Empowered Traditionalist

The giveaway contest has arrived! You could win $25 to Christa-Taylor.com along with your own copy of Lisa’s book For Young Women Only.
To enter the drawing, simply post a comment below, including the name of one other girl you told about the contest.

It should look something like:

“Add me to the drawing! And I told my friend Sarah Harris about the contest too!”

The contest will run until October 14th.

Any questions? Just put those in your post as well.

excited,
Christa Taylor

If we have over 50 contestants we can “up” the contest to $50 and add a second place prize for $25! Spread the news!

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Thank you Lisa for your time and insights, it is pleasure to host this interview here at ET. Girls, this is just the tip of the iceberg, Lisa has a plethora of helpful tips in the book. Get your own copy today, or be our contest winner!

Christa: Tell us a little about yourself, and why you co-authored For Young Women Only
Lisa: I am a mother, screenwriter, author and journalist living in Atlanta, GA. I co-authored FYWO to help teen girls understand some things I wish I had known as a teen – like how guys are wired inside. Once we understand their God-given wiring, we can make smarter choices about how we will speak, dress, and act around the males we care about.

Christa: Why do the guys around me need respect?
Lisa: Guys say they’d actually give up the feeling of love if they could know they had respect. Respect from the girls they care about makes them feel trusted, competent, like they measure up!

Christa: What are some practical ways I can show that respect?
Lisa: Guys say that teasing is especially tough (unless it’s really light-hearted, goofy and fun) – especially in front of their guy friends. Girls know lots of ways to show love, but often we show disrespect at the same time, which makes the guys feel no love, either.

Christa: I understand that inner beauty is more important, but I find myself leaning towards the opposite extreme and ending up looking frumpy – How important are my looks and appearance?
Lisa: It’s important to know that guys are visual, which means they can’t not notice a girl who’s wearing clothing that accentuates a good figure. He will store these “photos” of great bodies in a mental photo album, which can be called up at will or just pop into his thoughts without warning. And the scary thing is that he will be strongly tempted to picture that girl unclothed. Guys told us that if a girl will wear clothing that is trendy but not too revealing of private parts and not too skin-tight, the guy will be able to look at her and think, “Wow, what a beautiful girl!” instead of, “Whoah, I want to take her home to my bed right now!”

Christa: If there was one thing that young women should be pursuing in these years, what would it be?
Lisa: A personal relationship with God. Many girls don’t realize that there is one who, unlike guys on earth, is a prince of heaven who will never let them down. He’s invisible but real, waiting to see who will take His outstretched hand. When a girl has a strong relationship with the Lord, everything else will fall into place

Application Questions:
Are you prone to teasing your brothers or the young men in your circle?
What are some practical ways you can encourage and demonstrate respect to the men around you?

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It’s all about ruffles and pleating and bows. For those who love the victorian style (you know who you are) you never fit in so well. Truly romantic.

Before you start bedecking your self in head-to-lace, here’s a few guiedlines for your fall choices:

How to Wear it:

Avoid the stiffness of Victoriana by adding structure–Straight leg pants,  a pencil skirt or a coat with clean lines. The contrast is dynamic.

-snag a lovely sheer blouse and pair it with a suit jacket
-toughen up a pretty lace or tuxedo ruffled blouse with your favorite slacks or cropped capris.
-pair with feminine ballet flats in silver, neutral, pink or black.

Don’t:
-Wear ringlets, barely there blush, or bold jewelry.
-make sure the lace you choose to wear does not look like lingerie
-wear ruffles if you are more of an apple shape, big bust or waist,

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I just joined a fashion blog network, and so I’m linking back…

Here

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…continued from part 2

5. Excess Accessories
The Confusion of Profusion is too many scarves, belts, and other oddities. By “too many” I mean relics from the past, that are no longer in current use. If an accessory hasn’t been worn for a year, if it’s shabby, if the color is faded or doesn’t go with anything you have, if you simply cant stand to wear it…ditch it.

6. Shop in a shopping mood
Oh ladies, the worst mistake you can make is to go shopping when you don’t feel like it. The most important part of shopping is your frame of mind. If you go into the dressing room feeling like a mistreated heroine from a soap opera, I can guarantee nothing will look good on you. And if you’re depressed because you gained a few pounds, don’t buy something too small to grow into. Hard, but true. Lose the few pounds first then go shopping.
Finally, dress to go shopping. How can possibly see what a dress will do for you if your hair is under a hankerchief, your face devoid of make-up, and your good bra at home in the drawer? The “Well…of course, I’ll be wearing different shoes, and my hair swept up into a French twist…and…” and you wonder why so many clothes are such a big disappointment when they are actually worn.

7. Dress for everything.
Dress actively for whatever you are doing. Don’t wear an ageing cocktail dress for the office, or a “beat-up” cashmere for housework. They will be uncomfortable as well as unattractive. If it’s raining, wear raingear, and snag a perky umbrella at a garage sale. Why look like a drowned scarecrow when you can be a touch of sunshine?

It may take a little while for you as a complete, unique individual to emerge, but it’s all up to you and fascinating business of Wife-Dressing.

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Designers have warmly embraced “country” again, and we’re not talking about the genre of music. Tweeds, plaids, checks and corduroys in rust, green, brown, camel all the colors of harvest. It’s almost an equestrian feel, it’s just missing the riding crop.

How to wear it: 

Keep it all in proportion with a nipped leather jacket, a short cape or a little fur vest. Say yes to riding boots or wooly boots or pretty much any “countryish boots”.

-pull on a long skirt, wooly socks and cable knit sweater…but keep it body conscious with a belted waist.

-wear a silk scarf in contrasting fabric/pattern.

-Have fun with slouchy knits or wraps in plaids, solids or both

- add bits of fur, the lining of your coat or gloves, maybe the trim on your handbag.

-wear a beret or woolen hat. and Keep wearing them

-contrast the fabrics, leather with wool or tweed with plaid.

 Don’t:

-wear too many patterns at once.

-get lost in the volume.

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Considering that yesterday was the first day of fall, I think it is appropriate to launch a series of posts highlighting the key trends this season. Starting with-

Fall Florals: 
Strong throughout the fall selection is a variety of beautiful floral and art prints. Find these pieces of art shining on dresses, blouses, skirts, coats and even handbags. There is an impressionistic feel to both of these motifs, which gives them a feminine summery feel. .

How to wear it:
-Transition summery pieces by adding opaque tights, chunky knits, slim jackets and boots in ankle or knee lengths.
-Consider layering a filmy frock over a fine gauge wool turtleneck for an eclectic look that is subtle and sophisticated.
-Mix things up by pairing florals with tweeds and plaids for a unique personal style statement
-Fall brings flowers to necklaces, earrings, even shoes and bags. Wear them against solid pieces where they can shine.

-Strong eye? Yes. Dark lip? Sure. Big hair? No.
-Accessories should be stark and graphic, try a solid clutch or square tote.

Don’t:
Wear jewelry. It is liable to be a distraction with the plethora of prints swirling. However, do choose a good, substantial shoe.

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1.    Compress your Wardrobe.
Be relentless. If it’s out of style-makes you itch or squirm with discomfort, turns your skin sallow- can it!
Fashion is for today. Don’t look back. Sentiment may cast a rosy  glow on some special piece or other, but in reality, it’s just taking up space.

With the dross and fool’s gold cleared away, the real nuggets shine. An uncluttered wardrobe gives you a working knowledge of what you have and full control over selections. I regularly (every month) clean out my closet and invariably give-away an item or two. It’s better to have fewer clothes, all wearable and each accessorized in your mind than the confusion of having three times the selection.

2.    Weeding is a money saver.
Collect your disgards, if you don’t have a favorite friend or sister, do one of two things. Sell them to a second hand shop or have them evaluated and donate them to a charity. The amount can then be deducted from you income tax return.

3.    Old shoes must go.
Nothing spoils an outfit more than time-worn shoes and shoes which are obviously out of style. Since shoes are made in such an enormous range of color, fabric, and type, don’t buy them to last forever. Even designer shoes lose their luster quickly or are passé the next season. The one exception would be sneakers or tennis shoes, which take of lot of punishment.

4.    The Jewel box
The best jewel box is one that is sparsely filled. Not being able to tell the forest for the trees is the chief woe of the overstuffed box. Simplicity, class. One or two fresh things is enough.

part 3 coming soon…

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Announcement:

In just 7 days we will be hosting the much anticipated C-T giveaway and interview with Lisa Rice!

Also, upcoming is a guest post from author Natalie Nyquist pertaining to “What to do when the guy I like, doesn’t like me?”

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This post is for the wives amongst us, and the future wives in the making. 

Wife dressing is many things:
An art.
A science.
A labor of love.
A means of self-expression.
And, above all, a contributing factor to a happy marriage.

Wife dressing begins with the traditional rings for your third finger, left hand. But the wedding ring is only the beginning. When your husband’s eyes light up as he comes in at night, you’re in sad shape if it’s only because he smells dinner cooking.

Most men claim to be indifferent to fashion, if not down-right afraid. They can contemplate outer space without blinking an eye, sacrifice their very lives in defense of our country, or even explore the dark cellar where you’ve heard noises—yet the mention of a shopping trip turns them pale and trembling.

Why? I don’t know.
But one thing is clear, however many times he may mumble inarticulately when you ask his advice he will respond to every facet of wife-dressing whether you’re being the hostess, the maid-of-all-work, or the devastating creature curled up on the sofa with a Midnight Snack for Two.

So how can you serve your husband through your dress?

You will need:
1.    A frank understanding of yourself
2.    A healthy attitude toward your new responsibilities
3.    A willingness to learn and
4.    A buoyant elation about being alive.

All this can be boiled down to one word: Discipline.
Discipline makes you the woman you are. You are you. Not the model in that photo, or the girl beside you in the elevator, or even the gal sitting at the next lunch table. Discipline is the secret to good grooming, no matter your budget. Discipline prevents you from being deluded about the squishing into the wrong size, or buying something just because it’s on sale. Discipline makes you a stickler for details which left unchecked could lead to a catastrophe.

Find part 2 and 3 at Empowered Traditionalist

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