There is something comforting about wearing a cozy sweater in the colder months. When the weather drops to minus 12 (which it did this month), you want to style your clothes in a way that will keep you warm and classy.
That is why I have many different sweaters, cardigans and blazers to choose from. My go-to outfit this winter is my white confetti sweater, black dress pants and a black and white floral blazer. I like the bold flowers and that it has pockets.
I wear many dresses with leggings or tights too. I love it when a dress has pockets. It’s a bonus!
A saint who dressed very beautifully was St. Gianna Beretta Molla, wife, mother and an Italian pediatrician. In pictures I have seen of her, she was wearing a pearl necklace, a soft sweater and a trench coat. She wore cardigans with dresses. On the ski slopes, she wore a white coat with an animal print on the collar as she held one of her children on her lap.
Clothing the body is a way of expressing ourselves with dignity. I enjoy accessorizing my outfits with a pair of gold hoops or some pearl studs. “Humans are visual beings, so the way one dresses is the introduction of your soul to the outside world.” (Kate Moreland from Radiant Magazine – Learning How to Dress for Life)
My brother Adrian, who makes jewelry, has profited from my purchases of silver twisted hoops and precious stone earrings. It is fun to be creative in putting together the different fabrics, patterns and accessories for an outfit. His jewelry can be found in a store called Makers in Kitsilano or online at The Mindful Jeweler.
I marvel at his creative designs and wish I could have one of each for my collection. But I am reminded that I do not need to shop all the time and keep up with the fashion of the day.
That is why I have been shopping my closet instead and finding contentment in what I already own. I have lots of clothing and I don’t need to always be purchasing new things. My financial goals keep me from spending needlessly. I am appreciating and stewarding my wardrobe and material possessions with peace and joy.
I know how to curate an outfit from my closet and make the most of what is available to me in the present moment.
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
It’s astonishing how much dressing well can affect my mood. When I don’t have time to do my regular routine of getting ready, I feel deflated. My mental health is affected by the way I take care of dressing. It makes such a difference to me to be put together and ready for the day. I make it a priority to thoughtfully choose an outfit that fits with the activity I am doing.
I remember as a little girl having fun playing dress up with my mom’s clothes and other costumes to play a character. You can’t play the role of a princess without the beautiful ball gown.
By dressing well, we increase our confidence and receive more respect from others, our colleagues, friends and family.
“Perhaps feeling truly beautiful doesn’t mean we’re thinking about our appearance more, but in fact, grounded in a deep sense of confidence about our own intrinsic dignity and beauty, we’re free to think about ourselves less.” Sophie Caldecott Beyond body positivity what it means to feel beautiful
I recently watched a video by Ascension Presents with Lillian Fallon on YouTube, Is Fashion Always Vain? Can Catholics Have a Personal Style? (feat. Lillian Fallon). She says that if you are wearing something that communicates to yourself that you are beautiful, you will believe it. It can truthfully communicate your identity as a beloved child of God. What you wear cannot define your worth, but it’s a tool to help you understand your worth. You don’t need fancy clothes to be worthy. Our positive self-talk is important, and what we wear speaks to us and to others without uttering a word. She also wrote a book called Theology of Style, Expressing the Unique and Unrepeatable You.
Let us light up the world with our unique beauty and express our thanks to God for creating us as we are.
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