Frumpy Rainbow Lady Preacher

PeaceBang attended a worship service on the beach this past Sunday.
The weather was perfect, the congregation lovely, the setting perfect.
But then this lady minister was totally upstaged by bright-colored, Wacky Grandma accessories.

Click to enlarge the images

The “bones” of this outfit are fine. Ankle-length pants (no one needs their hem dragging in the sand). Swingy summer jacket. I don’t even mind the bare feet, because she had a nice pedicure and the sand was damp.

But the huge sunhat, the rainbow stole, the big turquoise earrings AND the turquoise readers? — let’s remember Coco Chanel’s dictum: load on all the accessories you want, but take two of them off before you walk out the door.
The hat and the big turquoise earrings would have been fine, and even nice. If a stole seems necessary, and I don’t think it is, keep it very simple. I get the desire to “advertise” that the congregation is LGBTQ welcoming — but I would suggest planting a rainbow flag in the sand and not on the minister’s person.

I’ve seen it done:

I liked the sermon very much. You can listen to it here (audio only). It’s nice to hear the ocean in the background. The sermon talked about the viral “daderina” video, the anguish in our nation right now, the disgrace and cruelty of separating families at the border, and the Father God many people grew up with and rejected. It was a good “visitors” sermon, which is what you want to give when you’re in a public space and have advertised to the entire town. But when those folks show up, the minister needs to communicate more dignity than this.

Sometimes when there are a lot of moving parts to a service and you’re leading it in an unaccustomed place, it’s easy to put together an outfit too fast and not really consider the image you’re projecting. I think this preacher looks friendly, warm and colorful … but so colorful as to verge on the silly and eccentric.

If I were she, AND I AM, BECAUSE THAT’S ME, I would wear a simple dress under the jacket, choose neutral color readers, keep the big hat and earrings, and rock on.

2 Replies to “Frumpy Rainbow Lady Preacher”

  1. I think you look great. You have followed all your own rules. You are on a beach and you look fabulous. The hat is perfect and your face is still clear. Perhaps the stole wasn’t needed but I feel that a stole should only be worn with an alb. Thank for sharing this picture – of trying to say that even you make fashion mistakes. I wish my fashion mistakes were as mild as yours.

  2. LOL! I was so confused for a lot of that post because I THOUGHT that was you.

    Would love to see a post about the color (and style perhaps) of readers. I’ve not thought much about the color until this post. Yet another way that we can convey being serious, silly, relevant, frumpy, etc.

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