint them on. Nor did I say, wear clothes that are falling off of you! Wear clothes that fit you without giving away all your mystique. Right now, this is my challenge…I feel like I’m going to my husband every other day saying I need to buy more clothes, but he understands that the “pregnancy phase” of life isn’t easy and has been very gracious with me! I keep him homemade desserts in the house, and he lets me keep shopping! 🙂 Just the other day Olivia and I were in Walmart after a ladies conference, and the man behind us in the check out line said, “I feel really dressed down…I say that because you both look really nice.” Although it caught us off guard a bit, it truly was a compliment to us and reminded me how important your appearance is. How your clothes fit you is really important. Your appearance tells a lot about you and makes a big impact!
I hope these reminders were a help and can inspire you to think twice before you walk out the door. Ask yourself, “Is what I am wearing pleasing to the Lord, does it reflect how I want people to remember me and can I make any improvements?” You will feel a whole lot better about yourself with these simple tips and tricks!