If you are going to be a Sis Miss (sister missionary) like me then you probably have done a lot of looking online at clothes and spent a few hours day dreaming of your soon shopping adventures.
You also may feel overwhelmed that you some how have to create and affordable wardrobe that you can wear for the next year and a half, in the new climate you will be living in. I just finished this seemingly impossible task and thought that I had a few tips and tricks that you may find helpful as well!
1. BREATHE, it will all work out. Take the process one step at a time, you don't have to have one giant shopping trip in which you find your perfect and wonderful wardrobe.
2. Do NOT go shopping before you get your call!!!
I seriously can not emphasize this enough! I thought there was one thing I knew for sure about where I was going, I thought that it would be cold. Boy was I wrong! I'm going to Florida, HOT, HUMID, FLORIDA! Good thing I waited to go shopping because I would have bought warm fabrics, then had to return everything. I know its tempting to shop, but take this as an opportunity to learn patients! Also you may even want to wait until you have gone through the temple, clothes seem to be a different experience after that!
3. Know the guidelines!
It would be so so sad to get to the MTC and find that one of your cutest skirts is too short so they have to add some ugly material to the bottom just to make it appropriate!
Visit https://missionary.lds.org/dress-grooming/sister/ for the guidelines and some cute examples.
4. Think Versatility!
Don't buy a shirt that only goes with one skirt, that really limits your options! Half of my skirts have patterns while the other half are solid colors, and this applies to my shirts as well. In my patterned skirts I try to find a color that is in more than one of my skirts and then get that color of a shirt so I can wear it with both skirts. Also in my patterned shirts I tried to make sure I could wear it with more then one skirt. This way you have many outfit options but can still be bright, colorful, and beautiful! Also I bought my skirts first because they seemed to be harder to find then shirts to go with them.
5. Don't get discouraged!
I'm a taller girl and thought that I would have the hardest time finding modest skirts, but with some patients and a few shopping trips I found everything that I needed! If you start to feel discouraged in a certain shop that is a sign that you need to get out of that store. I recommend going to dress barn. I had never been to dress barn before and found that most of my missionary clothes came from there. Now I know some sisters suggest going to thrift stores or the DI but here is my two sense on it. Yes you can find great things, BUT remember those clothes most likely have been worn before, they may not hold up as well or as long as new clothes.
6. Miscellaneous.
Maxi skirts, again refer to number 3... Dresses and skirts CANNOT go to the ground, so that cute maxi that you get will have to be cut and re hemmed! Also I have heard that maxis do not do well in heat and humidity. A sister said it just trapped the heat in and made a sauna for her legs.
Shade shirts, these are great little beauties to go under your shirts, but again refer to number 3, they are too tight and revealing to wear on their own.
Don't fall victim to fads! Think classics while you are shopping so you won't feel out of style four months into your mission.
Good Luck shopping, and remember your dressing to be a representative of Jesus Christ!
Love,
Afton Michelle
Thanks for the advice!
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