QuakerQuaker

Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

Plain practicalities - relearning comfort

For the past eight months I've been on a road to plainness. One particular aspect of my experience of plain dressing I wanted to comment on, as it has taken me a bit by surprise. And that is comfort. I am being re-introduced to a comfort in my clothes that I have not felt since childhood, I think. I won't be too heady about this, but I think since the fashion industry has been dictating for so long now what we all wear, even those of us who try NOT to follow fashions, we as a culture have dropped the items of clothing that eons of humans determined were practical, comfortable, and maybe even life saving. Covering our heads is the first thing that comes to mind. Humans in all climates have always covered their heads appropriate to the climatic conditions. I am discovering again the comfort of the protection from all the elements that a covering affords, from wind, sun, cold, drizzle. My head is happier, as are my ears.

In the cold I have been wearing a square scarf tied Amish-style over my snood and this is so much more cozy and snug than a hat and neck scarf! As a child my mother tied a scarf like that around me as in the early 50s this was standard for little girls. Again, the protection for my ears and most especially my neck and cheeks is amazing, against wind and cold. No gaps between hat and scarf either. I am now generally wearing a kerchief (I think that's what it's called) of soft plain knit material around my shoulders. This is in place of a sweater. I can pull it up around my neck for coziness, or pull it down for just arm coverage. And my arms are not getting overly hot as they can do in sweaters.

My shawl has advantages over a sweater or coat, mostly in flexibility of tying and whether my arms are in or out. I can also quickly re-tie it over my head if it is suddenly windy or rains or if I need to run out in bad weather without having to put on a hat etc. And I can easily wrap my hands up in the shawl, which you can't so easily do with a sweater. A shawl can also envelope a friend, large or small.

It is interesting that the idea that head protection also protects your health went out of style just when the fashion industry decided hats were no longer in. Grandmothers still know differently though, and are still pushing covered heads, though even that is on the wane, sadly.

The long dresses also afford protection and warmth. Contrary to popular opinion dresses and skirts can be warmer than pants because of the layer of warm air that can be trapped underneath, especially with longjohns and a slip underneath.

And then there are aprons. I have continued to use kitchen aprons, that my grandmother made actually, way past when they went out of fashion. What could be more practical than an apron to reduce the need to launder your clothing so often! Aprons have more advantages than I can list quickly, but I am happy to have less laundering and feel I am doing a bit to save resources at the same time.

So even though comfort was not at all on my mind when I started down the plain dress path it has been a wonderful surprise along the way. It makes me smile to think that following God's leading in plain dress showed me as a side light how much He cares even about our physical comfort and well-being.

I would love to hear what others have discovered about plain dressing that they did not expect.

Blessings to all,

Barb

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mackenzie on 10th mo. 26, 2012 at 2:24pm

I agree about comfort. It actually is a big reason for how I dress. I started wearing skirts in summer because long jeans are too hot in the summers we have here (and I'm not a fan of shorts). I wear them year-round now, because skin-hugging jeans just aren't comfortable at any time of year, it turns it out. I feel like a sausage or a sardine.

I'm a perpetually-cold person, so I've decided to sew some long-sleeve dresses, since my usual black-t-shirt + black-skirt ensemble leaves my arms too cold, meaning I always need to wear a sweater. Unfortunately, the shawl I knit for myself is not large enough to cover my arms.

I often wear a pashmina scarf hijab-style in the winter for the reasons you said.

Hmm, I wonder how practical it would be, on the "less laundering" front, to wear on a daily basis the traditional layers, with a layer of undyed linen between the skin and the outerwear, so only the linen must be laundered (unless you spill something on your skirt...but that's what the apron's for). I only wear those layers when reenacting, and it is pretty rare for me to wash my overgowns in that case.

Permalink Reply by Chris Beauchamp on 10th mo. 26, 2012 at 4:45pm

I appreciate and agree with all your comments. I also believe its much easier to tell the men from the women, and that women look and act more like women, when they dress plain.

I'm a plain living and working in a non-plain area which is less than pleasant. I hear comments whispered - - and receive stares - - but I stand by my convictions, even if they poke fun at me. They don't understand, and oftentimes I'll see people walking nearby and cannot tell if they are man or woman. How sad to me that any woman would prefer to be identified by a football or athletic jersey than a garment designed for us.

Comfort as well as protection from the elements are important points of focus. I want to be warm and protected. Perhaps it was not so important when I was younger. Now it seems moreso with each passing year. I'll wear sweaters, coats and shawls together if need be, usually beginning with more and removing the excess if I'm too warm.

Covering of the head is most important to me because it immediately sets us apart from those who do not cover. It emphasizes a difference between us who do and others who do not, especially while living and working in a non-plain area, where this is not practiced by a majority.

To my knowledge I never had a Grandmother; you are very lucky in that way. Thank you for sharing your insights.

Blessings also to you. .

Permalink Reply by Mackenzie on 10th mo. 29, 2012 at 10:20am

Vitamin D deficiency is pretty common in the US too. I wear short sleeves and only occasionally cover my head, but I spend all the bright daylight hours in a cubicle staring at a computer screen, like a very large chunk of the population. A few minutes exposure on the way to the car/lightrail/bus early in the morning and late in the evening is not enough. Handily, grocery stores sell vitamin D supplements.

I do not really care whether others are wearing gender identifying clothing. It's not my business. I do think people with an androgynous appearance are quite attractive, though, and let us not forget the lure of the kilt.

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