This was my room on a recent Sunday morning, after I finally got dressed. Tell me, do you suppose I left feeling relaxed and worshipful? If you said ‘no’, you were right. This was the scene of some serious Sunday wardrobe trauma!
Some of what was going through my head (that I can repeat):
- I hate skirts. More correctly, I detest above-the-knee skirts.
- This skirt would work, if only it were lined.
- Do I have anything that could stand in for a slip?
My challenge, and I must succeed, is to:
- Figure out what I want to wear to church when it’s between 50 and 70 degrees out, and
- Buy it.
In the meantime, my younger daughter is more than willing to allow me to borrow her skirts, which is only reasonable since I often buy them for her on my 99 cent Monday excursions.
Please share: what is your uniform template for church or other dressy casual occasions when the weather is too warm for wool pants and too cool to go barefoot?
I’m happy to report I had zero trauma this past week. Summer has arrived!
We returned late Saturday night from a week visiting my folks–a frantic Sunday morning, and I had to be at the service early enough to greet and pass out bulletins. Lacking both time and clean laundry, I resorted to a somewhat casual form of my Sunday morning template:
–wedge-heeled clogs
–long, A-line denim skirt
–pink V-neck sweater with button cuffs
–shawl in shades of pink, aqua, and blue
–silver/blue pendant and earrings
It was about 50-55 here.
I had a twinge of regret about the jean skirt, but (barely!) managed to resist the impulse to change into a swishy floral skirt. That would have meant rethinking the shawl. No time . . . everyone out to the car!!
Sounds like you need a mid-calf, lined (or twill) skirt in a neutral color to go w/your tops and jackets/sweaters.
Might be hard to find right now but maybe in the fall.
Sundays I like to wear dresses since I wear skirts daily. I have a few that cover the seasons, and when I tire of them I wear a skirt outfit (usually w/a cardigan and top/shirt).
Dresses are so easy… no matching or coordinating! (other than keeping a couple cardigans in neutral colors)
50-70 degrees sounds wonderful… it was 103 yesterday here in Sacramento!
Jennifer
I’m a fan of linen/rayon blend skirts. Specifically, one I made for myself a while back – A-line, below the knee, lined in cotton.
I had a similar situation recently, and I decided to glue a post-it note on my wardrobe and keep a pen nearby. The next time I can’t find anything to wear with that purple top, I’ll use it to scribble “need beige knee-lenght pencil skirt” or “my kingdom for a black T-shirt bra” ! It will come in handy to make shopping lists and tame my wardrobe orphans.
Knee length slim skirt, dressy tee or blouse, cardigan or jacket, dressed up with silk scarf, kitten heeled shoes.
My wardobe includes a number of mix and max separates in blue/gray. Most everything matches so I can grab and go.
I meant Mix and Match.
Half slips in nice condition are a dime a dozen at second hand stores. A lady should never be without a slip!
Great ideas, ladies!
Jennifer – you brought up a good point. I think it’s nice to wear something different to church, different from your everyday clothes. But I suppose that’s what makes it challenging: it’s different, so everything isn’t tested out already.
Polly – My problem with slips is that they either “slip”, hanging down below the hem of the skirt, or they peek through the slit. The first problem can be fixed by getting a better length, but how do you overcome the second, especially with a straight skirt?
I think I like the petticoat look better, where the slip is supposed to peek out (but not necessarily with a straight skirt, so I don’t know that it would work so well with my silhouette). Would you ever consider that?
My clothes all pretty much go together, usually my problem ends up being I don’t have the pieces that I need, in this case, I think, a longer, lined, cotton skirt?
I did find a skirt yesterday at the thrift store (along with an evening gown and a ball gown with the tags still on, total spent $3). I’ll try to get a picture up today. =D
Are khakis out? If you’re open to wearing denim skirts, I’d think they ought to be fine.
Also, if it’s warm enough that you can’t wear wool pants, it’s warm enough to go barefoot,
said the teenager.
I have a great ankle-length black skirt from Old Navy that’s at least 5 years old – it’s rayon, polyester and spandex. It still looks awesome despite weekly washing/wear, and is now as soft as silk! I wear it year-round – with a sweater, a cotton button-down, or a sleeveless knit top. I wear it with boots, tights and mary janes, wedge sandals and flip-flops. It’s the ultimate versatile piece in my wardrobe!!
What I’ve recently discovered about skirts: I don’t hate above the knee, I simply prefer just below the knee with heels. And I always wear heels to church. So my unlined skirts, cute as they are, are not for church – they are for summer casual. That helps!
I know I’m going to come back around to this problem again next spring. This past spring what did I wear? Navy sateen trousers, I think, for the most part.