Beauty Tips for Ministers

How To Wear (Or Not) “The Latest Fashion”

Darling readers with concerns about how to wear the “new” chic jacket shape, a word for you: if it doesn’t work for your shape, don’t.

This goes for all of us, with all trends. And let’s not call them trends, because that sounds so frivolous and ephemeral. Let’s say, “style changes,” which helps us understand that when we pay attention to fashion, we are not falling prey to some kind of idiotic consumerism but respecting that just as there are changes and innovations in, say, Scripture interpretation, there are also innovations in how people look — especially people who strive for a public image that communicates an interest in what’s happening today, now. It is the way of the world. Those who claim in superior tones to be “above it all” are not actually above anything at all but are merely stubborn, in denial, and very likely lookin’ pretty frumpy out there.

Do flip through a mainstream fashion magazine at least once a season. You don’t have to buy it; just flip through it. Do take a moment to check out the displays in store windows and at flagship stores in the mall (Macy’s and Dillard’s and Banana Republic, not “Forever 21″ or “Hot Topic.”) Do be aware of why that Hawaiian print collarless, buttonless jacket in your closet that falls to mid-thigh is hopelessly 1980’s, and not in a good way, and be aware of the latest cuts and silhouettes. Then translate them to your own body. There is never just one classic or fashionable look available at a time, sweethearts, there are many. If boxy, short jackets makes you look like a big meatball, don’t get NEAR them. Find a short belted jacket with fun pockets in a great color. Add a belt to one of your favorite classic cardigans and pair it with a blouse that’s more au courant. There are thousands of options for you to choose from, and lots of creative ways to update what you already have. You just have to pay attention, be willing to weed out your closet at least annually to get rid of hopelessly outdated looks that will immediately identify you as stuck in 1993, and learn what works for your shape.

Remember: Just Because It Still Fits Doesn’t Mean You Should Wear It.
And if you truly have no wardrobe budget and foresee no possibility of having one in the near future, stick to classics (nice black trousers, crisp white blouse, classic pumps, blazer) and make sure they fit well and are kept impeccably clean and pressed. We should all be clean and pressed, of course, but if you have six items hanging in your closet and only six, you’ll feel better about them if they look really immaculate. There’s no need for a big wardrobe anyway. There is, however, a need to pay attention to wildly out-of-date garments you may still be donning on a regular basis and to part ways with them.