I'm reading this new book...

Colleen Hammond's Dressing With Dignity. Now, mind you, on Sundays to church I've been wearing a dress or skirt--with rare exception, like those in-between months of pregnancy--for some time now, but outside of church has been standard practice: pants.

But I recently went to this convention, where I ran into a fellow Heather and her friend Rebecca. They were both wearing denim jumpers, and I felt a little odd wearing jeans. I wasn't the only one there, but it's that company-you-keep kind of thing. So I asked them about it.

Turns out it was just coincidence; they were both nursing the small child accompanying them, and that's what was both clean and convenient. Okay. I was a touch disappointed; I had some practical questions about the idea of an all-skirt wardrobe and thought they might have some answers.

Then this past week, Heather happens to be at our home parish Mass and passes on DWD as a gift from Rebecca (if you're reading this, by chance, thank you!). I'm checking websites for clothes, and realize it's not as impractical as I'd first thought as far as buying them. But then come the living-it-out questions, like:

1. Is denim ever appropriate for church, like daily Mass or Holy Days of Obligation during the week?
2. Do you ever wear socks under the skirts? What about shaving, or with hosiery? I just ain't got it in me to pull on tights every day, and if I had time to shave, I'd have time for tights.
3. What about shoes? If you convert to an all-skirt wardrobe, do your shoes change too?
4. What about girl children, and such things as playgrounds and monkey bars? Is it more practical to go the Muslim route and wait until menarche? What about sports, especially swimming? I don't mean just lessons; I mean those with team uniforms.

It makes sense to just not replace worn out pants and buy skirts instead, or let your daughter outgrow the pants she's got, but answers before we start the process would be helpful.

Incidentally, Madeleine has already ingrained the dress-to-church concept. This Monday I took her to daily Mass and she insisted on wearing a dress even though I was in jeans. I justified myself with the St. Joseph's Clothes argument, but when your four year old shows you up, it gives you pause for thought.