There are also times when I am labelled "grubby" by a certain someone but the latest fashion sweeping Texas is way beyond grubby.
Polygamist fashion
I got a funny feeling this trend might soon spread to Vogue fashion covers ..... don't you think Anna Wintour?
The reason for the recent fashion trend happening in Texas
The puff-sleeved, pastel dresses worn by the women in the sect are a combination of original 19th-century wear and 1950s clothing that was adopted when the church took a conservative turn, according to Janet Bennion, an anthropologist who studies polygamist women.
The dresses are meant to show modesty and conformity. They go down to the ankles and wrists, and are often worn over garments or trousers, making sure every inch of skin is covered.John Llewellyn, a polygamy expert and retired Salt Lake County sheriff's lieutenant, says the women cover themselves "so that they're unattractive to the outside world or other men."
Stitchings
The appearance of unity through uniform dress, however, can belie the jealousy that often arises when the women find themselves in competition with one another over the affections of the same man, Llewellyn says.
The clothing is also stitched with special markings "to protect the body and to remind you of your commitment," Bennion says. She declined to go into detail about the stitchings because she said it would be an infraction against the community to talk about their sacred symbols.
Pastel colors evoke femininity and don't come across as bold or strong, says Bennion, a professor at Lyndon State College in Vermont.
Then there's the question of the elaborate hairdos.The women never cut their hair because they believe they will use it to wash Christ's feet during the Second Coming, Bennion says.
It's not outlandish to imagine the prairie look influencing today's styles, given that trends can come from unexpected places.
You can already find blouses with high necks and ruffles in stores, and puffed shoulders on short and long-sleeved shirts.
Prairie skirts are also back in fashion this season. - Shanghai Daily
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