I'd Rather Wear a Dress!

A little more than a month ago, I made a drastic change in the way I dress. I began to wear skirts or dresses on a daily basis, and I haven't regretted that decision at all!

Ever since I was little, I've loved wearing dresses. They made me feel so pretty, and so much like a girl! I even used to get upset if mom required me to wear pants... I enjoyed dresses so!

But, as I got older, I guess I noticed that dresses were not exactly the vogue, for I wore them less and less. I still loved to wear skirts and dresses, but it was usually only to church that I ended up wearing them. Plus, as I began to play outside with my brother and sisters, pants or shorts were simply easier to romp in!

As I grew into the early teens, I really wanted to fit in! I still dressed very modestly, but I tried to wear as much of the fashions as I could. Then, our family started a home church, and I found true friends. Friends who had the same convictions I had, who dressed like I did, and who were committed to seeking God. I begun to dress even more modestly, and finally found a place that I fit.

Shopping, however, was a nightmare! It was so hard to find modest pants or shorts! I often ended up getting things that I disliked and thought were ugly, but were at least modest. I didn't like the way most of the clothes looked, but they were modest...

Sometimes I would wear dresses or skirts places mother thought would be appropriate, and I loved how they looked and felt! I felt so pretty and so much like a girl, that I often wished I could wear them all the time! I would sometimes see ladies or girls who I could tell wore dresses mostly, and I would almost envy them! I wished that I had courage to wear dresses as well, but I didn't, because I was afraid of what others would think. I prayed a lot about wearing dresses, and I kept struggling with the question. I kept feeling restless... until I started primarily wearing dresses. Then, I was totally at peace, and haven't struggled since!

I kept reading articles about dresses, and I would yearn to make them the primary portion of my wardrobe, but was scared. Even my family would probably think me weird, and not understand!

One article that I especially liked was written by Sarah Harris, a girl my age. It was entitled Feminine Doesn't Just Mean Wearing Any Old Dress. I pondered and reread it many times, and I began to think that it wouldn't be so hard to make the switch. I emailed my friend Miriam about it, but she hadn't even responded before I decided. I was going to wear skirts and dresses, and just let people wonder!

Some have thought me strange, but most haven't even really noticed. And the way dresses make me feel... is just wonderful! I used to go places and be a little ashamed of how baggy I looked, but now I can go with my head up, and smile with confidence! I am dressed as a lovely woman, and I don't need to be ashamed of that!

Wearing dresses has also made me feel more feminine and womanly. It helps me act like a young woman, for there are certain things one simply just doesn't do in a dress!

I'm not saying that pants are bad, or that I'll never wear them again. In fact, there are some things that I will wear pants to do, such as when I'm choreographing dances at home. I'm just sharing how moving dresses to the primary part of my wardrobe has changed me, and made me truly feel... like a lovely young woman.

So, if someone asks me why I'm wearing dresses, or thinks it's something I've been forced to do, I can simply smile and respond, "Actually, I'd rather wear a dress!"