) Fashion: Classic and Business

Until very recently in America, there was a modern but standard style of women’s clothing. Any woman could go anywhere in a classic outfit and feel very comfortable with her conservative appearance. She could shop at any department store and find suits, pleated slacks, blazers, blouses with long sleeves and buttons up to the neck, and dresses that were feminine yet made from durable fabric and meticulously stitched to provide many years of wear. There were also catalog-based companies that specialized in classic clothing, offering the same items year after year (the same sweaters, the same coats, the same shoes, etc.), or offering these items with modifications to color, print, embroidery, pockets, collars,  etc.
Perhaps within only the last 10 to 20 years, classic clothing has started to disappear. Those companies which continue to produce classic clothing are often influenced by the massive marketing of sexy clothing. Some companies are using cheaper fabrics and giving less care to cutting and sewing. If a Christian woman regarded classic clothing as appropriately modest, she would have to depend on a narrow range of brands (such as Liz Claiborne, Alfred Dunner, Denim & Co., etc.) which continue to offer conservative clothing. And, she would be able to shop at perhaps only a couple of department stores which still sell this type of clothing (such as J.C. Penney, Macy’s).

An alternative is for a woman to do her own sewing. Classic clothing requires a skillful seamstress. You must have a pattern that fits you, and you must know how to do pleats, zippers, pockets, plackets, cuffs, necklines, collars, button holes, darts, side-slits, waistbands and belt loops. If you are going to do all that, you may as well learn how to knit and crochet also. Then, you can make substantial yet feminine sweaters that actually keep you warm in winter. Making your own clothing is a way to empower yourself and gain independence from fashion which you might regard as inappropriate.
Related to classic clothing is the pantsuit and the business suit. Pants for women became socially acceptable in America in the 1970s. Some women wore pantsuits to the workplace. Although modeled after men’s suits, pantsuits were available in a variety of colors and were infamous for being made of polyester fabric. Women who wore pantsuits generally styled their hair and wore cosmetics and jewelry. Eventually, perhaps because of the bright colors and consequent ridicule, the pantsuit evolved into the business suit. Women’s business suits are almost identical to men’s suits, usually black or gray, but are often worn with a simple silk top under the jacket. The same jacket can be worn with a skirt (usually above the knee). Professional women, such as lawyers and executives, wear business suits which are made by the fashion industry (such as Versace, Calvin Klein, etc.) and which can be quite expensive.