The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints announced earlier today that the dress standards for sister missionaries have changed slightly. Sisters will be required to wear skirts or dresses when attending Sunday church worship services, zone conferences, baptismal services, temples, or special mission trainings. For daily attire, sisters can now choose to wear dress pants.
When discussing the updated standards Elder Uchtdorf said, "As we adapt these standards, we always carefully consider the dignity of the missionary calling to represent Jesus Christ, the safety, security, and health of our beloved missionaries, and the cultural sensitivities of the places where they serve."
Hooray for options for sisters! We are excited for you to have expanded wardrobe possibilities. For sisters serving in humid, tropical climates, this can be a huge blessing to your health. For sisters serving in extremely cold climates this can help keep you warm and toasty in those crazy cold temperatures. For sisters riding bikes this can let you ride with more confidence and convenience!
Even so, many sisters hesitate to wear dress pants. Dress pants can make women feel a little less feminine, and they don't fit the way our everyday casual pants usually fit.
1. Dress pants have the potential to make women feel less feminine:
As little girls, many of us were often found twirling around in the cultural hall or the foyer after church services in our full, flouncy skirts and dresses. We are taught from a young age to embrace being a girl and all the fun accessories and options that come along with it. Somehow the idea of pants, though comfortable, just doesn't give us the joy that a perfectly fitted dress or skirt does.
Does this mean that dress pants can't be feminine? Absolutely not! The best way to help us get over this issue is to find ways to accessorize the dress pants. The new guidelines state that sisters should not be wearing pant suits but instead dress pants and a blazer, cardigan, blouse, etc. Pairing dress pants with a cute blazer, instead of a matching suit blazer gives sisters limitless options. Blazers can have bright, fun colors and intricate detailing. When tailored properly a blazer can be extremely flattering on any body type. Cardigans and blouses also offer many fun options through bold patterns and endless color possibilities.
The other thing that will help us feel more feminine in dress pants is understanding the correct fit of a true dress pant.
2. Fitting dress pants properly:
In a world where our daily pants are often tight fitting, skinny, and stretchy, a dress pant may seem outdated and intimidating but it doesn't have to be!
Dress pants are not meant to be form-fitting. They are not your favorite pair of skinny jeans that hug all the right spots, and they are not leggings. The missionary dress standards say not to have form-fitting clothing in any of your wardrobe. We represent Jesus Christ in the way we appear as well as the way we teach and treat others. So how should dress pants fit?
Dress pants are generally made from woven material rather than knit material. That gives them less stretch, so make sure they are comfortable and cut for your particular body type.
When trying on dress pants, allow 2 fingers to fit comfortably into your waistband. As sisters and missionaries, our weight will fluctuate a bit throughout our missions and throughout the month. Allow a little wiggle room so the pants will be comfortable throughout your time of service. That extra room will also help them last longer. Both the material and the fit affect how long a garment lasts.
What about the length? Have your pants altered while wearing your mission shoes. For wider legs, aim for about 1/4-1/2 of an inch from the floor so the fabric hangs properly and gives you the look you want. For a straighter cut, aim for 1 inch from the floor. Sisters serving in foreign countries who will be walking on dirt roads may want to keep all their pants 1-1 1/2 inches from the ground to keep the hems from catching on rough areas of the road and to keep them cleaner.
Skinny-cut dress pants exist, but their fit can be inappropriate for sister missionaries. They can draw attention to the sister's body instead of her message, and the snug fit can restrict movement and impede comfort.
Other things to keep in mind with the fit of your pants: if there is any puckering or bunching in the front panel, you need to size up. There is no shame in sizing up with dress pants, or skirts and dresses for that matter. You want pants that fit you. Don't try to squeeze into a pair because of a number. Pants that fit too tightly will not be comfortable, wear properly, be flattering, or last. If the front panel has too much fabric and looks billowy, you will most likely need to size down a pant size to something that fits better. If you have larger hips or a larger rear, fit those areas first and then have the waist altered to fit you properly.
See our line of dress pants. We have a great selection right now and our friendly staff is always there to help. If you have any questions on the fit of your pants, whether you bought them from us or not, feel free to come in and ask our experienced staff. We love you and want you to be comfortable while serving!
In closing, we quickly want to apologize to all of the Anglophone areas in the world where wearing "pants" means something different than it does to us stateside. :) Sorry... by "pants" we mean "trousers".
So here's to us sisters! Don't be afraid to get some cute dress pants to add to your wardrobe. Look the part, enjoy the new possibilities, and Godspeed!
