I recently gave myself a project to design a couple of dresses, and it’s been an interesting process. I like trying out new things and exploring different interests. I think it’s important to stay creative and willing to be a rookie at things so that we never stop learning. I found myself gravitating towards florals and materials with different textures and earthy colors which is consistent with my love for nature (as anyone who follows me on Instagram will know). While the designs didn’t turn out exactly how I would have liked the first go, I learned quite a bit in the process and was fairly satisfied with the end result.
Fashion has been a big part of my life, as I used to model, but I never saw it as something extra glamorous or special. When I think of fashion, more than attention-getting and expensive clothes, I think of elegance, comfort and effortless style. Even though these may not be the literal definitions, this is what these words mean to me…
Elegance:
Something that subtly brings out our inner beauty.
Comfort:
Something we can wear without feeling we can’t wait to get home and take it off.
Effortless Style:
Something that is unique to us, an extension of who we are.
I find that even for something like fashion, nature is a wonderful inspiration for ideas. Just like nature, I really believe that God has made everyone beautiful the way they are. This doesn’t mean that everyone will be beautiful in the worldly sense, because society will always put a standard for the moment, and not everyone will fit that standard. What I mean is that in God’s diverse creation, He put something beautiful in all of us, and we don’t really need to alter our natural beauty to fit the world’s. What we need to do is to recognize it, enhance it by loving who God made us and loving the way God made others, and by enjoying who we are and how we look. One way to enjoy, for me, is through fashion, not so much with an overload of clothes and cosmetics, but by finding ways to enhance what I’ve been given. I honestly find girls who wear no or minimal makeup, keeping as ‘natural’ as possible, beautiful, as it shows the natural beauty God gave them.
Here’s my simple point: God made no mistakes in how He made us. We may not fit the world’s model of beauty, and that’s ok.
I admit that I was tricked by the worlds perspectives, and this led to a lot of insecurity. Once in a while, I still find myself searching for ‘worldly’ perfection, and checking blemishes and lines and sagging things. But when I look at nature I’m reminded of a beauty so unique, sitting peacefully and beautifully there with no effort of its own and not caring what the world thinks about it, and then I’m reminded that confidence in who I am and who God made me to be, will give me far more of a glow than any ‘glow powder’ could temporarily to. I was also reminded of this recently too when David asked me why I looked so ‘bright’. Initially I started trying to recall what makeup I used that day or what I did differently, until I realized the ‘brightness’ he was referring to was shining out from inside me, not from the makeup on my face. That’s a beauty trick you don’t have to spend on to enjoy right away.
Here’s something you can try with your girlfriends…
My recent girls day out in Tagaytay with my friend Lalah, was the perfect chance to grab a couple of snapshots of my dresses. So between our sumptuous lunch at the gorgeous Sonyas Garden, and relaxing massage at the amazing Nurture Spa, we were able to get some fun photos. No makeup artist, no accessories, and even no shoes in my case, we really kept to basics while taking these photos, but the location (and hopefully my dresses) made for an enjoyable amateur shoot all the same. This was definitely an inexpensive way to have a fun days outing. Maybe something you and your friends can try.
Outfit number 1:
Like I mentioned, this dress was inspired by my love of nature. I designed this dress to look natural and be as comfortable as possible. (Taken at Sonya’s Garden, Tagaytay)
Outfit number 2:
With this dress I was feeling a little more experimental. Chocolate brown is one of my favorite colors, and I loved the texture of the fabric (top part of the dress) when I saw it, plus the floaty skirt to soften the whole outfit. Again to me this is elegance and comfort all in one.
Outfit number 3:
The bright, bold colors of this fabric really caught my attention the same way a beautiful bright flower will stand out among the earthy shades of the trees and soil. I wanted to experiment with lace, so I added it. It’s good to experiment. (Outift 2 and 3 taken at Nurture Spa)
Then our photos were complete and it was time for a relaxing massage at the welcoming Nurture Spa. We were brought to our cozy room and given comfy sarongs to wear. They washed our feet with a home made corn scrub, then we were asked to lay down on the massage beds where we enjoyed a whole hour of relaxation. The massage was excellent, and along with the service and atmosphere, was worth every peso for a treat.
I’m looking forward to making more dresses and more day trips with my friends. I hope you will try it too. And I’d love to hear your own experiences of celebrating your natural beauty in the comments below.
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised
Proverbs 31:30
