I tried the 30 Day Dress and Skirt Challenge...

I watched a video of a Youtuber (Margaret Matheny) talking about doing the 30 day dress challenge. I had never heard of this challenge before and instantly felt so inspired. She had entered the challenge with such an open heart, and mentioned it touching on her femininity, and the submissive nature of women talked about in the Bible (a subject I have not fully explored). I have been a leggings and big t-shirt kind of girl, or a grab-whatever-is-closest-because-screaming-KIDS kind of girl this last decade.

So the next day, I jumped right in, which is so unlike me?! Normally I just overthink for months before I jump into something out of my comfort zone.

Just like the YouTube Maragaret Matheny had, I walked into the challenge with an open heart, ready to see a new perspective and maybe learn something new about myself.

These are some notes I had written from the first few days, and then, of course, I stopped writing notes and started just mentally taking them. I took this unique opportunity to invest in some new dresses on an online thrift store (thredup.com). That was a fun part, for sure!

Day 1: I didn't like my outfit, but it was what I threw on and was comfortable (A HUGE factor for me.) My toddler loves to hide in my skirt.

Day 2: External circumstances caused a hard day, and having a dress on with an annoying tag didn't help!

Day 3: I realized I had forgotten to cover this challenge with prayer, God never fails to illuminate what needs to be seen. "Lord, help me to learn what I am meant to learn in the next 30 days. Bring me Your wisdom. Help me to fearlessly share what You want me to share."

Day 4: I am actually excited to pick out my dress for the day!

Day-5-11: nothing recorded.

Day 12: I realize that even with dresses and skirts, I always feel my BEST in what is baggy, and not tight fitting. I learned that I am more sensory sensitive than I realized.

Alright, so I did not record any more notes but I can say that for me, wearing dresses and skirts did not teach me anything in regards to femininity, like I thought it would.

It forced me to confront my fear of being noticed or standing out, simply by changing the style of clothing I wore. I never expected that to happen! It may seem like a minor change, but it truly caught me off guard. You can visit a playground without having to discuss your political beliefs, religious views, or educational choices, yet if you're dressed in a way that deviates from the current norm, you might feel out of place, even if no one actually pays attention or judges you. Perhaps it's just my self-consciousness, but I had to confront my fear of standing out, and at times, it felt isolating.

Right now as I am typing this it is Day 28, and guys, I love dresses and skirts, I love how my waist is not compressed with leggings all day. I love how flowy it can feel and how I am expressing my artsy nature I've had to lay down while adjusting to motherhood. I also love how it is a connecting point with my daughter, who has always loved dresses! I can just throw a big and long dress on, and be just as comfortable as I am in sweatpants. Another thing I noticed, though, is how I value leggings so much more when I use them during my workouts (because jogging on the treadmill with a dress on just doesn't seem right, ha!)

It took me around 20 days to adjust. The uncomfortable growth happened, and then that feeling of isolation started to ease.

It is now day 37ish (I've lost track) of the challenge- I am not sure if I will be strictly a skirts and dress girl, but I can say I have bought a dress rack for our room, and dresses and skirts now take up about 80% of my wardrobe now! I am so thankful for what the Lord has taught me in this challenge!

If you feel inspired to try this challenge out, let me know how it goes!

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but

be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Romans 12:2