I thought I'd share a few thoughts on this topic. I know it is one that gets a lot of people scratching their heads, especially if you are looking at a family with several children of one gender. Clothes aren't cheap, especially if you want good quality. And when you have four daughters with very different tastes in colors, styles, and even different body shapes, you can quickly go broke trying to work with it all.
If you have ventured into the girls' clothing department, you will see a variety of styles and looks. Skinny jeans, boot-cut pants, and many others. Low rise, ultra low rise, classic high rise. Stretchy and relaxed fits. And let's not get into sizing. Along with numbered sizing in the girls' deparment, you have slim, regular, and plus size, with or without adjustable waistbands to make them skinnier if needed and/or desired. There are so many options it can confuse anyone who doesn't have some idea of what they are doing before they go to the store. Shirts, skirts, and dresses have the same issue. Asymmetrical cuts, peasant style tops, spaghetti straps, one shoulder or two, empire waists, baydoll cuts. Embellishments, silk-screen prints, embroidery. One can QUICKLY lose themselves in a sea of fashion just walking into the girls' department at any department store. I should know, I've even become overwhelmed.
Often, fashions in department stores don't even fit our rules for modesty and appropriate attire for the ages of our daughters. I'm not a fan of skinny jeans and jeggings, especially with the way the local teen girls pour themselves into these pants. We have a rule that shirts must cover stomachs when both arms are lifted above the girl's head, so that eliminates a good number of styles that are meant to skim the waistband of their jeans. I also am not a fan of clingier clothing, especially as Missa has started developing a figure at the young age of 8 1/2. These guidelines are fairly conservative in general, but also liberal at the same time. I know families who take this further by not allowing tops with lace, designs, or certain necklines (we have rules on the neckline as well, but the girls also know how to layer a camisole under low-cut tops). We also aren't too big on 2 piece swim suits, but have come to accept that this just isn't possible so we try to stick to tank-style swimwear with the swim skirt bottoms to increase coverage a bit. Even I wear a tankini with skirt bottom, but I think I have fat thighs and that makes me feel better about how I look in a bikini.
So, how does one find conservative attire for young ladies? Well, many of the more upscale stores in Columbus have appropriate clothing, or we can purchase some things online. I have trouble sometimes with finding acceptable stuff in local department stores. But going to the upscale stores can break our budget with four girls to clothe, even with the increase in quality that usually makes these items more durable and more likely to hold up to the rough and tumble of the girls so that they actually can pass clothes down to younger sisters. So, our options are limited a bit. I can either compromise on my general guidelines for how they dress and allow them trashier clothing, or I can shop secondhand at thrift stores. I choose to go with thrift stores.
My husband works near a VERY large Salvation Army thrift store, and once in a while will go there to get the girls jumpers, dresses, and pants. Tonight was one of those shopping nights. He got 5 pairs of jeans, 2 jumpers, a doll, and a lunch bag with thermos (for his lunches) for $26 there tonight. Our goal was pants for the oldest 2 girls, as Missa has recently had a bit of a figure development spurt and outgrew most of her slim fit jeans in the waist (and torn out her gym pants in a couple of inappropriate places). Three of those jeans are just for her, and the other two are for Liddy. One jumper for each of the two, and they now have a bare bones starting wardrobe for winter that I can add to a little at a time. Liddy has inhereted some jeans that Missa no longer can fit into, so she's pretty much taken care of, but Missa can wear these few items while I pick up a pair of quality jeans every paycheck until we get her enough to really work well. Granted, the thrift store jeans won't likely last more than a few months before she tears them out in a couple specific spots, but I should be able to replace them in that time with some jeans from Old Navy or Gap easily enough. And I have enough left over from Scott's shopping trip tonight that I can go to the thrift stores here locally over the weekend to find some shirts for her, and possibly pick up a couple new undergarments that she now needs.
I plan to do the same thing with Isaiah's wardrobe. I have a few new things, but the bulk of his infant clothing will likely come from thrift stores and other similar sources. Although, I did manage to get an adorable little 0-3 month size camo zip-up hooded sweatshirt for under $4 brand new. I am excited about that purchase, and look forward to getting to the thrift store for the rest of his clothes that he'll need.
