Fashionista NOT

I’m going to make a confession.  Big breath.  Here goes.  I like jumpers.  There I said it.  I have a friend, a very beautiful, style concious, always looks SO good friend, who told me several years ago that I needed to “lose the jumpers”.  I haven’t.  I have four of them in my closet – one is 12 years old – it’s a jean overall well worn comfortable thingy and well, yes, it was my daily uniform for a couple of years.  But it’s so versatile!  Really!  I love it.   I can’t  let it go.  It would be like letting go of an era.  My sons childhood.

 

Then I have a newer jean jumper that I fit into sometimes.  Currently it fits.  It’s actually better if it doesn’t.  I have two more for dressier occasions.

 

So there.  I like them.  I think they look stylish.  They’re easy and comfortable and hide a multitude of sins.

 

But oh dear, I don’t want to be a woman who holds onto her treasured past and precious memories by not moving on in her personal life and style.  A few years ago I found a picture of me from the fourth grade and realized, “I still have the same hairstyle!”. 

 

Huh.

 

I read an article in the doctor’s office a while back interviewing Susan Lucci, the famous femme fatale of daytime television.  She explained that one of the ways her charachter stays so attractive is that she constantly updates her hairstyle to be current with the trends of today.

 

 Huh again.

 

 What a balancing act we walk as women.  We want to be attractive.  We want to take care of ourselves and our appearance because we matter.  We matter to God!  But we don’t want to get overzealously focused on our appearance to the detriment of what matters most, our life with Jesus.  Nor to we want to swallow hook, line and sinker, the downhill flow of worldly fashion. 

 

I love this quote by Edith Head, famous fashion designer for the movies for decades.  “Your dress should be tight enough to show you’re a woman and loose enough to show you’re a lady.”

 

Sadly, she didn’t say anything about hair.  Or jean jumpers.  I will ask God.  He’ll hold my hand on this tight rope.

 

Comments

[Tara Owens]

Stasi,

Thank you so much for this post. Going into a weekend where I was having portraits taken, it was such an important reminder to me that I need to walk that tight rope holding God's hands—to trust in Him, to look my best, to hope for great pictures, but to know that He sees my beauty, whether the camera does or not.

I also have to say that, to me, you *are* a fashionista. You wear God like a runway model. To see Jesus on you is to be knocked flat by how well you display His beauty and allow Him to shine through your unique beauty as well. It's like being around someone who knows exactly how to blend vintage (the timeless beauty of Christ) with modern (the unique Stasi-beauty.) I know that *I* don't know how to do that well, yet!

I hope one day to be the kind of fashionista who wears God like you do.

And, personally, I think jumpers are cute. :)

Grace & peace,
Tara

[Jill Dyer]

stasi,

wow. could you get a more beautiful picture of how you display God than Tara's? that was incredible.

after i read your post last night, i was thinking about how this plays out in my life. a friend once said to me that she leaves the house every day putting her best forward SO THAT she doesn't have to think about it anymore. i like that.

the other end of the spectrum is this...i have lived moments in life where there is this evil speaker who whispers in my ear lies about what beauty is, what beauty must be, and how my beauty compares to those i see as most beautiful. i always come up profoundly lacking.

i think, for me, the trick is recognizing who's whispering, bind him boldy, and turning to God to allow him to sing over me what he sees in me. i have far from perfected this but maybe perfection isn't the goal. maybe turning to Jesus is.

thank you for your courageous post on how beauty, fashion, etc affect our hearts. you are lovely.

[John]

Tara, Great comments. And Staci, what a great first post.

Staci,
I have noticed something about the women that are finding true freedom in Christ. They all glow with an unquenchable beauty that transcends anything earthly. I saw it in my own wife when I greeted her in the airport fresh from a Captivating (Every day she glows a bit more too. I am so grateful for all that God is doing through the women of RH. May God continue all of it!

Ok, I am done and out of here. Too much sugar and spice and I think, how do they put it everything nice. :)

Cheers.

[Terry]

What Tara said!!!

Some practical tidbits from my late Mother who is fondly remembered for her graceful elegant fashion sense.

Rule #1 Only buy quality classic clothes that never go out of style. Jumpers count!

Rule #2 Have fun with accessories that change as you go. Add spunk and spark with hats scarves jewelry and lots of SHOES!

Rule #3 SHOES make the outfit! ;)

[Tom]

Stasi, I think you hit the nail right on the head. I remember one of my pastors, Rob Wegner, of Granger Community Church (http://www.gccwired.com) stating that we are multi-dimensional beings. We have the emotional, intellectual, spiritual, legal, and even physical dimensions. After reading Wild at Heart I did read Captivating. As I observe this world around me, yikes! So many of us focus too much on just one dimension. Many focus only on the physical dimension. Many focus only on the spiritual dimension. Since all these dimensions are woven together, where one is neglected the rest suffer. I ask myself, "where have all the real women gone?" Most I see have chosen to, well, be men. I see many of the female human behave like men...fierce, dominating, intimidating. Being a man there have been many times where I feel that I'm not being invited to work with a "woman", but instead intimidated to do it her way or else. Yikes again! Then when I try to step up and be the man, I get knocked down. Oie, where am I going here? LOL I like to believe that beauty does indeed come from the inside out. Fashion is like food, or music. We all have our unique tastes. I like to think that fashion is an expression of what is inside. So Stasi, express yourself! Be all the woman God made you to be. :)

[Stasi]

Re: [Stasi Eldredge] Tom submitted a comment to Fashionista NOT.

Wow Tom. Good thoughts. Im new to blogging (as you know) and I am finding that its the responses that are the best! I so enjoy reading them and the thoughts they provoke. I have heard women lament the dearth of real men but its good to hear a man asking about real women. They are both out there! May we find each other and encourage one another on the journey. It is GOOD to be on the journey! Wanting to grow and become in Christ ALL that we are meant to be. Thank you for your encouragement to me.

[Lauren John]

Stasi,
You are so funny. This post was great. I laughed a lot. Thanks for writing :)

[Joy Roulier Sawyer]

Stasi, I have a confession as well: I love jumpers, too. Seriously. I have a 17-year-old gray denim beauty hanging in my closet, a gift sewn (with great love) by an old NYC artist/designer friend, Paula Toscano. On the inside label, she'd handstitched "Jumper for Joy." You think I'm ever going to give it up? Not on your life. Maybe someday if we're in the same place...at the same time...we can wear our jumpers. With great joy. :)

[Stasi]

Re: [Stasi Eldredge] Joy Roulier Sawyer submitted a comment to Fashionista NOT

OK, that is the best jumper story ever! Yes, I hope the time comes when we don our jumpers at the same time! And then well jump for joy together!!!