Testimony of why I dress as I do

[nocternal]

1 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works.
Ok so with that scripture in the new testament it says all the old testament is also profitable.
I did not get serious about God til January 1998. At that time I told God that I would try to read his word though but was not promising. I did finish that year and realized I had a real relationship with Jesus afterwards. The following year I decided to do it again. When I got to Deuteronomy 22:5 it stopped me a minute. I read it again then asked God " Are my pants an abomination to you? " God showed me how Aaron and his sons were dressed. They were to wear breeches. Then in the local paper came a history of women's garments and the year pants came out for them. So women didn't always wear pants but men did. Learning this was not setting too well with me at the time. I gave God all my arguments about how much better pants were than skirts or dresses. So then God showed me my Blair and Lane Bryant catalogs. You ever notice when they are advertizing pants the model is showing her hind end? That made me mad and I told God; " Well they don't quite look like that on me" Then I remembered I buy my pants in the men department. I then told God " Well men pants fit me better you didn't give me any curves but I'll buy women's pants from now on." By time I got women's pants big enough to go around my waist they were very baggy in hips, behind and thighs. So surely my pants were not inmodest. But I didn't feel at peace with God and that bothered me too. God showed me at work and in public women in skirts and dresses and women in pants. I remembered one time while waiting for a table in a mexican restaraunt a plump woman walked in and you could see every bulge and every roll. A short time after she came in came a bigger woman and she was in a dress. There was no doubt that the bigger woman in a dress looked much better than the other woman in her pants. I work in the dorms at a university. At the dorm I worked in the only thing that separated the males from the females is a door. I hated the way guys looked with lust at girls. I really hated all the comments they made. Finally more than anything my relationship with Jesus was not what it was before I asked him if my pants were an abomination. I felt my prayers went no farther than the ceiling; and I missed him. Finally I told him I would wear skirts if that would make him happy. I was obeying but not with a right heart. One day at work someone had a retirment party. A lady I hadn't seen in a few years came in and hollered acrossed the room to me; "Laurie! Hey Laurie, What's with the skirts? Are you saved? Laurie, are you saved?" At first it made me angry, she was embarassing me but I shouted back; Yes Arlene, I'm saved. How about you? Are you saved? " she just laughed and turn her back to me. A month or two later our new work uniforms came in I was glad cause I was getting new work pants. I wore them for four days. For four nights I kept hearing Arlene ask me if I was saved. Is this what skirts told others about me? Was I ashamed of Christ? I finally prayed what God had been waiting for me to pray. I told him I love him. I missed him. I needed him. I was rebellious and I did not want to be anbomination to him and to please forgive me for rebelling over this. I told him I would wear my skirts because I loved him. You know what? My skirts are very comfortable. I like my skirts. I can't even imagine going back to pants. That is the work God did in me.
I live in Michigan it gets cold in the winter so for those of you who say you can't wear them in winter let me tell you what I do. I buy leggins to wear under my skirts. They look ok too below your dress or skirt. I also wear long johns but I roll them up under my dress or skirt so they won't be seen. I stay warm regardless.
Glad Jesus Lives,
Laurie

[prv31wife]

Thank you Laurie for sharing that beautiful testimony. I used to be a all pants wearer too but the Lord now has me in cape dresses or jumpers only. Most of my dresses are the Mennonite style cape dresses and I just love them.

[nocternal]

Our work uniforms are kahi and black. So i have full a line skirts in kahi and back. That way I'm still in uniform at my job. They said i could where skirts but they had to cover the knees and i had to wear knee sock cause can't have exposed skin when you are a custodian cause of the chemicals you work with. Mine are mid calf. Since I am in skirts and kahi and black all week i prefer dresses when I'm off.

[SisterNancy]

Thank you for sharing that testimony. my daughter and I only wear skirts now too. although my daughter is looking for dresses especially winter dresses to wear on Sundays at college. It is hard to find dresses in her size in any of the stores. We have only found a few and they are really too big for her. She will have to wear her skirts I guess.

[kscarle]

Thank You for sharing your testimony with us. I have not worn pants or shorts in a long time, but recently my husband has mentioned me wearing cape dresses. Sometimes he reads the posts and must have read something about cape dresses because he asked me about them and when I showed him a picture, he thought the were something to consider.

[Tammy]

My husband likes the cape dresses, too. They are so modest, and have such a sweet, feminine design. I like them also b/c it is easy to modestly nurse a baby while wearing them.

[mitchell]

Dear Nocternal,

Well, I'm finding good posts from you today on this forum, so I'll also answer this one. - Yep. I wore britches and shorts for a long time, too. Then one day, finally, the scripture in Corinthians dealing with women's hair and head covering and mode of dress sunk in. - I had already become ashamed of the bikini bathing suit I had my picture made in many years ago (and I was SO proud of how skinny I was, but now looking at those old photographs I am ashamed and doubly ashamed of how awful it looked and how pale and TOO skinny I looked). I also gradually became aware of just how awful women looked in britches, especially from behind - and I also realized that I couldn't look much better myself than they did; but most important, the Lord said that "a woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man" and also that we are to dress modestly. So, I went to dresses and skirts exclusively over two years ago and haven't looked back. . . then came the abrupt conviction about covering my head, so now that's what I'm doing, too. I realized all of a sudden that those who pushed the idea that "the hair is THE covering" were a lot of times MEN with longish hair themselves, generally as long as, or longer, than their wives. It just fell into place for me. - Oh, I suppose my husband *might* like it better if I tried to look like *everybody else*, but he, so far, is supportive - and I pray will one day be enthusiastic about it.

Good for you on the skirts and dresses! . . and they ARE more comfortable, too, you are right!

M.

[benshelpmeet]

Thank you Lauri for another good post!

I love to hear how the Lord works in the lives of others.

Have a great day!

[allglorytogod]

Posted by nocternal
My skirts are very comfortable. I like my skirts.
Glad Jesus Lives,
Laurie

Laurie ... I've been wearing skirts full-time now for a while and I agree with you ... they are comfortable and I like them ... would like to see you post ... it's been a while since we heard from you

[allenehatherell12]

I love reading your testamonies and how you all got to where you are at, its always so empowering!! I am a little slower on my road...not making excuses here but I do struggle a bit. I hope i will still be accepted tho" coz I have come a long way from where I was 6 years ago when I was saved. I stopped wearing trousers, which I wore all the time (I did not have a dress or skirt in my wardrobe) 4 years ago, convicted by the Word and have not wavered....I know its right and I dress modestly, very modestly compared to all around me but i cannot see me moving to an even plainer dress code at the moment. I think my dress speaks loudly as is..and my unsaved husband would be very alarmed if i started o dress like the ''amish'' as he calls it. I always wear long skirts and flat shoes, at 6 foot i do not need the height and a longer skirt feels right to me. I did wear tighter skirts to begin with, slits at the back but as I read the posts and my Bible I realised i was still not quite there...i then found a lovley pattern for a skirt that has pleats where the slit would normally go at the back and its a looser more comfortable and modest fit. My husband has commented on how I dress ''elegantly'' which i think is a good thing LOL. Sister Alene <><

[kscarle]

elegant sound so beautiful a word to a woman...I tell my daughter that sometimes...she's a little sensitive right now about her weight though, so even when I compliment her she sometimes gets emotional.

[allenehatherell12]

Weight is a ''big'' issue...I am 6 foot but also a size 18 and I know I have to do something about it. I will be 50 next year and I am very fit at the moment although I regularly have trouble with my back. I know loosing weight would help with this. I have seen older friends become incapacitated with knee and back problems in part due to carrying too much extra weight. I think if you have a life where you work the land, walk lots and care for a family etc the weight can stay down but its a challenge to many of us. Especially if we are in sedentary occupations. I have been convicted that gluttony is a sin and I am guilty of it and so instead of the fad man made diet I just need to stop giving in to temptation and trust in the Lord to provide me with the healthy body I should have, if I was in obedience to Him....but its a challenge as I do love my food and sadly all the types that are not weight friendly either! Obesity is the new ''disease'' of plenty, the media and guru's would have us believe its not our fault, just like anger is not our fault, and all the other results of poor choices, and poor self control. Make it into a ''condition'' and man no longer has the responsibility for it. I know all this...but can I lose weight? so far no but I am being disobedient and not relying on Him enough....I need to resist the devil and he will flee from me...I wonder if that will work for bacon sandwiches? Lol Sister Allene (P.s. I do not mean to be flippant or disrespectful)

[Pam]

I loved reading these messages. I too struggle with total obedience to God. It's not that I don't want too either. God is so gracious, LONG SUFFERING, and merciful with us. I am a pants girl myself. However, when I got saved in an independent fundamental Baptist church (where I am to this day) back in 1979, I found that our church frowned on pants. It took me a bit to give up the pants at church but I eventually did. There have been times when I slipped back into pants at church but I think I could count those times on one hand now. I can't imagine wearing pants to church anymore. Where I am struggling is at home. I was unsaved when I got married and got saved 7 years into our marriage. Now I am unequally yoked. My children are grown and accepted the Lord as their Saviour back when they were around 4-5 years old, but they are backslidden and two of them are very far from God. It would be a shock to my family if I started wearing skirts and dresses all the time. I have to laugh when I think about this - when I got saved, my family all thought I had joined a cult and wouldn't have anything to do with me for the most part. Eventually though, the Lord did a work on their hearts and they all got saved too. So, probably with time, they might get used to my skirts and dresses. I am a larger woman and to be honest, skirts and dresses feel very cumbersome and uncomfortable to me. And, it is almost impossible for me to find something that fits right. I would love to have several long denim skirts but once again, it is very hard to find ones to fit me. I am not HUGE, but large enough to not be able to find anything - even in some of the plus sizes. Anyway, I am praying that eventually, I will be able to move from pants during the week to skirts/dresses 7 days a week.

This is why I am so thankful that God is longsuffering and merciful to me. He knows we can't handle everything all at once (or maybe we could but our families couldn't!!!)

Immensly thankful for His Grace,
Sister Pam

[maggie]

Laurie, i enjoyed your testimony so much. i really struggled with the pants thing too, but my walk with the Lord has been so much more because of obediance, i am really coming under conviction about covering, pray for me, i cover everywhere with no problem, but am scared to go to church covered, how sad.

[jessicasherrow]

Hey everyone, I know again I am responding to an old post, sorry! I was doing research right before I got pregnant with my oldest (who is almost 4) and fell upon a website with a plain dressing woman wearing a head covering. This was very interesting for me since I didn't know people dressed like that if they weren't Amish or Mennonite. I researched it like crazy, but I was at a bad time in my life then so nothing came of it. It just so happens that right around the time my youngest (just turned 1) was born, I was doing more researching and fell upon similar websites. I felt like this really had to be God speaking to me. I couldn't pass it off as just coincidence. So, all of a sudden I started wearing dresses and headcoverings. It was a big step. I didn't and still have not had many bad experiences with this change. My family finally questioned me about it and luckily, God blessed me with some understanding family. I do have some that don't and that think I have gone and went crazy on them, but they still love me. I have never felt closer to the Lord than I have this past year. I am still learning and still making changes in my life, but I only see it getting better and better. Just thought I would include my testimony as well. Oh, and one of the women commented on being larger and not being able to find skirts. I am a large woman and I have been able to find blue jean skirts from Woman Within that go up to like size 34 or more and they often have denim buy one, get one 50% off deals (going on now by the way). That's who I bought all of my skirts through. Wearing skirts/dresses as a large woman is not difficult. If your legs chafe, buy some bicycle shorts to wear underneath. (Also found at Woman Within)