"Skin Is Not In, But Cool Is No Sin"

by Melissa Brock of Superchick

 

We live in a world that tells us what's cool and what's not, and unfortunately for girls, it usually consists of very little clothing. False! I'm a firm believer that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and fortunately for us there is only one beholder that really matters: God.

 

On the other hand, one of the biggest misconceptions for young Christian girls is that in order to dress modestly you have to dress frumpy and not cool. Wrong! As a young woman, I do feel it is our job to help young guys out by not causing them to stumble because of our appearance. But that does not mean wearing turtlenecks, long sleeves and skirts to the floor.

 

There are three basic rules in the Melissa Brock Fashion Almanac. For your memorizing convenience, they all begin with "c." Cool, huh?

 

1) Confidence

As in, who you are and who God created you to be. I do understand that having confidence is easier said than done. But until you find your confidence in God then all the right clothes in the world won't make you feel cool. You can't leave the house without it. Without that little word I probably wouldn't put together all the strange outfits I do.

 

2) Comfort

Be comfortable. If it's uncomfortable, don't wear it. You won't feel confident if something is uncomfortable, and would therefore not be following my first rule of fashion. I'm confident you want to follow that one.

 

3) Creativity

Fashion today is much more open to being unique and creative. Don't just settle for what's on the rack, make it your own. Don't try for a certain look you saw on TV or in a magazine, try to find your own look. Use your creativity and a do-it-yourself mentality.

 

Which brings me to the actual fashion tips. Bring it on:

 

Skirting Style

My sister, Tricia (who is also Superchick's lead-singer), and I ran into a problem on stage. We wanted to look feminine and wear skirts, but being as active as we are it just wouldn't be modest. So we started wearing skirts over our pants. You can look feminine and jump around like crazy without flashing everyone.

 

You can also accessorize with belts and patches to make things your own. Recently we saw a girl who had taken mismatched pieces of jean material from a fabric store, put it around her jeans and hooked it with a huge safety pin. Not expensive, but definitely unique and cool. With the whole skirt-over-your-pants idea, the options are endless because length doesn't matter and neither does the style. Be creative! In a confident and comfortable way, of course.

 

Totally Tops

It's OK to wear a tank top, just don't have a foot of your stomach showing and make sure it doesn't look like it belongs to your 7-year-old sister. Don't be afraid of color and mismatching. Layer your tank tops for color accents or do one with a pattern and one solid. With T-shirts you can just wear as is or make it your own. Cut off the sleeves for a grungy look or tie each sleeve with ribbon or shoelaces for a cute, sporty look.

 

Accessorization

A big thing with Tricia and me is accessorizing: necklaces, bracelets, rings. You can get all kinds of stuff like that at any store. (We love Target, not expensive, but cool.) And don't rule out the kiddy jewelry. Or you can make stuff yourself. We take socks and cut off the toe to make bracelets, or what we call elbow socks. You can make varied lengths and put them anywhere on your arms for fun.

 

The key is to have fun, be creative, stay comfy, and find something that reflects your personality. So, go on girls, grab your confidence and start creating.