Boyer Sisters Pt 5: Balancing Body Humors with YL Oils

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

On 8/22/2017 at 5:35 AM, Flossie said:

Dressing down for gym becomes a lot more fun when everyone is waiting to see what your socks look like.

Yep. That's why I tried to wear novelty socks to as many of my prenatal exams as I could. It was fun when my ob would notice my silly socks when my feet were in the stirrups. 

[katilac]

6 hours ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

Yep. That's why I tried to wear novelty socks to as many of my prenatal exams as I could. It was fun when my ob would notice my silly socks when my feet were in the stirrups. 

That's brilliant.

[ADoyle90815]

I have some socks with Corgis on them, some with pumpkins for Halloween season, and a couple of Christmas socks that I've worn to an ugly sweater party.

[charmedforsure]

I'm probably in the tiny minority here, but I never wear socks unless it's with my running shoes going to the gym. It's just too hot here most of the year to justify my feet constantly sweating in cute socks.

I have a few pairs of novelty socks (featuring bears of all sorts!) but they never make an appearance outside of my sock drawer.

In Boyer news, Brigid is starting a blog post series on "Thoughts on Dressing". Sounds like it could be an interesting read, and definitely goes back to the original roots of the sisters' fashion blogging. Way to go, Brigid!

Jessica and Charlotte, on the other hand, just posted about how to afford Young Living on a budget. And that includes pimping out the auto-ship program where you have to order a minimum of $50 a month in product (all after buying a starter kit to boot). They also are poo-pooing actual sound medical advice, you know, like taking clinically-tested medication to treat illness and maladies... 

[Palimpsest]

Oh, Brigie.  You disappoint me.

FTR I showered and dressed before reading your post, and I am wearing a modest T shirt, a loose cotton floral maxi shirt I made myself, and red greyhound socks because my feet are a bit chilly.  I'll take them off later.  I plan to change before going out this evening into a very modest loose dress and my red sandals, which (coincidentally) are exactly the same as the ones you own.  They are very comfy but when I bought them I bemoaned the fact that they looked a bit like "old lady" shoes.   But then I am approaching old lady-hood.

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I want my clothes to communicate who I am: I am a creative person; that means my clothes will reflect that. I am a woman, and I delight in that fact; that means they will be feminine.

I have a very feminine pair of black silk pants.  Just saying.  And people can be creative in many ways.  All this "I'm so special because I'm creative" business puts a burr under my saddle.

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I want to look nice all the time, while still being dressed practically; that means there won’t be much difference between my wardrobe and the average woman’s “Church” outfit.

Do you realize how utterly snotty that sounds, Brigie?  Some people can only afford one or two dressy outfits.  Also the skirt I'm wearing today is rather old and faded and probably not meet your standards.  I still like it and it is perfectly Ok for wearing at home.  I wouldn't feel embarrassed to answer the door.  I'm also going to do some cleaning today and I don't wear my good clothes to kneel on the floor while I wash the kitchen baseboards.  

There is nothing wrong with wanting to look nice, but not caring much about your clothes is not a moral failing.  I've always liked the Quaker idea of simplicity in dress.  Not the full-blown Plain Dress (think Amish) that draws attention, but the idea that you wear a simple version of current fashion.  Avoid designer labels because they are status symbols, just buy the clothing you need, and buy clothing that is made ethically even if you have to pay a bit more.

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I love history; that means my clothes will look different from what the average woman on the street is wearing today. What I wear will communicate these messages.

I love history too.  However, I don't find period dress practical for everyday use.  I also don't like drawing attention to myself in public.  I don't think it is "modest" to stand out in a crowd.  

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It won’t always communicate ALL of these messages, because I think what we wear is a work in progress.

What we wear is a work in progress because clothes do wear out and need to be replaced. We are also all works in progress, and what we do with our time is more important than worrying excessively about what we wear and what message it sends.  

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But if I can communicate to the people around me that I am different, that I believe there is something more to life than just living, without uttering a single word, then I have achieved something. We can trigger questions by what we wear, and sometimes those questions end up starting the most important conversations a person might ever have in their life.

Oy.  I'm getting flashbacks to "Regency Emily."  Anyone else remember her?  She floved Jennie Chauncey's patterns but unfortunately couldn't sew very well.  And never pressed the seams!

The highlight of Emily's day was to rant on her blog endlessly about the immodest clothing other people wore.  She also screamed persecution every week because of the double-takes people would give her as she swept around Walmart in her regency dress, complete with train, and her home-made Regency bonnets!  

I'd double-take at the sight of that too and no persecution intended! 

Edit to add - the skirt I'm wearing today is almost as old as Brigid!  I think I made it in 2001.  

[formergothardite]

12 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

But if I can communicate to the people around me that I am different, that I believe there is something more to life than just living, without uttering a single word, then I have achieved something. We can trigger questions by what we wear, and sometimes those questions end up starting the most important conversations a person might ever have in their life.

So she dresses to attract attention? Can she just stop pretending she is modest? She wants people to notice her and her clothing. What life changing conversations are going to come from someone asking why she dresses like she lives in the past? @Gabe? Want to ask her to clear that up? 

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When we wear a certain outfit, it expresses a message to the world, whether that message is “I don’t care about how I look, I just want to be comfortable,” or “I don’t care what the world thinks about me, I want to look nice and presentable.”

Or maybe most people don't really notice what you are wearing unless you are purposely seeking attention? What about that whole man looks on the outside but God looks at the heart verse? Brigid seems to focus on the superficial and comes off as very judgmental. Yesterday I went to the grocery store wearing a pair of jeans and an old t shirt because I had been cleaning. Literally no one seemed to pay attention to me, not even the cashier who was busy flirting with the bagger. And that is fine because I was there to get bananas and almond milk, not flaunt my clothing for attention. 

[Palimpsest]

@formergothardite Gabe is a peacock himself!

Yes, this post got on my nerves.  She is dressing differently in the hopes she can attract attention but defends it by saying that is so she can tell people about God.

I could understand if they say that they dress "creatively" to draw attention to their home business of making period dress.  However, last time I looked, Gabe had closed his Etsy store and I don't know whether his hobby was ever a successful business.  Brigid's pattern business also never got off the ground.  A single pattern does not a business make.  Neither does only making clothes for yourself and family members.

[Lurky]

Here's the thing about "period dress" enthusiasts - they're pretty much always into the wealthy people's clothing, and are cosplaying being rich.  I love museums that showcase fashion, for example, but I don't delude myself that the clothing in the V&A gallery, for example, is anywhere near "everyday" clothing of the time periods.  Their 1980s displays, eg, are the high fashion side (though had some ready-to-wear).

Part of this is that it's only really the wealthy, or the lucky, who can store clothing, as in normal households, if one eg wore out the elbows of a dress, or stained the skirt irreparably, fabric would be re-used (my mum and her friends used to make their own clothes, and we have photos of me and my brother in clothes made from a dress of my mum's - my dad had a tie made out of one of my mum's blouses, and one of my favourite family friends had a ton of patchwork things that she could tell you what the patches were, originally).

And even if clothing didn't get repurposed into clothes or decorative items, it was used as rags or stuffing, or sold, or passed on.  And trying to store fabric for the future is tough, too, as all kinds of things can happen to it.  It's fascinating, but it's a lot easier to see eg a Georgian ballgown than a Georgian servant's outfit.

But then again, I guess a lot of the "historical" cosplayers are always ignoring the fact they're cosplaying the 1%.  All the people who say things like "women didn't work outside the home in the past" and manage to read Jane Austen, or the Brontes, or Dickens without noticing that the vast majority of women did, and had to. 

I'm rambling!  My tl;dr is "ugh, just admit you idolise the wealthy"

 

[GeoBQn]

Those are all good points, @Lurky.  Whenever I found myself getting too into the clothes on Downton Abbey, I thought about what my ancestors were wearing in the same time period.  They were either working in sweatshops in America or living in shtetls in Eastern Europe.  Spoiler Alert:  They didn't wear the latest fashions.

[SamiKatz]

I'm a sock knitter and have made myself (and others) a few pair of these and they are my.favourite.socks.ever.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/camping-2

 

I also have rosacea and use Best Skin every by Living Libations, which has lots of EO in it and it has really helped with redness and outbreaks.  I"m sure EO won't cure disease (Peppermint oil works wonders on headaches though), but they are not all bunk.

 

[Ali]

Will Brigid still be wearing the same type of dresses most women wear to church everyday after the baby comes? Will she continue to care about what she is wearing after the baby spits up on her multiple times a day, spits peas all over her, and squirts poop on her clothes as she is changing his/her diaper?

Hopefully it will help her grow out of her unhealthy obsession with clothing.

[singsingsing]

3 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

I've always liked the Quaker idea of simplicity in dress.  Not the full-blown Plain Dress (think Amish) that draws attention, but the idea that you wear a simple version of current fashion.  Avoid designer labels because they are status symbols, just buy the clothing you need, and buy clothing that is made ethically even if you have to pay a bit more.

I really like that, too. I've flirted with the idea of adopting some version of 'modern plain dress' over the years. I'm currently seriously considering throwing out or donating the majority of my wardrobe and just keeping a few basic pieces that I actually need and wear. I've also been growing increasingly interested in buying clothes that are ethically made. I'm not going to throw out everything I own that was made in a sweatshop, because frankly, I can't afford to do that - but as I need to purchase new clothing, I'll definitely be looking to avoid that.

I'd like my clothing to reflect who I am as a person a little better, too. Not in the 'I'm so creative and different you guys' sense, but I've spent far too many years of my life trying to be "normal" and I'm done with that.

[catlady]

i just read Brigid's post, and count me in with being disappointed now.  

so B can dress differently because she's creative, but women everywhere are expected, so she implies, to fully embrace their femininity.  ok, so B can be different, can stand out in a crowd because she's Godly.  apparently it's fine with her if i do too, but if i'm not *Feminine!* then i'm not "delighting in what i was created to be."  

guess what, Brigid:  i was created to be CatLady.  being CatLady requires me to adapt to all of the curveballs life has thrown at me.  some of those proverbial curveballs mean that i have to spend consecutive days wearing yoga pants and sweatshirts with my hair in a messy pony tail, even *gasp* in public.  because frequently i have more important things to do than stand in front of my bureau wondering if a particular garment is *feminine* enough for other people's standards.  

i have a very good friend whose job requires her to be outdoors most of the year, and for safety reasons her dress code is casual.  she wears jeans/shorts, t shirts, and sneakers every day.  she prefers to wear her hair very short.  she has several tattoos, about half of which are visible.  she hasn't worn a dress or skirt since elementary school because she hates them; if she needs to dress up, she wears a pantsuit.  she doesn't accessorize beyond one pair of stud earrings and a wedding band (no engagement ring; she didn't want one).  and yet she is happy to call herself a woman, and no one is mistaking her for being otherwise.  

apologies for not being very coherent here, but Brigid's post is indeed quite judgmental and her self-importance is bothering me.

ETA:  i'm suddenly reminded of Lady Lydia, who took offense at the attire of Hurricane Katrina survivors......

[Palimpsest]

1 hour ago, Ali said:

Will she continue to care about what she is wearing after the baby spits up on her multiple times a day, spits peas all over her, and squirts poop on her clothes as she is changing his/her diaper?

@Ali, you made me laugh out loud!

57 minutes ago, singsingsing said:

I really like that, too. I've flirted with the idea of adopting some version of 'modern plain dress' over the years. I'm currently seriously considering throwing out or donating the majority of my wardrobe and just keeping a few basic pieces that I actually need and wear.

I've been gradually trying to do that over the past few years.  Of course, your ability do it depends a bit on where you work, your social life, and practicality.  I really can't pare my closet down as much as I want because of winter cold and summer heat!  I also prefer natural fibers and texture is more important to me than color.  As the Boyer sisters once told us, picking a single neutral color is a good plan so you don't have to worry about matching things.

I'm down to a couple of dress-up outfits that can go to both weddings and funerals and also out to dinner, as in the black silk pants with a couple of nice tops.  I also have a black wool skirt I can wear with the same tops, and one navy medium weight dress.  Also 2 cardigans, one black and one navy.  I hate jackets with a passion.  I used to have to wear business suits at a previous job and I can't stand them.

That is more than enough.  I dress them up with colored scarves and jewelry.   

In summer I wear simple cotton or cotton blend skirts and dresses.  I have about 6 presentable summer outfits (enough for a whole week without doing laundry), plus 2 ancient skirts and a few elderly T-shirts.  In winter I wear jeans (4 pairs in various stages of wear) and wool or wool blend sweaters.  I also have a few pairs of pj pants and have been guilty of wearing them with a nice sweater while skyping for work (I work from home).  So long as I don't stand up no-one will know about my pj pants and fluffy socks!

I also haven't bought any new clothes for well over a year.  I don't need them.  But looking at that list I think I could get rid of a few more things! 

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 hours ago, Lurky said:

Here's the thing about "period dress" enthusiasts - they're pretty much always into the wealthy people's clothing, and are cosplaying being rich.  I love museums that showcase fashion, for example, but I don't delude myself that the clothing in the V&A gallery, for example, is anywhere near "everyday" clothing of the time periods.  Their 1980s displays, eg, are the high fashion side (though had some ready-to-wear).

And think about how it will be 100 years from now. When people want to dress up like people from the early 2000s, it won't be lounge wear. It won't be cheap clothing from target. It will be the fancy expensive stuff that people only wear on special occasions. 

Just going by Brigid's post, I'm going to say that she and Gabe are PERFECT for one another 

[SamiKatz]

2 hours ago, singsingsing said:

I really like that, too. I've flirted with the idea of adopting some version of 'modern plain dress' over the years. I'm currently seriously considering throwing out or donating the majority of my wardrobe and just keeping a few basic pieces that I actually need and wear. I've also been growing increasingly interested in buying clothes that are ethically made. I'm not going to throw out everything I own that was made in a sweatshop, because frankly, I can't afford to do that - but as I need to purchase new clothing, I'll definitely be looking to avoid that.

I'd like my clothing to reflect who I am as a person a little better, too. Not in the 'I'm so creative and different you guys' sense, but I've spent far too many years of my life trying to be "normal" and I'm done with that.

I've been strongly considering adopting a ten item wardrobe, and replacing my "work" clothes with basic, high quality/ethically made items I can wear over many seasons (sorry to use that word).

I flirt with minimalism. (Hand knit socks would not count)

[Lurky]

I remember when I was a student and talking about how I'd always keep my work and home wardrobes separate.  Fast forward a few years, and while yeah, I didn't wear my jeans and my dungarees to work, when I was buying new long-sleeved tops and blouses, for example, I was definitely picking things that could swap in and out of work and home, because in no way did I have enough cash to maintain 2 separate wardrobes - or would want to spend my cash on that if I could.

Being able to dress to "stand out" comes from really interesting places - the huge privilege of not having to work, for example; or as @Ali says being in a position where you don't have kids spitting up/putting muddy hands etc on it; or from a counter-culture perspective, like eg being a full-on goth and dealing with the repercussions of that. 

But what pisses me off is, as @catlady & others say, Brigid is simultaneously wanting to go full-on into her hobby, and saying she wants to dress in a deliberately provocative manner to get attention, while at the same time, being super-judgey about others.  It is FINE to want to cosplay the wealthy, and to pretend to be the heroine of books you've never really understood the context of - but don't be so smug about it.  Be kind about other people's situations, and treat their beliefs with the same dignity you'd want accorded to your own.  But hey, that's not the Fundy way, is it?

[Carm_88]

I'm sorry but I will never see the issue with pants. I don't put on a skirt or a pink shirt and say "Ooooh now I'm feminine." I'm the exact same no matter if I'm wearing shorts and a tank top,  skirt and a blouse, yoga pants and a big tshirt, a dress, or nothing at all. I like black  wear a fair amount of black, that doesn't mean I'm less female then someone wearing pink.

Try being a better then average person and not a better then average dresser.

[FeministShrew]

I wore skirts & dresses to work forever because I hate dress pants & my boss doesn't want me wearing blue jeans to the office. Also, skirts & dresses are easier to find in my size at thrift stores than dress pants. I found some comfy linen cropped pants at Old Navy & have been wearing them all summer, but this winter the skirts & leggings will be coming back out of the closet.
My preferred clothing has always been jeans or shorts & t-shirts.
My clothing says this about me: I want to be comfortable. but my boss doesn't like jeans, so this is what you get.

[AlwaysExcited]

Admittedly, I should do a wardrobe update and replace worn-out and old things, but I want to slowly get into ethical/fair trade fashion, so I'm waiting for a time I'll have money for that. And meanwhile I give no fucks about not looking feminine, modest or outstanding enough. My creativity is not expressed though my clothes. It's expressed though things I do in my clothes. 

[catlady]

agreeing with everyone above.  Brigid's insular life is showing with her latest post.  she, at age 20, is lecturing readers on how feminine they must dress and that it's some kind of requirement to flaunt one's womanhood, and it never occurs to her that the vast majority of everyone does not live a life like hers.  she has no idea that people clothe themselves according to their circumstances, not to her own ideals.  

[charmedforsure]

I have to throw my two cents in on the whole dressing for femininity thing...

So, I'm a plus size woman, who happens to have had a very short hair cut (anywhere from completely shaved to a short angled bob just past my ears at its longest) for over the past decade due to medical reasons. I live in a super conservative neighborhood and from my size/stature, plus my short hair, coupled with some gender-neutral outfits, I've gotten called "sir" when out and about too many times to count. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, as it can be an honest mistake. But it still stings. Very slightly in the same vein as a trans individual wanting to be called by their preferred pronoun, I also want to be recognized as my gender identity, which happens to be female. Note: I'm not at all trying to minimize what transgendered individuals go through... they are very brave individuals who are embracing who they really are, going through a tough process, and I seriously applaud their bravery and efforts. 

I made the conscious decision a few years back to dress in a more obvious feminine way. I exclusively wore skirts and dresses when the weather allowed. I always had bows and headbands in my hair... though no fake pigtails a la Josie Duggar when I wasn't sporting any hair! I was now wanting to emphasize my curves instead of hiding them (hello cleavage!). And frankly, it's worked. It's a rarity that I get sir-ed nowadays and I feel like I'm truly embracing who I am. Mind you, more leggings have crept into my wardrobe (pants with no buttons are both a blessing and a curse!). And I'm not preaching if/when someone mentions what I'm wearing... although I'm always happy to talk what a bargain I got on my outfit/shoes! 

[jozina]

I love clothes and we are lucky to have the money where we can afford to spend a lot on clothes. My wardrobe is full of dresses and cardigans from my favourite brand-very feminine, quite retro (lots of 1920s-1950s inspired numbers) and mostly "modest" too. Very rarely anything above my knee and I never show cleavage. I like make up and l tend to do my hair in ways to complement what I'm wearing. If I passed Bridget in the street I'm guessing she'd like my style. Walking down the street with my three little cherubs in their also expensive and distinctive clothing we'd totally look like we could be mummy friends (if our husbands agreed of course).

And yet I think she's an obnoxious, vain and vapid little guttersnipe. She is not modest (which is fine-but own it). The way she judges other people and thinks she's *special* is so childish. She's no more modest or special or different or showing she doesn't care about the world than any of the thousands of young women who dress in the latest fashion, post selfies with their friends to get attention or make You Tube videos about how to contour and get Kylie Jenner lips.

I don't care how other people dress. And she's stupid if she thinks how she dresses will draw attention to God. I like my style and can afford to keep it up so I do. I do like the attention I get as well-I'm totally vain. If anyone knows me they know I have a tough job which I've spent over a decade studying for, my wee blessings have gone to a daycare/nanny and my husband and I are 100% equal in our marriage. About the only time I think of how that interacts with my appearance is when someone looks at me (all modest, feminine and coiffed) with my husband and assumes he's Dr Jozina and I'm Mrs Jozina. Try again buddy.

Her and Gabe are ugliness and judgement with an exterior they're trying to dress up. Lipstick on a pig and all that. I'm sure married life does suit her because she can go out away from her sisters and further convince herself of how special, unique and godly she is.

[ViolaSebastian]

13 hours ago, Ali said:

Will Brigid still be wearing the same type of dresses most women wear to church everyday after the baby comes? Will she continue to care about what she is wearing after the baby spits up on her multiple times a day, spits peas all over her, and squirts poop on her clothes as she is changing his/her diaper?

Hopefully it will help her grow out of her unhealthy obsession with clothing.

This was my thought, too. I work with kids, and every day this summer I've worn an extra long pair of cargo shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes to work. It's an outfit that's deeply, painfully unflattering, but it's all about utility and wash-ability. I've got baths to give, crayons to confiscate and stick in my pockets, and diapers to change--and doing that well is more important to me than how I look. If someone is going to judge me about the "statement" I'm making with that kind of outfit, they can go straight to hell. The only "statement" I'm making is that I want kids to be well-cared for--and I personally think that Jesus would think that's more important than dressing up every day.

[ChunkyBarbie]

Who know who else thinks that their clothing should be a statement of their gender, interests and passions?  My four year old son and most of his friends. It is way easier to get underwear on my son if it is Star Wars or Lego Batman.  If he isn't wearing a character tee, his shirt must be green or maybe blue, preferably striped. Because green and blue are boy colors dontcha know. Brigid just makes me laugh, shake my head, and roll my eyes...hard. 

I had a c-section and nursed for 2 1/2 years, no way was I dressing like June Cleaver or even Emma Woodhouse, especially those first couple months. Good luck Brigid.