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I sang the praises of the tailor made e-commerce website, eShakti, several months ago, and today I just so happened to wear a skirt that I purchased from the website. I forget that I am attempting to blog about my personal style and have to remind myself to snap pictures. If I tried to take pictures at the end of the day, I'd look awful. For example, at 2:07pm today I realized my hair was sticking out on the side, I had marker on my nose, my shirt was untucked, and I had sunglasses on top of my head. My students usually keep me in line ("Ms. Lockett, your hair looks funny!"), but today we were all hard at work and had no time for off topic conversations!

This mustard colored ruffled eShakti skirt is one of my favorites. I purchased another one in cobalt blue. I'm a sucker for ruffled tops, but have to be careful with ruffle skirts. Ruffles on bottom would make me look like a birthday cake, and my already wide bottom would take on the form of a semi-truck. As you can see, these ruffles are asymmetrical and very loose. I paired the skirt with a ruffled Limited blouse, my gold Betsey Johnson boyfriend watch, patent leather pointed toe flats from Goodwill, and vintage Lucite shoeclips I scored on eBay.

I had some qualms about the skirt's length; I still have my 2^nd graders sit on the floor for various lessons, and there’s nothing worse than pulling down a skirt to cover the knees while trying to teach. The length is ok; I prefer a little longer. eShakti is amazing because they allow you to customize your clothing to your own preferences. If you’d like the skirt to be longer you can pay a small fee for a longer skirt. The fabric is perfect: 100% cotton. The only drawback is that the skirt is easily wrinkled.

The mustard yellow and cobalt blue colors are no longer in stock, but basic black is available for $49.95. I remember paying $20 each for these skirts when they were on sale.

 Don’t forget: signing up for eShakti newsletters gives you access to preferred discounts and you immediately get a coupon emailed to you for your first purchase.

Asymmetric Ruffle Layers Skirt

 Follow eShakti on Twitter

I’m a little late to the party, but I figured I’d blog about it anyway. I love when fabulous designers make their way to the Target and Payless scene. I initially thought that the designers were sell outs (and very rarely do I purchase shoes from Payless), but after getting my hands on several cute items over the years, my heart has softened. Isaac Mizrahi, Erin Featherston, Cynthia Vincent, Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, and now Eugenia Kim are all apart of my wardrobe, and I have Target and Payless to thank.

 My Eugenia Kim for Target fedora has become my travel staple. It has covered my atrocious hair at the beach, the park, out to dinner, and more recently for a day with my best friend and her daughter.

 My other recent love? Nordstrom Rack. I used to dislike the store because it was always disorganized and I rarely ever found anything. Over the past 6 months, however, I’ve found some great deals. This leopard skirt was a mere $15 and it was knocked down from $65. For my recent weekend getaway I packed this skirt because I knew I could simply wear sandals for a casual look, or pair my nice ruffled blazer and black heels with it when I went to church. I ended up wearing it for a more casual look. My other trusty travel staple? My black belt. I keep this war torn thing in the trunk of my car for quick accessorizing.

 What are your wardrobe staples?

Other ladies that wear the "Parrot" Eugenia Kim for Target Fedora

Caroline of Daily Runway

Nina of Alltumbledown

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These days it seems like fashion blogs are a dime a dozen and new blogs are popping up every minute. The blogosphere is saturated with fashion blogs—from style diaries to DIYs, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the mass selection. I have a very short attention span and only recently decided to focus my reading and picture viewing attention on those blogs that I can identify with. I’ve decided to no longer sift and wade through blogs with endless pictures of designer goodies that I will not purchase, and instead focus my attention on real people with style similar to mine (or a unique style that inspires me).

I found Ally of Modestly Fashioned by way of Nina of A Modest Attempt at Style. Unlike a certain blogger that forgets that she’s wearing sunglasses, or is too goofy to look the camera head on (ME!), Ally has a great smile and is mucho photogenic. The absence of fake props and excessive Photoshop are always a bonus in my book. As soon as I browsed Ally’s blog I knew we had something in common: SKIRTS! The internet reminds me that views on modesty vary, so when I come across bloggers that only wear skirts and dresses (Modesty is Pretty A Modest Attempt at Style) I feel giddy. I don’t wear pants, shorts, capris, skorts, skinny jeans, etc. (read about me here); I always feel a little bit closer to the ladies that wear knee length and longer skirts.

Listed below are a few questions Ally agreed to answer about her blog and her modest dressing journey:

Name: Ally S.

Location: New Jersey

MoMoMod: Why do you dress modestly?

Ally: I began to dress modestly 3 years ago. I was undergoing a personal transformation in terms of becoming a more Torah observant Jew. Dressing modestly, before then, seemed very antiquated and oppressive to me. I felt personally offended that a religious document thousands of years old (and then later interpreted by rabbis who outlined codes of law) could dictate how I should dress. I felt that it hindered my self expression and that the laws were set in place to subjugate women. However, after sifting through the various texts dealing with women and modesty, and with help and support from friends who followed the laws and seemed to live happy daily lives while covering up, I realized that it actually opened doors for me as a woman. I started wearing skirts exclusively (women are supposed to wear skirts past their knees, as to not show the outline of the upper leg). I then progressed to wearing shirts that covered my elbows (another guideline of modest dress as outlined by Jewish codes of law). The final (and most personally difficult) stage was to wear shirts that cover my collarbone (another guideline of modest dress outlined by Jewish law.)

One of the important goals of Jewish modesty laws is to "be attractive, not attracting". Modestly laws are not out there to make me feel bad about myself, or ugly or to take away any part of my self expression. Judaism wants me to look nice and feel good about myself! These laws are to safeguard my dignity; to make sure that I am not attracting negative attention, or any attention that I may otherwise not want. These laws were established to help me meet people and for them to see me - a whole person, not a set of individual body parts highlighted by certain pieces of barely there clothing. People meet my personality and my sense of humor and my smile, not my arms or my legs or my cleavage! People take me more seriously as the intelligent woman that I am and forgo the preconceived notions based on what I am wearing. 

MoMoMod: How has your transformation affected your marriage?

Ally: Dressing modestly has a strong impact on my marriage as well. The goal of "being attractive, not attracting" means that I can dress in a way that makes my husband proud and in a style that I love and he loves to see me in. However, I don't have to worry that I am soliciting attention from other men inappropriately. I know that I am not showcasing anything that is inappropriate for anyone else to see. I still feel good and confident about the way I look. Dressing modestly has become very personal for me. I love that I am covered up; it's like there is a bit of mystery about the way I dress. I love that it allows my personality to shine through more vividly! And lastly, I love that I can still have a sense of style that is all my own and still maintain my own personal and religious integrity.

MoMoMod: Who takes your pictures and what inspired you to start a blog?

Ally: My husband, D. I never would have considered starting a blog—mostly because I didn't know what I would talk about and if anyone would want to listen (read). However a few of my good friends have blogs, and I love them. One of my friends linked to a personal style blog that she follows and it was as if a light bulb went off in my head - I thought "I could do that!" I started looking at a few other personal style blogs and getting inspiration from them, began designing my own and I haven't looked back!

MoMoMod: Who are your favorite bloggers:

Ally: What I Wore, A Modest Attempt at Style, Just Call me Chaviva

MoMoMod: Where do you like to shop: J.CREW, Banana Republic, Gap, Marshall’s, Ally: Anthropologie, Loehmann’s

MoMoMod: When you’re not blogging or visiting your favorite blogs, what websites do you enjoy visiting?  

Ally: Facebook, YouTube, Hulu

MoMoMod: What are your hobbies?

Ally: Cooking, Going to the gym, walking our puppy, reading, traveling with D.

MoMoMod: You're going on a trip and can only take 3 items (toiletries/undies don't count!): What MUST you bring?

Ally: A Headscarf, Jean skirt, and a fabulous pair of comfortable shoes!

Visit Ally’s blog here.

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