Hidden Art: Chapter Twelve

Clothing

What a strange topic for a "hidden art" chapter! I'm embarrassed to say my first thought was, "What's artistic about clothes?" Of course, that's silly. It's just that fashion is not my forte. I've struggled with this in the past few years. Are only shallow women interested in fashion? Isn't it a waste of time and money to focus on something so changeable, so futile, so ... worldly?

It's a case of "what I'm not interested in, is easy to criticize." Some fellow bloggy ladies have helped me to realize that I should take more interest in what I wear, dedicate at least a dozen brain cells to looking attractive, and not always buy things a size or two too big. Honestly, I have trouble yanking myself away from shopping at the local thrift store. After a few years of that, I find it nearly impossible to pay more than $2 for anything. Sheesh!

Two points from this chapter hit me:

#1 -- God compares how He clothes us, to wildflowers in a field. Remember that passage? So, our clothing should be beautiful. Colorful. Extremely varied. It should smell delightful. It should have lovely texture. It's the emphasis on color and variety that got me -- you mean I need to expand beyond my wardrobe of black, gray, and a splash of white? I need to realize that variety is intrinsic to beauty?

#2 -- Dress appropriately for where God has planted you for ministry. For us, it's a very casual coastal town. The first time Adam met his church elder to go visiting people, the elder looked at Adam's khaki pants and said, "Pastor, you're over-dressed." In Pamlico County (and particularly Oriental) shorts are the name-of-the-game. I no longer own a dress. I rarely wear my skirts. Casual attire is what helps you "fit in." As a pastor's wife, I have a fine line to walk. Do I wear tank tops? Yes, but they have to be modest. Lots of ladies here wear the tiny-strap tanks without bras. Mini-shorts. Mini-skirts. It's for me to decide where "fitting in" must bow to a sense of modesty.

And then there's the two ever-looming obstacles to my clothing situation:  Money and Size. I don't have the funds to do much shopping. (Which is nice, because I don't much like shopping.) But the dislike of shopping is probably related to the fact that I'm large, and (for those who don't know this) shopping is depressing for large women. It just is. It seems that variety is celebrated ... as long as it's a size 14 and under.

Tonight I'm going to town to shop for a mid-summer, on-sale bathing suit. Bathing suit shopping is something I attempt each year. Successful bathing suit shopping (in which a suit is actually purchased) occurs only once every few years. This must be the year because my suits are worn out and I'm down to the Last One. I'm doing water aerobics three times weekly, and it's only a matter of time before the elastic in this last suit cries "UNCLE!!!" When I lived in the mountains, I really didn't need a bathing suit. Now that I'm on the coast, with beaches and pools and friends who want me to swim ... having a couple of good swim suits is also part of fitting in.

A few of the suits at JC Penney online that caught my eye --

Clothing! Will we be shed of it on the New Earth? Is clothing only a by-product of Adam's and Eve's sin? Is it merely utilitarian? If clothing is also beautiful, creative, lovely, appealing ... then I think we'll dress ourselves on the New Earth, if only because we enjoy it.

(Other posts on this chapter can be found at Cindy's Ordo Amoris blog.)