Becoming

Ok 2 things (or people) have caused me to dwell a little on appearances: may friend Katie Walker and an Ordinance Worker at the Temple. I met Katie in a my semester of German. We sat next to each other and became engaged to our husbands that same semester--it wasn't hard to make friends. I always noticed how well kept and pretty her appearance was. Her lovely long, blonde hair was always perfectly and not ostentatiously curled. Her make up and clothes were just as tastefully done. In short her style and appearance are very Grace Kelly: attractive, feminine, and ladylike without trying to turn every head in the room. I was always envious of that I as rushed into class just as it was starting and Miss Katie was sitting so  nicely in her seat studying her verbs. She was always so put together and I was often bare faced with wind swept hair, at least I had a nice outfit on though.

The next is a sister I often see at the Temple. She's older, about my mom's age. She has short black hair that is always "done", natural looking make-up and pearl earrings, with a well tailored and pressed Temple dress and gold watch. She looks so classy and elegant

Dress and grooming standards of our culture have greatly changed over the past 60 years. We hear a lot from church leaders about how revealing clothing has become but I think we too easily forget that they also counsel to not be slovenly in our appearance either. Modesty isn't just about hemlines, but about the tastefulness of your appearance. And when it came to appropriate Sunday dress, this was something I was taught well be my parents. Denim skirts were not allowed for church as they were too casual and I was always expected to wear stockings and a slip under my skirts. That is something I have held true to in college--and I think it makes a difference. I think about how women once would never have dreamed of leaving their house without putting on some make-up, a nice outfit, and fixing their hair and I honestly think that that is how it ought to be. How often do a I go out without any make-up and jeans and a t-shirt or worst yet gym clothes? I make a stark contrast to Mr Baker who every day for class looks so good in his ironed shirt and tie and waxed hair. Or for a party wears a nice collared shirt, with dark wash jeans.  Imagine what kind of impression would be made if Mr Baker was talking to a potential employer and then I pulled up in sweats, no make up, and hair pulled back in a messy bun?
I'm not saying I should enslave myself to appearances or become shallow, fashion obsessed glamazon--but there is a key word here that defines how I think I ought to look at my appearance and that is BECOMING. We don't often use that word anymore, but I think it fits perfectly. I should be putting just enough effort into my daily appearance choosing make-up and clothes that are becoming to me. Make up that enhances my natural beauty, a haircut and style that flatters my face, clothes that make the best of my body shape with tasteful accessories.
I'm not saying I'll be vacuuming the floor in heels and pearls, but it takes just as much effort to put on a nice blouse and nice jeans and shoes for the grocery store as it does an old t-shirt and shorts and flip flops.
Old t-shirts and sweats have their place--such as doing yard work or camping, but there is definitely a way to dress casual and look put together and it's just as easy as dressing casual and looking schlumpy.
So for me I am going through my wardrobe and throwing out old clothes that show their wear or just do me no favors. As for daily house cleaning, I am a big fan of a fresh, clean white t-shirt and jeans. This is appropriate for cleaning the bathroom and doing dishes, can easily be washed to look new (thank you bleach) and the white is flattering to my coloring. But I'm drawing the line there on jersey cotton--the material t-shirts are made with. Although trendy and inexpensive, knit fabrics do me no favors. They have no structure and show off any unwanted curve or contour--plus they show their wear very easily---they are not my friend although they are very comfy.
I've made it my goal to to put a little more effort in emulating the examples of the aforementioned ladies. I want to make my appearance more appealing as I think it ought to be. So this morning I showered, blow-dried my hair, and put on some make up. I opted for a blouse instead of a t-shirt (since I wasn't doing any heavy duty housework today) and put on some lovely aquamarine earrings my parents gave me several Christmases ago.  I've always enjoyed the tradition my parents started when I was 14 of buying me some nice piece of jewelry for birthdays and Christmases and I always looked forward to it, it made me feel like my parents thought of me as a young woman rather than a little girl-- don't think that just because I complained of drowning in a sea of testosterone in this other blog post that my parents never did anything girly for me--I was exaggerating in jest, but humor can be so easily misunderstood--especially when I'm dispensing it (I don't have the talent for clarity). 
This is me trying to look becoming

And this is me mimicking a famous Audrey Hepburn pose:

Don't ask me why I prefer to look so silly in photos--but it's probably because I'm so picky about "looking good" in a photo--my friends Cate and Candice completely understand

can you tell I've enjoyed having Mr. Baker's macbook all to myself this week? Thank you photo both!