When the Fashion Pressure is On Like Donkey Kong: On Workin’ with what my Mama Gave Me. Vote for your fave look to dress me this weekend.

(Am I getting really carried away with my long blog titles lately? I think so).

I promise you my blog isn’t turning into a fashion blog —though how fun would that be?  (Maybe a different blog eventually? I have considered this)!

So.  Wanna help me get dressed this weekend?  I’m emcee’ing a conference for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA (the org I work for) for about 700+ college & university students from across MI.  And of course, the fashion pressure is on ~not from them of course, just my own bit’o’pressure.  I don’t need to be perceived as cute and I don’t need to be perceived as a fashionable dresser but I –over think perhaps– fashion in contexts where I’ll be up front because of these 3 factors:

1) I do not like the feeling of being upfront and feeling self-conscious about myself, my weight, my flab rolls, my acne, etc.  I counter this by taking care of what I’ve been given.  Dressing appropriately & professionally feels like taking a blankie/paci up front. =)

2) I like to model the fact that it’s perfectly fine to be a Minister AND still love and appreciate fashion and beauty, in a healthy way, of course.

A few weekends ago at the Blogher / Penguin Writer’s Conference in NYC (which I still really need to blog about) about 25 people looked at me puzzled and say “You’re a Minister?”  I wasn’t offended AT ALL.  Seriously.  Not many people see Ministers who are a) woman b) have multiple tat’s c) a million piercings & d) dress fashionably.  I realize I’m breaking the stereotype for what a ‘Minister-of-Jesus’ looks like and to that I say, Hallelujah Jesus because God doesn’t call white men only in Land’s End suits or black robes/white collars to be the primary communicators of God’s truths.

I’m here, baby & I’m fabulous! =)

3) I’ve been living fairly intentionally about my love for the art of fashion in the last 5-6 years —specifically not hiding it because of those who perceive my looks and my dress as a reason I shouldn’t be taken seriously.  Now that is sad to me.  I have heard it before.  A pastor once called me a “pretty young thang,” and asked what I could possibly be doing in full-time ministry.  This was before he heard a single word that I said. That hurt my feelings.  Made me feel bad for natural blonds. lol.

I wanted to bust out the famous Julia Roberts’ line from Pretty Woman (which my friends & I always quoted in high school): “I say who! I say when! I say….who!” But, you know, since she was a prostitute and all, talking about who she’d have sex with, I don’t think that would have been necessarily effective in solidifying the fact that I was a qualified minister of the Gospel.  I digress.

I don’t mind explaining this because I think it’s appropriate that you know I’m thoughtful about the theology of beauty, and I’m workin’ with what my Mama gave me.

Here we go.  I would LOVE for you to vote on your fave look of mine for this weekend…

Again, my “Fashion Dahling” Pinboard on Pinterest has been REALLY INSPIRING me, y’all!  Yesterday, I hopped on & chose 4 looks I’d tried to emulate for this weekend.  Of course, I needed to think about flat shoes because being emcee is only ONE of my FOUR roles this weekend.  When my feet hurt, I am so unhappy.  And because I hate being unhappy, I don’t try to pretend my feet don’t hurt, I just take off my shoes and walk around barefoot.  Which is, ya know, kinda ghetto-fabulous of me.

Here’s what I tried…

I actually prefer the look on the right as I have a deep and abiding love affair with skinny jeans + hot heels but again the feet issue!

I REALLY wanted to wear this cute, lil’ black pencil skirt because I’ve never worn it before and because I love the look of a tucked in shirt and black pencil skirt, but I just couldn’t figure out one that I felt comfortable in and as of now have ruled it out: what do you think? (With the red tights, I have on flat red shoes).  I tried on 2 other looks with this skirt but it was FAIL all over the place.

I REALLY love the pinterest look above with the bright-orange-show-stopping scarf so I tried to recreate it with a long black turtleneck & skinny’s (but I may add black leggings instead).

On the right, again I found myself tempted by my super-sky-high-bright-red-Jessica-Simpson-stiletto’s!

I tried on about 4 other ones but they were so hideous.  I think I was driving myself crazy trying to find an outfit that would work with that doggone black pencil skirt! Argghgh….

So, what’s your vote?  Look 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6?