Wednesday, July 21, 2010

What to Wear: What's So Christian About This Fashion Thing?

Looks Do Matter.

There I said it. Now hang with me here. If you are a Christian, then your faith plays a part in every aspect of your life. Or at least it should. Faith affects your personal life, your career choices, and your family relationships (whether you are married, single, or divorced). Faith affects your music and movie selections and where you hang out or what you do for fun.

Your faith even colors your clothing choices. Now don't start groaning on me. You have a responsibility as a Christian female to make sure that how you dress is a reflection of who you really are. I'm not suggesting you walk around wearing "I Love Jesus" T-shirts and wristbands, but you have to live knowing that what you put on in the morning says something about your character.
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What you just read above comes from the first chapter in my new book,
Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad.
Because the book is releasing very, very soon...like shipping to stores NOW (yikes!), I want to offer you, my special blog readers an inside secret! If you go to this link it will take you to the Zondervan site and on the left hand side there is a little box that says HEAR SAMPLE. When you click on that box, you can listen to the first chapter of my book in its entirety! How cool is that? Trust me, after spending 2 days in Nashville in a sound booth recording the book, it's really cool to me to finally hear how it sounds! I hope you will be blessed by it.
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When you order your copy of the book, I would sooooo very much appreciate you letting me know how you like it by leaving a comment for me, but I know that won't happen for a week or two cause you have to actually READ it (or listen if you get the audio) before you can tell me what your favorite part is! There is about 50 copies floating around out there right now, what with the review copies, a few I got and gave out and such, so if any of you have gotten a sneak peak, let us know what you think. My book launch is August 8th from 3-5 in Charlotte at Borders/Northlake Mall, so if you're near, PLEASE come!!!!! It's gonna be soo much fun!
Bring your whole family!
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Now for some answers to some questions:
  • Melinda wants to know: Where can a woman shop if she is both tall and overweight? Most places stop their tall sizes at 18, but some of us need more than that--it makes it very hard to find clothes that fit well.
    A: Melinda, try Ralph Lauren Woman (sizes go to 26 and are great for tall gals), also, Ashley Stewart . Eddie Bauer's Talls go to size 20 and are a good one to try too.
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  • Q: What kind of shoes do you think look good with jeans?
  • A: Ah, that's a tricky one! Because soooo many shoes work with jeans, the best thing is to choose a style that reflects YOUR style. Do you like pointy toed pumps? Ballet flats? Boots? Or cute tennis shoes? Girl, the skies the limit on this one!
  • Melinda (not sure it's the same one as above!): you asked about ordering swatches...order what you think you are, then once your order is thru, you'll receive a confirmation email directing you to email me your picture. Once I confirm your analysis, the correct swatches will be sent your way!
  • Elin asked: Using colors is there a way to make me look older? I'm a soft.
    A: Do you want to look older? I'm not sure I understand your question but if you DON"T want to look older then DON'T wear black if you are a SOFT. And actually, black is harsh on a lot of women...as you age, go for more pops of color in your wardrobe. If you DO want to look older, Elin, I guess I want to ask you, WHY? Girl, look your young self and smile!
    Q:  I've brokenout...again. How do I prevent breakouts? 
  • A: With proper skincare. Also, try drinking lots of water, eating a good diet and make sure you take your makeup off at night. Wash well after a workout, too. There is a whole chapter on skincare and makeup in my new book...you'll love it!
    Q: What is a DCC? I see all of ya'll talking about it and I can't figure out what is!
  • A: A DCC is your Dominant Color Characteristic...yours is SOFT. So now you are officially part of the DCC club!
  • Q: Anonymous got a confused color analysis...since I don't have your name, why don't you email me seperately and let me take a look at your pics....let's see what's going on with your hair and see how the test compares to what I see in your pics....will you email me at shari-p31@earthlink.net  Thanks!
  • Q: Mariah said she thought she'd be good doing what I do, and might like to go thru my Image Consultant Speaker training course: DO IT!  I'd love to train you!
Thank you all for being patient with me for not posting last week. Coming back from Guatamala had me in a tail spin and I decided you all wouldn't mind if I skipped a week. Oh by the way, MANY of your blog comments are shown throughout my book! I can't wait for you to see your names!!!!!!

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See you next week when I'm going to give you a peek into the Body Chapter!
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Love you all!!!!
Shari

    27 comments:

    Kim said...

    Shari, I ordered your book off of Amazon and I can't wait till it arrives!

    My question - deals with hair color. I've emailed you pics a couple of times and I've takene the e color analysis. I'm between the soft & clear. My hair is a natural brown, but with high-lites and the sun, it gets a lot lighter in the summer. Should I color it darker in the summer and wear a hat? Also, when we color our hair - should we go with our natural hair color? What about when we turn gray? I don't want to be in two or three different color categories?

    Anonymous said...

    I probably missed a post or something, but I was wondering what happened to the stories that we sent in at the beginning of June. Will there be a post with the winners on the blog? Will we receive an email? Or did I just miss an earlier post that included the winners' stories?

    Danette said...

    I'm soooo excited about your book! I pre-ordered mine and can't wait for it to get here!!!

    I'm soooo happy and thrilled for you!!!! ~Danette

    Anonymous said...

    Hi Shari! I have a question. . . As a light, what colors would you suggest I wear in the fall/winter seasons? Since most colors are dark it can get pretty confusing. :) Thanks!

    Shari Braendel said...

    Hi gals, gonna answer a few questions here: First, for Kim about hair. Your very best shade of hair is your most natural. In the pics you sent me, I can see that you have lots of highlights in your hair...and those highlights just get lighter in the summer sun. My advice, stay dark (cause it looks amazing on you) and do wear a hat when in extreme sun. If you continue to get highlights as a CLEAR, then make sure they're chunky and few...not subtle and lots of them.
    NEXT QUESTION: About the contest. That contest was done thru Proverbs 31 Ministries (of which I am a part) and the winners were announced on the P31 site and contacted directly. I'm so sorry if I didn't make that clear. LeAnn, our exec director, compliled all our blog winners stories and choose the winner from them. I LOVED all the stories everyone wrote. P31 has lots of contests so always check.
    FINAL QUESTION on here: What to wear as light for fall/winter? Go with Navy and winterwhite, or charcoal gray..add in some of your pop colors, like lavender in a beautiful wool scarf, or pink cashmere...always keeping those pop colors near your beautiful face! Hope that helps!

    Family O'Foxes said...

    Is there a celebrity we can look at for each of "color groups"?

    On a side note- I received my soft color swatches on Friday. Yay!!! And this weekend was my 20th class reunion. I was able to use my color swatches to make sure I was wearing the right colors for my face.

    ~Amy

    Amanda said...

    My mom is Shari's assistant so I was blessed to get a preliminary book and WOW! This book was so good that I read it cover to cover in just one day. The section on buying jeans is worth it’s weight in gold! I loved being able to go out and buy jeans for the first time since my son was born and know I was choosing a pair that flattered me. Not only did I finally know what to look for in a pair of jeans; I was also thrilled to find specific brand suggestions in every price range as a start in my search. I also really appreciated reading the sections on modesty. In the past, I’ve found it tough to find the line between frumpy and immodest clothing, Shari’s advice on this matter is so helpful! As a busy stay at home Mom, I often felt guilty investing my resources into looking good. This book changed that. It was so refreshing to read that God made me beautiful and desires for me to feel beautiful! I finally feel I have the tools and the confidence to look fashionable. Thank you Shari for this wonderful book! A must read for every Christian woman! I can't wait to be able to attend an event so I can learn even more!

    Shari Braendel said...

    Amy, I LOVE the idea of having you take a look at a celebrity who is in your DCC....go look in the mirror right now!!!!!! LOL! Okay, if you want someone's whose more famous than you are in your own household I'll find some and post them in a few weeks. Next week is body shape info but perhaps a week or so after that...I'll be on the search for some. And Amanda, thank you so much for your nice review! Your mom told me you took it from her and had it back to her by the next day cause you read it so fast...wow! Thank you...I'm glad you liked the jeans section...that is definetly one of my fave chapters in the book because it will help so much to narrow down the jean search. thank you!!!

    Shelly said...

    Shari,

    Thanks for your continued commitment to helping me dress better! I'm still "fashion-challenged" but you are giving me an education, girl!

    <3 ~ shelly
    http://shellysc.blogspot.com/

    Ruth J Leamy said...

    I did the online color quiz here (THANK YOU for offering it free!) and it really cleared something up for me. I had my colors analyzed years ago, and I was declared a summer. I was told to wear pastels and I was puzzled. I don't like pastels and they don't seem to go with my skin. A few years ago I started coloring my ash-blondish/brownish/blah hair a golden red, and suddenly I could wear the oranges and other vivid colors that I love. Today I did the quiz twice, once with blah hair, and once with red...and YES! With red hair I am told to never ever wear pink (whew! I don't like pink!), and to focus on the bold colors I love. I see leopard print in the swatches. I love leopard print. Thank you.

    Melinda said...

    Hey Shari - I just ordered my COOL fabric swatches! I will be emailing you a picture of my head (haha)so you can analyze my order. I hope I made the right choice. Can't wait to get them. I am also hoping to make your book launch on the 8th (my 30th anniversary) we will be 4 hours away on vacation (I live more like 12 hours away). Can't wait to get the book, hoping to be able to get a signed one. Thanks for all you do to help keep us gals looking our best!
    Believing God - M

    Elin said...

    I guess what I mean by OLDER is...
    MATURE. I guess thats a good word for it. I'm in charge of missions in my church for Kids Choir, so I don't think that frilly, little girl shirts are gonna give off the impression that I want.

    Anonymous said...

    If you wear navy blue what color shoes and purse? I don't really like the look of black with navy and it's tough to find navy shoes. I like a neutral or brown shoe. I see alot of black with navy, though. How does that all fit in with DCC's? Thank you.

    Anonymous said...

    What about Husbands??? How do we dress our husbands nice? and is there any section on that in your new book???

    dianam said...

    looking forward to reading your book!

    Anonymous said...

    I would love this book. I Neverknow how to dress. Especially when I am older and need lots of color!

    Anonymous said...

    Wow, I've never been to your blog but I will be there every day now. I learned so much and have SO much more to learn. It's difficult as an older woman to find fashionable clothes that cover you up.
    Thanks for your wonderful insight...I look forward to learning more as I visit your blog every day now.

    Doris said...

    This is a first time read for me. I'm sure to love this blog.....I'll keep reading!

    Blessings,
    Doris

    Anonymous said...

    I think I am a clear or maybe a soft. I wish there were stores that would sell bigger size clothes that weren't so gross looking. I'm overweight, old and poor - where can I shop? I still have two kids in high school so I hate to always look frumpy. I have two outfits that I think look okay on me but they are starting to wear pretty thin. My 16 year old daughter has a tough time with this too. Not being a perfect size, it is hard to find clothes that look nice on her. I hate those jeans that sit on your hips so when you bend over your crack shows. Not a pretty site. Does your book address these issues too? Shopping for clothes just isn't any fun either when you are not a perfect size. Just saying. :-) I hope this isn't a repeat. My computer is kind of slow so I don't know if it posted this already or if I lost it. Nanci

    Unknown said...

    Hey, Shari!

    I just read your P31 devo today: you gave me an "enriched" meaning for "prayer closet". LOL! Thanks!

    I haven't visited your site in awhile, but now, after a 20 pound weight loss (halfway through my goal), I feel the need to re-evaluate and relearn! :)

    I hope to make it to your book signing... I'm a local (Newell!) girl. :)

    Lisa R.

    Anonymous said...

    Can't wait to read your book! It sounds awesome! Thanks so much!
    Cindy
    ceddins965@yahoo.com

    A Moment in Time Portrait Design said...

    I think this is a great idea and so needed these days. Thank you!

    ottleo said...

    Thank you for creating such a much-needed resource for us girls with so many clothes and nothing to wear. Really looking forward to reading this book :D

    Deanna said...

    Loved the devotional. I am not sure where to sign in to get a chance at winning your new book, but I hope this is it.
    Thank you,
    Deanna

    Shari Braendel said...

    Hi gals! If you left a comment today to win the books, don't worry, you'll be included! If not, then make sure you visit my latest post (Tuesday, July 27th) to hear about the contest! The Wardrobe Plan Sheet is ready to be downloaded FREE as well! Check that post. love ya!

    Brandee said...

    Shari I can not wait for a copy of your book! One of the chapters that popped out at me was the one on undergarments. Being very small I have a hard time finding bras that fit well.

    I started using my color analysis cards back two years ago after going to "She Speaks" and having my coloring done. I LOVE them! I try to always buy off my warm tones and it does make a huge difference!

    God's Blessings,
    Brandee
    bmloftis@gmail.com

    Linda said...

    What's so Christian about looking great? I would probably enjoy the intro, it sounds like it would be a good prelude to the remainder of the book.