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Showing posts with label Modest Fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Modest Fashion. Show all posts

Friday, June 6, 2014

9 Cute Modest Workout & Swim Skirts

When I first began dressing modestly, there were still some activities that I justified in my mind as needing to wear pants. But really, the majority of those activities were ones where I just would've felt especially awkward to be seen doing in a skirt. Since then I've pretty much gotten over that, and I don't care what the world says about me! But one of those activities was working out - I thought doing it in a skirt was basically impossible so I kept wearing sweatpants. I did stop wearing shorts, however I did wear pants. And some of them were prettttty tight.

Then I also went on vacation with my family several times... and if you've read My Story then you know that my family does not attend church with me and therefore doesn't really understand or agree with the way I always choose to dress. So I chose to wear tankinis and one pieces, even though I definitely had that nagging feeling of guilt that told me I knew better and should've covered up more. So after a couple of vacations feeling increasingly worse, I knew I couldn't do it anymore. And ever since then I've been on a hunt for a cute running/swim skirt. And if you've ever tried looking, you know that there's barely any. So I have compiled a list of my favorites - the list is in no specific order.


{One thing to keep in mind, and something that I currently wear, is a cotton t-shirt like skirt with leggings underneath. The thing with cotton skirts and similar materials is that one, they do not dry quickly and two, if the leggings are made of a similar material the skirt continuously rides up and it gets to be extremely annoying. So I'm looking for a skirt that is made of a dry-fit type material that will "glide" over leggings and anything else I choose to wear underneath because that is a huge pet peeve of mine!}

{1} Patagonia Vitaliti Skirt $59
According to their website, this skirt “…moves freely and breathes, thanks to its blend of organic cotton, recycled polyester and spandex.” This skirt is 21 inches long, so if you're a bit on the taller side you may want to steer away from this option if you prefer to cover your knees. However I love how simple this skirt is and the mixture of fabric presented in this skirt is sure to not disappoint... doesn't organic cotton just sound so lovely?!


"This running skirt with leggings is made with a light weight fabric with UV protection, is chlorine resistant, and quick -drying material. It is made from Polyamide/spandex for the most comfortable modest running skirt, aerobics skirt, or walking skirt..."
*I have heard many good things about Kosher Casual, however I have never actually ordered anything from them. The one thing I really like about this skirt is the subtle a-line shape; it's there, but it's not overpowering like some modest workout skirts I have found. I also love the legging length - not too long, but not too short.


{3} Black Spirit Athletic Skirt $70
"This below the knee a-line skirt with comfortable flat waistband sits above the hip, offering modesty and extra coverage in a super-slimming and flattering style. Attached mesh compression short and dual velcro hip pockets." This skirt just looks athletic to me! Plus it has pockets... need I say more?! But I love the shape of this skirt; a very subtle a-line and it is below the knee, which is pretty hard to find. I think if I owned this skirt I would become addicted to it and wear it every day. It would be my version of the world's yoga pant obsession ;)



{4} Running Skirt $60
This running skirt from Apostolic Clothing Company is a "professionally made running skirt with built in shorts for added comfort. Made of high quality, moisture whicking material for easy wear/ easy care! Deep pockets on sides!" The pictures on the website made this difficult to get a feel for what the skirt would actually look like to me. But regardless, ACC has a pretty large following and coming from an Apostolic store you know that the standards of modesty will be incorporated into this skirt. Plus, this skirt has pockets... deep pockets. Just think of all the possibilities!


"You can now have our skorts in fabric made just for exercise! The fabric is made of nylon micro mesh and has the wicking which holds the moisture away from your body. The skort has a skirt with shorts underneath. The shorts have been designed for comfort doing any type of exercise activity! This skort even has a zippered MEDIA pocket!" I love how light this material looks - most of the other skirts I have found seem to have a pretty heavy/dense material. So this may not be the best for swimming (it could get a little clingy). But, it has a zippered pocket! That is fantastic. Finally, this dress comes from Dressing For His Glory, so standards of modesty should not be an issue.


{6} Power Walk Skirt $59.95
This skirt actually comes from an Islamic modesty website and is described as having an elasticized drawstring waist, two front side pockets, trim detailing, and is made of 100 percent cotton. (So yeah, I picked one made out of cotton - but this would be for more relaxed activities, not harder workouts).


{7} Modest Swim Skirt (Knee-Length, Black) $50
This "basic black long swim skirt [is] perfect for just about anything, especially swimming. Special swim fabric makes it non-clingy in water, dry extra fast and is more breathable for warm weather. This 24 inch long swim skirt looks perfect for swimming to me, with it's straight design I can imagine swimming easily without the skirt becoming too "flowy" in the water.

"Available with built-in longer length leggings that fall mid-calf for ultimate coverage. Swim modestly in style and never have a worry about color fading, our chlorine proof triangle splice modest swim skirts maintain color and shape. Lightweight material keeps you cool, and the special chlorine proof material keeps your colors strong, all summer long." I love the look of this skirt - very athletic! However it does seem to be a little short, so if you're taller like I am, this may not be the best option.

I love this skirt! I don't think I'd wear it for more rigorous exercise, but walking, hiking, yoga, tennis... definitely! The "dense, Dream fabric" this skirt is made of allows the skirt to drape in a flattering manner with a very smooth and soft feel! Plus the skirt comes in four different colors ("Deep Purple" is pictured below).

So there you have it! Nine, adorable modest workout skirts! While conducting my research for this post I found several other skirts that fit the modest bill, but in my opinion, was just not cute. So I did not include them. Please leave comments below if you have ever purchased any of the skirts I listed and your opinion on them or if I left out a great option!

**If you represent any of the websites I have listed and would like me to review your product to post a complete review on the blog, please contact me: jscheks13@gmail.com**



Monday, June 2, 2014

16 Fashionable Modest Clothing Sites

When I first started coming to church with Michael (read my story here), finding a cute knee length or longer skirt was nearly impossible. I had one from beforehand, and it was pretty casual, so I quickly set out to look for a new skirt. In the entire mall I found two skirts and they were both expensive, so I had to pick one. I remember feeling stressed and annoyed and I had no clue where else to look. It would’ve been nice to find an article or blog post with a comprehensive list of places to find modest clothing. So here is one I have compiled:

(Keep in mind that the resources listed below are not all solely modest clothing companies, 
some clothing that you may not consider to be modest.)

{1} Shabby Apple

I have two dresses from Shabby Apple (the Alice Dress and a royal blue dress that was discontinued). My bridesmaids wore the I'm Late! I'm Late! Dress in my wedding and they were perfect! These dresses tend to be a little pricey, I would say the average price is between $80 and $100, but they are perfect for a wedding or special event. When ordering be sure to use the sizing chart as it is very detailed. One thing to be aware of, though, is that every dress tends to be a little different - my bridesmaids' dresses each varied slightly whether it be the lace, color, pattern, or the coverage underneath the sleeves. And even though it's a little pricey, there are occasional sales that I have seen go up to 20% off. You also get a coupon on your birthday!


{2} Mikarose 
This company's tagline is, "Reinventing modesty," and I'd have to agree! Their site features adorable dresses, tops, skirts, and accessories. Their website also has a nice sizing chart to help you order. These dresses have reasonable prices considering how expensive some modest clothing sites tend to run. The Alexis Dress pictured below is one of my favorites from their site - I LOVE stripes and this dress is only $49.99!


I own two different dresses from Jen Clothing and love them both (the Renee Dress in black lace (pictured below) and the Ariana Dress in mint). I am in love with the Renee dress - it is perfect for weddings and around Christmas time, plus it is very comfortable considering how formal it is. Jen, the owner of Jen Clothing is Mormon and gives her testimony on the website. I ordered both of my dresses at the same time because shipping is free when your order is over $100. 


The Apostolic Clothing Company is really growing and is all modest! The Leann two piece set pictured below is $58.95 and you have your choice of either a black or mint skirt. This website has several pages of dresses, skirts, jackets, shirts, as well as an ADORABLE vintage section (however most if not all of the items seem to be vintage inspired, not truly vintage). 
{5} Corilynn
This is a shop I would own every single piece from if I were rich, but sadly I am not. Corilynn is the owner and designer of this shop and her business is amazing! Everything is made in the USA, which is pretty hard to find these days. The only downfall is the prices of these beautiful pieces - dresses run from $148-$175, skirts are $108, and blouses are $78. But here are a couple of her gorgeous designs:
 The Capri Dress comes in four different colors. ($148)

 How adorable and perfect is this Secretary Blouse for $78?!

I love, love, love all things mint and peter pan collars are the best.
So I'm in love with this Wendy Dress, which comes in three colors.
($148)

{6} eShakti - We design, you customize
I had never heard of this website until last week, and after looking through it for only a couple minutes I was excited because there are some amazingly cute vintage and retro-inspired dresses! The coolest thing I have ever seen while shopping for clothes exists on this site - after selecting the dress you'd like to purchase, you pick your size which gives detailed measurements and enter your height. Then you get to pick the length and neckline you want! So you can make every dress modest! There is a small additional fee to customize the style, but it is only $7.50 and not every single dress is customizable. If you choose to, you can enter in your own measurements and they are saved and applied to every purchase. I didn't look through every page, but I looked through many and everything seems to be below $100 on the site. This site also has an "Overstock" section with pieces at a discounted price, however you cannot customize the items in this section. 
I customized this dress by adding 3/4 length sleeves and 
I chose the mid-calf length. This dress comes with pockets,
as does many of their dresses!

{7} Junee
This modest website seems to focus on skirts (115 in total!) There is only one dress on the site, but the skirts sure do make up for it - there are dozens of simple, classic styles to choose from including the Simple Skirt shown below! I chose denim, however there are 10 other options to choose from for this skirt. I am always on the lookout for cute and classy denim skirts to wear and this site delivers exactly that! There are so many options it would be hard to choose! The prices also seem to be slightly lower than other modest clothing sites. All skirts are under $60.


This site definitely does not contain all modest options, but I saw it advertised somewhere that they have a large selection of modest suites - perfect for the professional working woman or for church! However there are also many dresses to choose from, you just have to sort through the other items. The suit below was originally $59.99 but is currently on sale.


On this vintage clothing website, clothing is organized by the era it's from. So if you click on "vintage dresses" you then choose which decade you'd like to browse. Pretty cool! However there is also an option to view all dresses and choose different styles to view. Everything I have seen is in the $30 range for the most part. There are even vintage wedding dresses (with sleeves) for under $200! Below is this 1970s Hippie Prairie Style Dress for just $35. Can't you just see this in a photo shoot out in a field with tall grass and a flower crown?


This website has a lot of things to offer, including modest wedding gowns! All of the wedding gowns are short sleeve however, as opposed to 3/4 length sleeve or long sleeve. They also carry modest prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, dressy casual dresses, and semi formal dresses. One of my favorite dressy casual dresses, the Lorna Dress, is shown below and is $59.99.


This site is all modest and all adorable! So many cute skirts to choose from! Including the two you see below - the Polka Dot Lace Skirt ($45) and the Black/White Striped Skirt ($25), which comes in several other colors as well. The site also offers several cute blouses, "layered maxis," and "layering dresses."



This website has some adorable dresses! Prices are similar to Shabby Apple, a little more on the expensive side... but from the looks of it, it's worth it. Especially for this striped dress, The Chic Lady for $98:


But the thing I love most about Dainty Jewell's is their modest swimwear line. Usually modest swimwear and adorable do not go together in the same sentence, but they are best friends on this site! I mean how cute is this Paisley Swim Dress for $74.95?! If I were going on vacation this summer I can guarantee you this dress would already be ordered. The material is quick drying allowing you to swim, but it also looks like a dress so you can wear it pretty much all day no matter what the activity is. The leggings underneath are separate.


Jade Mackenzie is another all modest site with some cute skirts, shirts, and a couple dresses. My favorite dress is this striped number, the 'Kate' Black & White Knit Dress for $78.


I am in love with these Junie Blake dresses! Each one is bright and cute! Floral and lacey seem to be their go to designs and patterns, which I'm totally okay with. The Giselle floral maxi shown below looks perfect for summer and is $63.99. The Paige ($59.99) casual striped dress is one I'd love to have in my wardrobe, another perfect summer dress! I will be excited to see their fall and winter lines as it seems like their new arrivals are very season appropriate.



The blouses on this site are perfect; classy with high necklines! What more could a girl need? There are a lot of skirts and dresses on this site (some really cute maxi dresses that are a little dressier). The Petal Dress shown below is, in my opinion, perfect for summer and is $79. This website is a little pricier compared to others in this post.


This Jeweled Tulip Blouse in Blush is so elegant and glamorous and also
comes in white. ($55)

{16} LulaRoe
LulaRoe can be purchased in two ways - online or through a consultant/at a party (similar to Arbonne or Pampered Chef). But regardless, their dresses and skirts are adorable and so versatile because they can be dressed up or down. They are also made out of a super comfy looking material. The dress shown below is the Nicole Dress in black and white chevron dot ($42), and I love it... especially with the chambray shirt underneath!



Phew! That was a long post, but I am feeling inspired to shop now (when am I not?!) Leave a comment if you've ever purchased something from any of the sites I've listed or if I missed a fantastic site, let me know!

**If you represent any of the sites I have mentioned and would like me to review your product and post a complete review of it on the blog, please contact me: jscheks13@gmail.com**