At the beginning of this year, I was approached by the Committee Chair of a local young professionals group to participate in a fashion show. The idea behind the fashion show was to design an outfit from old/repurposed/used clothing from local Goodwill stores. Each designer was allotted $25 to spend on any items necessary at Goodwill – all accessories, trims, embellishments, and fabric were required to be purchased with the designated funds.
The idea intrigued me and I excitedly accepted the invitation to be part of the design team of Wear & Share 2014! On the appointed day, my mother and I dug through smelly shoes, tarnished jewelry, and hopelessly ugly garments in search of the perfect items to create a masterpiece. After only three trips, I found my treasures and began working out a design that would surely be worthy of the celebrity judges’ approval.
Stuffed in the very back of the skirt rack, I found a genuine leather skirt and new that I would have to incorporate it somehow into the design. A few minutes later, I found some fabulous yellow fabric with the tiniest black polka dots – the fabric itself was fashioned into a very ugly, very boxy, very yellow dress, but somehow the potential spoke to me. Next came a blue skirt (from a current Target donation) that had multiple fabric combinations that I thought would complement the polka dots nicely.
We got home, happily chatting about our purchases, and promptly got distracted with life and all the craziness that usually ensues in our household. Spring vacation came and went; Easter came and went; and all of a sudden, it was the day before the fashion show was supposed to happen!
My adorable model Naomi came over to the house, we pinned and tucked and freaked out a little bit. But with my mother’s ingenious sewing skills, my instruction, and Naomi’s sweet disposition despite getting accidentally pricked multiple times with a sewing needle, we completed the outfit in record time.
And we ooooohed. We ahhhhhed. We cried. We laughed. It was completed, and it was gorgeous!
Naomi and I rushed out of the house, sped through Starbucks drive-thru, flew down the street while praying for angels to block us from police radars, and then we were at the event!
While we primped and prepared in our private dressing room at the prestigious Palace Theatre in downtown Canton, I thought of how blessed I was to be given the opportunity to show my community what I truly believed in. Katharine Piccari, the Chair of the event, specifically told me she wanted me to design because she wanted a modest outfit to be present.
Oh the possibilities! The chance to proclaim my beliefs through a modest outfit, presented on the runway, with my statement on why I chose to to create an outfit based on modest femininity, was more than a night out, a new experience, or a time to meet important people. It was my “for such a time as this.” It was my chance to speak Jesus to the world.
Although our design did not win, we had great reviews from all the judges; one lady in the audience approached me afterward and offered to buy the outfit, she loved it so much! (I declined, I liked it too much myself to give it up!) Since then, I’ve had multiple encounters with people I met that night and am looking forward to many more opportunities to present modesty to the world.
Modesty is a treasure, it’s a calling. It’s for a specific purpose designed for women of God; it’s meant to proclaim the gospel of Christ in every situation, it’s meant to draw the world to their Creator for whom they were made.
Modesty is more than a fashion statement, it’s more than personal style. It is about fulfilling our purpose to worship Jesus Christ in every aspect of life.
I’ll be forever grateful for such an incredible evening, but most of all, I’m thankful to have had a chance to give the world a piece of my heart by boldly proclaiming and accepting the call to modesty.
All official images of Wear & Share 2014 are courtesy of Mallory+Justin Photography.