Why do so many Christians dress so... frumpy?

[bluegreysky]

Its an epidemic!
I see so many of the really devout christians at the local churches- girls especially- who wear either oversize baggy pants and t-shirts or old floor-length skirts and other clothes that look like they may have belonged to grandma...
what gives?
I hear some of them say they are too poor for fashion sense, but I don't think that's a really good excuse. I dont have alot of money, and neither do some of my friends... but we are excellent bargain hunters. I am very picky about what I buy, and can differentiate between the qualities of different types of clothes. I can go to thrift stores and pick through loads of not-so-great stuff and find some "treasures" that are stylish. I can make miracles off a clearance bin. I can work Target to my advantage.
I get complements all the time on shoes, shirts, accessories and dresses that I got for less than $20, but no one knows it.

I think the problem is not that alot of the church-going college kids (and post college) are poor, but that they just don't care.
Why don't they care?
Do they want to be single and lonely the rest of their lives?

perhaps someone could shed some light on this.

 

[mina]

i don't!!!! but i'm still single and sometimes lonely while most of my frumpy counterparts are married or engaged so i don't know.

 

[Trashionista]

I think most people generally dress rather frumpy.
Or kind of boring.
No-one really takes a lot of risks, it seems.

 

[bluegreysky]

well they do in my town- Saint Augustine, excluding the tourists, is a college town. its like theres 3 major categories of style here: frumpy, surfer and art people. The surfers are chill and I like that style. The art people can be a bit freaky but they are admirable for generating a unique appearance with hand-me-downs, vintage, urban outfitters and the occasional designer item they splurged on or inherited.
I (and some others) found a happy medium between surfer and vintage/artsy.
I call my particular take on it "beachvintage"
Most of the frumps are the big church goers. I go too, but I take pride in my look and working on it.
They say its the inside that counts,
but I say a true visionary is someone who can work the inside and the outside together for good.

 

[Beauty4Ashes]

it's the attitude of thinking you have to wear VERY baggy burlap bag in order to dress modestly

 

[Tinkerbell33]

Because they think that there are more important things to worry about, maybe.

 

[Blank123]

perhaps they actually like their clothes?

 

[Tinkerbell33]

It doesn't bother me if people want to dress frumpy, its not like its offensive or anything lol.

 

[deliciousBass]

My mom actually left her church of 14 years because the worship leader wore tight pants that allowed men to see her underwear lines lol. she is such a drama queen. The worship leader wasn't frumpy enough and sometimes wore "revealing" clothing.

 

[bluegreysky]

 

[radhead]

Personality and attitude are a part of the style thing for me.

 

[Apollo Celestio]

I don't really care either.

 

[Tink]

Well, I was never taught anything about fashion, so I wear a lot of jeans and t's. Even when I *try* to look fashionable, I fail miserably.

Sometimes it's not about not caring - it's not knowing how, and not being able to learn how.

And PS if you're overweight (like me) it's a lot harder to find good "bargains" and still look fashionable.

 

[Inkachu]

Must be a Florida issue. The girls and ladies at my church all dress beautifully, whether it's tshirt and jeans or a fancy dress. And I don't think "frumpiness" is confined to Christianity.

 

[Inkachu]

And IMHO, a well-fit pair of jeans and a cute tshirt will ALWAYS be fashionable and sexy, no matter what your size is. But it's true - finding a good, comfy pair of jeans in a size 18+ is not something you can accomplish at Goodwill or Walmart. When you're a skinny minny, you can snatch that pair of size 2's off the Walmart rack knowing they'll fit and you'll look hot. Not so when you're plus sized, and sometimes you just can't afford to pay $50 for one pair of pants.

 

[IamHeather]

I agree about the weight thing. I have now lost 41 pounds (nearly 3 stone) and it is much easier to shop now. I am a very good shopper and I had a terrible time finding clothes before. Now I can wear a 3/4 and x-small and I find cute thrift store deals a lot. Also, I think when I was bigger I just sorta gave up because I felt ugly all the time. Not because I actually was, but I just felt like it.

 

[deliciousBass]

This thread is cracking me up.

 

[ido]

Hmmm...the only churches I've ever known where the girls dressed that way were LDS churches. Both my church back home in West Palm and the one I'm at here have very fashionable women in attendance - myself included.

 

[IamHeather]

This thread is cracking me up.

Ok, why is it cracking you up?

 

[bluegreysky]

true, "frumpiness" isnt confined to Christianity, i see lots of nerds and other folks with the same problem.
But it seems like its concentrated in the churches.
And I'm not talking about the larger sizes who can't find clothes that work for them- the larger girls at church are actually doing an okay job.
We're talking people who are probably between sizes 4-12. since I watch "what not to wear" so religiously, I see potential in them to look great but they go on wearing the light-blue shirts with the light-blue jeans and black sandles from granny's closet....