Hey all,

I'm going to change it up here. I'm going to start writing some themed posts. My first theme is one very closely tied to my heart and the crux of femininity: modesty.

However, this and later posts are not a rehash of the modesty guidelines. They in themselves are very simple. Longer sleeves hide the underarm, long skirts hide the upper leg and hips, and collarbone-high necklines hide the chest. A lot of writers have beaten this topic out backward and forwards, so I will refer you to writers such as Colleen Hammond (Dressing with Dignity) and Rita Davidson (Immodesty: Satan's Virtue) for more information.

I have noticed, however, that there is a lack of information on how to remain femininely dressed while maintaining an active lifestyle. Activities such as swimming, hiking, camping, other outdoor activities, and horseback riding are ripe grounds for controversy when it comes to modest dressers. When I was a child (before I embraced modesty at the age of 16) I was active in all of the above and more! And I still enjoy them! I wasn't going to give those up, besides my brothers would have left me behind and I wasn't going to stand for that no how.

Being of an innovative mind, I decided to create my own solution to this problem. I broke out needles, scissors and started designing. Eventually, I came up with a few ideas that have worked well and some that should have stayed in my head. In the next few upcoming posts, I'll outline some of them.

Seeing as how I know in advance that I'm going to be delayed in publishing the first of these, I'll leave you with some thoughts for purchasing outdoorsy clothes:

1. The no-tight-clothes rule really applies in all situations involving physical activity. Any restriction of movement is not only going to slow you down, it could be potentially dangerous.

2. Select durable fabric. No cheap cotton. Get something that will hold up against branches, burrs, thorns, and anything else that Mother Nature will throw at you.

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine