Did you try and fit your own "style" into meeting dress?

by avishai 34 Replies latest jw friends

  • AWAKE&WATCHING
    AWAKE&WATCHING

    I was counseled by my mother- in - law a time or two for various infractions at the hall.

    Tops too low and skirts too short.

    I didn't think so. I thought my tops were too high and my skirts were too long.

  • avishai
    avishai
    I used to wear Dr. Marten boots with skirts and had bleached blond short spiky hair (like Billy Idol). I also wore loads of black eye liner and dark lipstick. I didn't think much about it until my friends would react in amazment that I wasn't hounded by the elders for dressing that way for the meetings. But, they all had Elders for dads, that probably makes alot of difference.

    I think you and I woulda gotten along JUST fine!!

  • GentlyFeral
    GentlyFeral

    No, dammit. I was too damn obedient.

    Besides,

    • I had no money for nice clothes,
    • especially because I've always been fat, and fat-lady stores charged an arm and a leg back then,
    • and besides, there was no eBay back then.

    gentlyferal

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    They had zero tolerance for fitting your own style into meeting dress in my congregation, at least for me. They insisted in making me wear a WHITE dress shirt, with the collar button done up no matter how hot it was. The shoes had to be solid black, polished and looking perfect. Ties had to be properly wrapped and of the correct styles (meaning a dark color with no blatant patterns). There had to be sharp contrast between my shirt and the tie. And, the suit itself had to be a dark color.

    They also hounded me about my service bag (I didn't have funds to go out and buy one when I first went in). It was too feminine-looking, too small, and looked like it had seen better days (and was a hand-me-down). When I finally went out and got one that fit their tastes, it cost me something like $80 (1989 dollars). The call book also had to be professional looking--that cost me about $10, plus the cards were special and I could not subsequently find replacements (at $2 a pack, they were exorbitantly expensive).

    And my hair had to be just so. It had to be short at all times. But, getting a crewcut was out of the question. They wanted it parted at all times, too. When it got to about 2 1/2" long, they insisted that I needed a haircut. There was no room for individual style for me in my congregation in any area.

    At least they could not control my weight or height. They have yet to tell me that I have to lose (or gain) 20 pounds by next Tuesday. I wonder when they are going to try playing that card and make people that are just a little fat (or thin) or tall (or short) conform to their idea of normal. If they try that, I hope they lose so many members that they don't know what hit them.

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    I didn't have a style

  • Finally-Free
    Finally-Free

    I once got counseled for wearing my motorcycle boots to the hall. Personally, I thought they looked really good with my sharkskin suit.

    W

  • aquagirl
    aquagirl

    right b4 i left i got counseled for going braless..also too much black eyeliner,and heathen earrings..wore a wrap around indian skirt too and they said the images were of 'pagan origin'.said the brothers were complaining about getting'distracted' about my bralessness..what a buncha weirdos....sheesh...

  • shopaholic
    shopaholic

    Yes, but it seems to me that if you're over 24, single and not overweight you are constantly warned against catching the eye's of the married brothers. If I ever got too many compliments, oh boy, the wives would be sure to tell me what I needed just short of putting a paperbag over my head and dressing in a potato sack. I understand WTWizard plight, it was like they were trying to force me into being their forever-single-pioneer-superstar.

    fashionably yours,

    S.

  • bite me
    bite me

    Going to learn about God isn't about looking good. That is sad that even the way one dresses has to be controled. Heck I've been to chruch in my PJ's before, so has a lot of other people in the church. They can care less. You're their for God not the people. And it is more comfortable! I haven't done that in awhile though, but at least I don't have to worry about what I have to wear, I can wear what I WANT to wear. I wonder what would happen if if someone or some people went to the kingdom halls in their PJ's would they get Disfellowshiped for that? That would be a very lame reason to. But hey I wouldn't doubt that showing up on their list of Thou shalt nots..

  • bigwilly
    bigwilly

    *twitch twitch*

    Yes Gawd what ugly fucking ties. I still can't believe some of the stuff I wore. Fortunately the ugly ties make pretty decent tie downs for the bed

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