On Femininity

With all the work to be done here on the farm, I desire to maintain the femininity that has inspired me since childhood via Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe. I do that through red lipstick and my staple uniform of jeans and a blouse. Then, of course, I pop on a blazer when going into town. (SUCH a child of the ’80s.) Not to say that I don’t muck about in yoga capris and tennis shoes, but I prefer some element of formality, if only to keep myself on my toes.

I enjoy maintaining a feminine silhouette and like some good old structure. No floppy t-shirts for me. Give me a nice starched blouse, a skirt or a pair of trousers. My style has been pretty consistent for over two decades, so some of my pieces are terribly old, and I’m prone to refresh my wardrobe with thrifted items and posh pieces from sites like Poshmark.

In Christian circles, I find women downplay their beauty under the guides of “modesty.” I often see this leading to frumpiness and want nothing of it. I believe that beauty and creating it in/on ourselves should be celebrated. Is God not the creator of beauty? My clothes, like my paint color or wallpaper or what I’ve chosen to create for dinner, are an expression of creativity.