19 Replies to “The Vermont Country Store”

  1. I had to laugh at your threats regarding those jumpers. It’s so true. I have seen WAY to many women at churches dressed like those. Nothing says I have given up on ever being considered attractive or being taken seriously outside of a child care context ever again like those jumpers. I fully support the DeFrumpification squad in its efforts to ban them.

  2. All that muu-muu needs is to come with an auto-harp and a pair of orthopedic Birkenstocks and it would be what my Sunday School teacher wore in 1961!

  3. The thing about jumpers though … they are COMFY. And if you’re not supposed to reveal your shape, modest. I used to wear jumpers up until I was about 19 and I felt so modern! (Egads)

  4. Well, but. I was at Old Navy last night, which, I think is all about NOT frumpiness, yes?

    But, then I saw this. And I truly cant tell the diff between this and that mumu – except for the sleeves, I guess.

    How about you all? [That’s just a lovely strappy maxi dress. It’s cut very close to the body, it has definition in the chest, and it’s a great summer dress for a tall, slim lass with nice arms. Which means that I won’t be getting one. But honey, there ain’t NO comparison! – PB]

  5. How dreadfully impractical. The religious educators I used to hang with wouldn’t be caught dead in such things. Why? Not enough pockets (we religious educators do depend on pockets). In New England, the uniform for religious educators used to be: blazer; gray flannel trousers or khakis for men; sensible khaki skirt with pockets for women; and new religious educators were sternly informed about this by the older, more experienced religious educators. If you worked it right, you could wind up with 7 or more pockets. (Blue blazers tend to hide baby drool, by the way.) I still wear blue blazer and khakis, and some Sundays I use most of the pockets (magic markers, permission slips, small book, pocket knife, cell phone, order of service, etc.). The indoctrination I received 15 years ago stuck.

  6. One of the problems with dresses/jumpers like that is trying to figure out what coat to wear with them. Ugh.

  7. Believe it or not but in the Marshall Islands (where I used to live) that muu-muu would have been a perfect dress, even for a preacher! ;-D

  8. VCS is great for a lot of things–but not clothing. Unless you are auditioning for the remake of the Little House on the Prairie series.

    On several fashion forums, I’ve been called outdated and frumpy. But even I wouldn’t wear that stuff (Okay, there was a time about 15 years ago when I might have…but Jesus, I’ve seen the light!)

  9. SLIGHTLY offended about the Christian Educator crack! 😉

    [Sorry! hee hee… But we all have our particular ways of being frumpy, and jumpers … or “frumpers”…are notorious among the CE’s! – PB]

  10. Hahahaha! As a young Children’s Minister, I LOVE this! I am frequently the only non-frumpified one in the bunch during our monthly/quarterly/rare regional meetings. Thank the LORD there are plenty of cute non-jumper dresses that have pockets, too (because I totally agree that pockets are required)–where else would a girl keep her lip gloss, cell phone, and notepad?!

  11. Absolutely yes to pockets when you’re leading worship. You need at least two, because you NEVER want to put your matches and your flash paper in the same pocket!
    On another note, there was a time when I would have bought that first muumuu… then cut off the skirt, adorned the border with beads & sequins, and put a waistband on it. But that was in 1971, and I was a skinny fifteen year old……..

  12. Preach it, Peace Bang! As a former DCE, I agree that there is far too much frump on display at group meetings–rivaling only what attendees at quilt shows show up in.

    These are positively HEINOUS.

  14. It is outfits like these that made one of my friends make me promise that when I was ordained I would not lose my sense of style.

    Thankfully, six years after ordination and I think I’m still stylish and relevant (and my friend agrees).

    Thanks for the smile 🙂

  15. wow, that jumper is pretty much the definition of what my mom has worn for as long as I can remember, paired with either a worn t-shirt or a baggy turtleneck under it, brightly colored socks and sneakers (all size XL on her tiny 120lb frame, doesn’t shave, or wear bras or makeup…) I think it was the embarrassment as a middle schooler and the fear of dressing like her that gave me my fashion sense.

  16. Oh man. That is bad, bad, bad. I, too, took a solemn vow the night before my ordination at the request of my stepmother not to wear this kinda thing. Not only does it make you sexless, you look like you’ve gained 20 lbs with that much fabric about you!!! (Same goes for the Old Navy recycle that someone hyperlinked–just because it looks like a swimsuit up top DOES NOT make it better! You’d have to be Gisele to pull it off. And let’s face it, ladies, we ain’t.) – [Thank god for your stepmother! But on the maxi dresses, don’t rule them out. I wore a grecian-cut Target maxi dress last night to services (at another church, not my own) with a cardigan and it was comfortable and pretty. I’m mad for inexpensive dresses: after twenty years of not ever wearing them, I’m finally finding some that are cut less full and much more flattering to the chunkster figure. You have to try them on. I agree that the one in the link is definitely for the super-willowy bod. But I heart my Old Navy dresses. – PB]

  17. Actually, up here in Vermont, despite being Good Friday, it’s beautiful and springy and wearing one of these would feel great! But, of course, my current task of ministry is finishing a congregational history book in the privacy of my own home, while cooking the Friday night family dinner…

  18. BTW, what is the “French flavor” in that muu-muu? I fear an international incident if that fine print ever crosses the border just north of me…

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