Headcovering as a Green Trend

Nancy Reyes, a retired physician living in the rural Philippines, has written an article detailing all — okay, most — of the good reasons to wear headgear;  it’s called “Sunbonnets, Headscarves, and Hijabs:  the Latest Green Trend.” 

(that bonnet in the picture?  I have one just like it [oooh, and here's a similar bonnet from Plain-Simple Headcoverings], but my husband says folks will cart me away to the funny farm if I wear it in public.  Maybe one like this from Plain-n-Simple would be more socially acceptable?)

Let’s Keep Our Pants On

I found this passage at the St. Michael’s Orthodox Christian Church website (my own emphasis):

“Church Attire
The issue of church attire is a hot button in some parishes today.  There is a certain parish in Toronto, for example, where the only exterior sign in English reads, “Women must please to cover their heads.”  This article is not about head coverings, however, though a woman who wears one does a good thing.  Instead, it is about leg coverings.  We all know how hot Pueblo summers are, but please let’s keep our legs covered in church.  This goes for both men and women, shorts and short skirts alike, and is simply a matter of respect for the modesty becoming the Lord’s house.  This is not a difficult discipline to keep.  After all, if the clergy can wear four or five layers of clothing during services, everyone else should be able to keep their pants on.”

Lace Underscarves from Hijabs-R-Us

 

Hijabs-R-Us has an amazing variety of lace headbands (click on the box that says Caps/Headbands) for wearing under headcoverings.  These are great for helping to keep a headcovering from slipping off the back of one’s head. 

Lace headbands:  they’re not just for Muslimahs anymore. 

The Great Martyr Catherine Snood

 

This is the Great-Martyr Catherine;  she’s usually depicted wearing a snood under her crown, thus covering all of her hair.

The crocheted snood pattern is from The Complete Book of Crochet by Elizabeth L. Mathieson, published by Greystone Press, copyright 1946 by The Spool Cotton Company.  According to the Jiffy Pattern Shop, the copyright on this pattern has expired and it’s available for public use.  I’m hoping that’s true (don’t have the patience to figure it out for myself, alas) — if it’s not, someone email me — and the Jiffy Pattern Shop, too — and let us know, eh?

Souhaila Long Wrap Vest from Shukr

 

 

They’re having their Summer Sale now over at Shukr.  I just received my Souhaila Long Wrap Vest.  I like their attention to detail on this vest:  buttons and loops on the underside to keep the thing closed, for example.  Very nice.

I wasn’t sure I’d like the ruffle/flounce thing on the bottom and thought maybe I’d just remove it if I had to.  But, you know, it’s growing on me.  I like it.

Garden Apron from Mennonite Maidens

I love aprons and wear them often, even though I’m not particularly domestic (God, help me keep better homemaking habits!) and no, my workplace does not require I wear an apron.  Anyway, a while back, I was trying to remember where I’d seen this particular kind of apron … and voila!  I found it today when directed by Dara of Drawn Together by Modesty to the Mennonite Maidens site.  Here it is:  the Garden Apron.  It’s available in sizes 10-18, and it comes in brown, black, and navy.  Perfect.

Blog: Drawn Together by Modesty

The wonderful Dara of the Modest Clothing Directory also has a great blog, Drawn Together by Modesty.  It is so worth watching.  In just the last few posts, she’s directed folks to a source for koshiba crepe abayas (some folks say it keeps you cooler in summer than cotton!), a great polo-shirt-style dress, and some nice-looking Amish-style hightop boots.  As always, Dara, thank you!

Hedeyah: Another Source for Turbans

Like StarScarves.com, 2Hijab.com, and Al Muhajaba El Aniqa,  Hedeyah carries those rather cool snoodish turbans from Egypt.  And they are cool, too.  The fabric is lightweight and breathes nicely.

Forties Film Noir Cloth Snood

I saw a great forties noir film a couple of days ago.  It’s called “Out of the Past” and the stars are Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer.  The best part of it for me, of course, was the snood Jane Greer wears in the final scene.  It has a different shape than most snoods we see today.  Rather than the usual basic sack shape, it has seams that give it corners in back.  Here — below — is the muddled description I just posted on Etsy’s Alchemy.If you’ve seen a pattern for such a snood anywhere, could you let me know?  forties film noir cloth snood

posted 7/13/2008 , expires 8/3/2008

The final scene of the classic film noir movie “Out of the Past” with Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer has Greer wearing a snood of an unusual design. Rather than the usual basic ’sack,’ her snood has seams on each side in back that create 2 corners on the snood, several inches up from the bottom. So the shape seen from the rear, when she’s not moving, is basically a square. Or maybe, actually, sort of a trapezoid/trapezium with a rectangle attached at the bottom. When seen from the side, the snood has more shape than the usual snood sack, because of these angles. It’s hard to describe. I stopped the DVD and made some sketches — attached — that may help. Or not. I can’t find any good pics online, but have attached the couple I did find, which show the front of the snood only. Looks a bit nun-like. The corners make it move around interestingly and change shape a bit as the wearer moves. Also, because of the shape, there’s more volume in the lower rear than the usual sack shape has. Clear as mud?

Dress Code for an Orthodox Monastery

Visiting an Orthodox monastery? Here’s a pretty typical set of dress guidelines for visitors to Orthodox monasteries. This particular wording is from the the website of the Panagia Prousiotissa Monastery in North Carolina.

“Men are asked to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
Women are asked to wear ankle-length skirts, long-sleeved shirts, and are to have their heads covered with a veil or scarf. Please DO NOT wear hats (unless over a scarf), sheer scarves, pants (unless under a skirt), shorts, pant-skirts, mini-skirts, sleeveless blouses, short-sleeved shirts, etc. Everyone is asked to wear socks (especially when wearing sandals).”