Hiking *with modesty and femininity*

So, this post almost didn't happen this week....because my photographer ( my sister ) has been out of town the last couple weeks.

But then I remebered, I do have other pictures..... ;)

This summer I did A LOT of hiking.

It's one of those things that you don't like to wear much....yet should haha.

First time climbing a mountain ( a small one ). In Colorado. I think my face shows it :)

Pink and green go great together ❤ ;)

Cotton skirts aren't the best for hiking :)

Perfect hiking skirt :D

Always have the water bottle handy!!!

Loved hiking with this girl!!!

The water bottle is the most essential item of the hiker's outfit!

1. Practical
If you notice, I'm wearing no jewelry, nothing extra, ( well, some would consider the skirt extra, lolol ), just what I need to make a hike.

I'm also wearing leggings under my skirt so I can practically climb, slide, run, and such with out worry or unnecessary added caution ( of my skirt flying up! Haha ).



2. Pretty
Skirt. Colorful shirts.

I didn't feel like adding any other "pretty".

Haha. No, but seriously, when hiking, this is when the practical side plays heavier.

The most important thing is confidence in appearance. If you feel like your outfit is pretty ( be it ever so simple ) it will appear to be pretty to everyone :D Truth. So, just smile, for when you hike, that's the only jewelry you need :D.



3. Comfortable
Cotton knit shirts.

Stretchy denim skirts ( with out to much extra fabric ).

Breathable leggings.

Lightweight shoes with a nice arch.

Hair back in a secure ponytail.

Comfort also plays a huge role in my decision for dressing when hiking :).



Outfits

Hat: Knitted myself
Shirts: Thrift
Skirts: Thrift
Leggings: Wal-Mart
Shoes: My dad found then somewhere:b


And don't forget the water bottle!!!!!!! Or you'll end up gasping for WATER! Haha ;)

I dress similar to this, also, when doing things like caving/ other active or dirty activities. Just might add a jacket and mud boots :D


So, what do you all think? Is the skirt a bit excessive? I must admit I got quite a few looks about that, lol....and compliments. :D

More than Modest

Hey, everyone! I hope you are having a fantastic weekend ( or whatever day it is that you are reading this ).

Modesty.

It's one of those tricky (stupid, it often seems) things.

To dress or not to dress.

( Or how much should I "over dress"? )

I've seen a lot of different opinions on this.

Mostly it seems that the issue of modesty is over stressed.

-Not saying "Modesty is in my heart, not how I dress" illogical stupidness.-

I'm saying that dressing "holy", like Amish or "modest trash" isn't the solution either.

Most of those sort of people forget to make allowance to the fact that we are girls and need to dress accordingly.

Men and women both need to dress differently, not to make one more or less inferior to the other, but because they are both different.

But how can one dress both modestly and femininely? Is it even  possible?

Some would say not.

(In my opinion) Modesty rules are stupid. Because there will always be some way to break them, abuse them or over make them.

But then, here I am, about to present my own "modesty rules" :D.

Since I still live at home I still have certain dress rules I have to follow....like skirts, sleeves, dress length, etc...

But I do believe we should have our own personal guidelines for dressing, so we don't fall to either extreme of dressing (sloppy or nothing).

I have three guidelines.

And they are very simple. Not one of the three are more or less important. If all three work together they will spell out both "modesty" and femininity, yet not once in the three will I mention modesty for the fun of it ;)

Remember these are just my own guidelines. Not neccessarily "the way",  but they might give someone some good ideas :).



1. It's gotta be practical.

Though I said none were more or less important, this one almost breaks that, by ALMOST being the most important of the three.

When I say practical, I mean practical according to the occasion.

Like don't go wearing chore clothes to a dance. ( Even if you can make them look groovy :b ).

Or a fancy gown to milk the goats. ( BTW, I made both of these dresses ;b ).

I'll wear a cotton, full skirt for horse-back riding, but a tight, denim skirt for bicycling.

I'll wear short sleeves when it's hot, a jacket when it's not.

A swimming dress for swimming, pajamas for sleeping.

It's got to work for what I'm doing or where I'm at. :D

2. Pretty as can be.

Here's where you add your personality and femininity.

Of course remember to be practical.

Say I'm hiking. I won't be wearing fancy boots or jewelry. But I can still add color by wearing a pink t-shirt.

My skirt won't be gauze or satin...but it can still be a decent skirt.

( Also, part of being "practical" will be thinking what I'll be doing. So, if I'm hiking in a skirt I'll wear leggings underneath so I can move over and through stuff comfortably.)

Things I consider "pretty" - color, scarves, lace, hats, jewelry, style, etc.

3. Comfortable for sanity's same.

Keep it practical. Keep it pretty. And remember to stay comfortable.

Of course, being comfortable doesn't mean dressing in a sack. That wouldn't be pretty.

But it definitely wouldn't be dressing like a whore. That wouldn't be practical.

For my graduation I wore a fancy dress (pictured above).

It was both pretty and practical to the occasion. Even though it was tight and the fabric wasn't just the most comforting fabric, it was a comfortable dress that I could MOVE in and DO things  in WHILE EATING and BREATHING with ease.

For everyday wear I won't wear something like that. I stick with softer fabrics and a looser fit for comfort's and practicality's sakes.

Yet, I still keep it pretty some how.




And so that's it. If it is practical, pretty and comfortable I wear it. And for me that is how I dress modestly and femininely all at once.

What do you think? What are your personal rules for dressing modestly or femininely? What do you think of my three tips?

( I think I'll do a series of blog posts, explaining how I put these three tips into my every day life, what do you think :D )