The blouse is back!

Pirates, Peasants, and Poets

Anyone who grew up in the 70's and 80's remembers the blouse.    Even though this item of clothing has its roots in menswear (think pirates, peasants, and poets...) they are primarily womenswear now.

With its updated 1970's fashion, the blouse was the quintessential clothing piece for a polished woman in the corporate world.  The 70's and 80's were the "dress for success" era, where if you "dressed" like you were upper management, you were more trusted and could move up in the company.

1970's pattern

(Which, by the way, is still how perceptions of success are perceived today...and also the reason that it matters how sister missionaries dress!)

The blouse basically became a woman's version of a men's dress shirt.  We wore them in silkier fabrics, with feminine details (like lace collars, and bows) and they were cut to flatter and drape on our shapelier figures.  They were so popular and durable, that for years, every DI, Salvation Army store, and Saver's was full of these polyester blouses.

Well, guess what!  The blouse is back!  It has actually been back for a couple of years now, but we are finally seeing the trend here in the conservative west.  (What that means is that we are finally gutsy enough to wear them even though our eyes have been telling us we are wearing what our moms wore...)  Anyhow, there are a lot of advantages to the blouse that make it very popular again today.

Here is a list of why the Blouse is a great addition to your wardrobe:

1.  Many of the fabulous styles can be found in washable fabrics that are easy to wear, and easy to care for.  So, the runways feature the blouses done in silk, while we can find them done in polyester.  Polyester has become so well done these days that it is hard to tell often if it is silk or not!  The fibres actually have to be tested with a "fire test" to see if the burn or melt--burning meaning it it is silk, and melting being polyester.  So, wear that polyester with pride!  You look fabulous!

2.  The cut of the blouse is more appropriate for real women.  Going the way of the Dodo bird are the fashions that highlight the "yoga" body that most of us don't have.  (that is of course, unless you are actually on your way to yoga, which apparently I am all day everyday when I'm at home in my yoga pants...) The blouse is not as fitted as the tailored "mens" style clothing we have been packing ourselves in for the past 15 years.  We have lumps and bumps as women, and the blouse drapes more comfortably over them.  You can actually look and feel thinner because you aren't wearing some little knit ditty that makes you look like...well, a stuffed sausage.

3.  No more busting buttons!  One of the best things about a blouse is that often the style doesn't button up front.  It is hard to have a great fitting blouse that buttons over the "bumps" of the bust!  Nothing like playing peek-a-boo with your top because you can't keep your placate closed on your shirt.  Unless a shirt is tailored just for you, it can be tough to keep things "locked and loaded."  A blouse solves this, and all the while letting you enjoy the cool comfort of a woven fabric.

4.  The fashion trend now allows us to dress down our nice blouses by pairing them with jeans.  This is a nice departure from the buttoned up, corporate, Sunday best version of the blouse that makes them fun to wear.   For Sister Missionaries, of course the fashion choice is clear.  However, that means that the blouses you take on your mission can be repurposed a little while later at home!  (and believe me, these blouses will survive, despite your best efforts!)

Here are some great blouses we are carrying right this minute at our store!  

We designed these babies ourselves, and carefully chose the fabric and construction to make them comfortable and durable for Sister Missionaries.  They fit well, are easily altered, and built to last.

This top comes in a nice Rose, Sky Turquoise (pictured), Smoky Taupe, and Berry Red.
If the elastic in the sleeves bothers you, we can take it out.  

This blouse has coordinating cuffs on the short sleeve under the blazer.
Currently this blouse is only available in Cream with black trim.  

Here is that same bow blouse under one of our favorite blazers.

There are more to come!  Just keep in mind that "The Blouse is Back!" We are so glad!  You will not only feel better in a blouse, you will look better too.

The Van Heusen Challenge

At Sister Missionary Mall we have a staff of amazing sales associates.  Our girls are beautiful, kind, compassionate, spunky, savvy, passionate woman who are not only great to work with but are also very fashion forward! These women are the leading experts in making modesty look amazing.   One of our favorite blouses at Sister Missionary Mall is our Van Heusen wrinkle free blouse!  This basic blouse should be a staple in any woman's wardrobe. Not only is it beautifully tailored and sold in a variety of colors it is also extremely easy to own!  It requires little to no ironing and is very durable.  Unlike other wrinkle free button up blouses that you may find in local department stores ours is reasonably priced at $29.99 and we do FREE alterations!  Over the next week and a half we will be show casing all of the creative ways that our employee's have found to wear this great basic.  Here are our first few photo's and examples to get us started, as well as brief introductions to our fabulous staff!

Meet Kirstin and Amanda!  Kirstin served her mission in Tacoma Washington and has been home for about 6 months.  We love her smile and how sweet she is.  Our employee's love working with Kirstin because she is so kind and nice!  Our customers say the same and we are constantly hearing great things about Kirstin from anyone she comes in contact with. Most of our mannequins in the store are dressed by Kirstin because we love her sense of color and style. To the right we have Amanda served in London England.  Amanda is new to our team and we love her creative take on layering, willingness to help customers look for the perfect item, and the way she pulls off hats!  Amanda is also engaged to be married next month and is pretty excited about her upcoming wedding.   Both are as nice as they are beautiful.  They always make our clothing look great!

Next we have Christin our store manager.  She served her mission in Nauvoo and has been home for almost 5 years (eek!).  She loves cardigans, and skirts and started working for us the first time six weeks after returning from her mission.  In fact she says of her first day with us "I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I got to work the first day and got to put a mission skirt back on and talk about my mission all day long!"   Christin used the basic white blouse as a layering piece to add a little extra polish to her jumper and cardigan combo.

Kirstin added fun accessories like a bold red belt and colorful scarf to dress up her blouse.  This outfit is a great example of how dressing up the basic's can be easy and fashion forward way!

Amanda added layers to her blouse to give it a unique chic look.  She started with the tuxedo blouse, added a ruffle tank, a belt, and her own necklace to give the blouse a modern funky look. 

The Van Heusen challenge officially starts with our employee's next Monday.  We will be posting pictures of our employee's creative style and want you to vote on who's look you like best by commenting on our blog and Facebook post.  Everyone who comments will be put into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate at the end of the challenge.   Those who mentions that they read about the Van Heusen challenge on our blog or Facebook page will receive 25% off a Van Heusen blouse until the 24th of September.  Spread the word and come visit us for all of the fashion and fun at Sister Missionary Mall located at 210 E. University Parkway in Orem!

So who wore it best?  Kirstin, Christin or Amanda?  Vote by commenting!

Friday Special: Half Tees

We posted about Half Tees a while back:

Have you ever needed a little bit extra coverage "up top" but didn't want the bulk of a full undershirt?  A few years ago modest girls where having a hard time making the top of our pants and the bottom of our shirts meet up, which is why full undershirts from Shade and ModBod were so great!  Perfect for a little extra coverage where we needed it most.  However, not all blouse styles need extra coverage at the bottom––and everyone hates that awkward t-shirt line under a dress––which is why we love Half Tees!  This product is well-made, has a great finished edge and takes the bulk out of wearing layers.

Half Tees work beautifully under Monday's blouse.  We carry several styles and colors of Half Tees, and today they are 25% off!

If you bought the Vivace blouse on Monday and a skirt on Wednesday, complete your outfit with a Half Tee today and receive a 30% off coupon!

Half Tees

Have you ever needed a little bit extra coverage "up top" but didn't want the bulk of a full undershirt?  A few years ago modest girls where having a hard time making the top of our pants and the bottom of our shirts meet up, which is why full undershirts from Shade and ModBod were so great!  Perfect for a little extra coverage where we needed it most.  However, not all blouse styles need extra coverage at the bottom––and everyone hates that awkward t-shirt line under a dress––which is why we love Half Tees!  This product is well-made, has a great finished edge and takes the bulk out of wearing layers.