What I Wore Sunday, Volume 1

Well, dear readers, I have decided to try a new blog link-up (similar to what I've been doing on Fridays when I add my "7 Quick Takes Friday" posts to those of other bloggers over at "Conversion Diary").  This one is called "What I Wore Sunday," and it's a weekly event over at a blog called "Fine Linen and Purple."  It's not supposed to be about fashion in general, but specifically about what women are wearing to church on Sunday.  It's about "attending church and encouraging each other to look our best and go with confidence."

I love this idea!  And I love it that it appears most of the women who are participating are young wives and mothers (younger than yours truly) who are attractive and fashionable and enjoy looking feminine and pretty.  It goes to show that dressing modestly doesn't necessarily mean looking dowdy and frumpy!

I have often said to my husband that I think it's sort of sad that so many people attend Mass these days looking extremely casual and sometimes even slovenly.  There is no end to the type of functions that will inspire people to dress with great care--to "put on their Sunday best," as they used to say once upon a time; but unfortunately, attending church services on Sunday does not appear to be one of them.  What event could be more meaningful for a Catholic than the Mass?  Ghandi was once quoted as saying that if he believed what Catholics believe about the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, he would crawl to church on his hands and knees to receive it.

Some years back, my husband and I decided that, since Sunday Mass was the most important hour of our week, we were going to try to dress accordingly: that is, he was going to wear a suit coat and tie, and I was going to wear a skirt or a dress.  And I must say, once you get used to it, putting together a Sunday outfit for Mass each week becomes a joy rather than a chore.  I love to dress up--I think most of us girls do!  So here's what I wore this Sunday for 11:00 Mass with my husband.

I am a clearance rack shopper, so none of the items I'm modeling here cost me very much.

I picked up the red coat last week at JC Penney's end-of-season sale--for only $24!  (And two days after I bought it, a blizzard dumped two feet of snow on us.  I don't believe the winter season has really ended yet, do you?)

The black skirt, made of soft suede-like material, was a TJ Maxx find from a few years ago. It was priced at $16.

The leather riding boots were one of my best finds ever.  I bought them at JC Penney about five years ago at the end-of-season sale, which as you've probably figured out is my very favorite kind of sale.  They were originally priced at $130, and I got them for--are you ready for this?--$9.97!  (At that price, I felt compelled to buy a brown pair as well.)

And the hat is my favorite part of this ensemble.  About four years ago, I decided I was going to start covering my head for Mass, like we used to do when I was a kid back in the 60's, by wearing either a lace veil or a hat.  When my oldest son got married a little over three years ago, I needed a hat to wear for his winter wedding.  I scoured the antiques and secondhand shops in our town and found this sweet vintage number (black felt with a gross-grain ribbon bow) for $10 at a quaint little place downtown.

Well, that's my first foray into the world of "What I Wore Sunday."  I'm the grandma of the group, I think--but that's okay, because I really am a grandma!  I love clothes as much as the next girl (especially when they're on sale), and I love dressing up for church on Sunday. So I'm looking forward to checking out all the posts each week on "What I Wore Sunday."