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FWOTW: 1611Skirts.com

114 Comments

There’s a delicious anachronism in calling your store “1611 Skirts” from which you sell clothing of a style that nobody was actually wearing in 1611.

Or perhaps they mean us to believe that their fabrics and patterns are ripped from the very pages of Holy Scripture? I can’t wait until some enterprising person starts NIVSkirts.com to compete by selling the same clothes only TWO INCHES SHORTER!

114 thoughts on “FWOTW: 1611Skirts.com”

  2. Wow! I forgot how ugly culottes are. There is only one skirt on the page that would be acceptable at my current Christian school – we have to wear our skirts mid-calf length or longer, so a lot of these are too short. Time for the Baptist ruffle! (anyone remember that?)
    What is with naming it KJV skirts? That name is truly something of fundy delight.

  4. And, they’re all made to order. hahahaha. How are camp culottes different from the garden variety culottes? (By the way, my kids breathe a sigh of relief every summer when they remember that they don’t have to go to fundy camp anymore.)

    1. Are their culottes actual culottes? They look like straight-up skirts to me. Are we so holy that our “culottes” now are really just skirts with huge ugly pleats??

  5. I don’t mind longer skirts on adult women if they are tasteful but what’s with putting the longer skirts on the little girls? Why put such restrictions on them at such a young age? Are they already sending out the message that there is something wrong with them so they must cover up?

    If anything I think that would draw MORE attention to them and I wouldn’t want my young daughter to stand out in a crowd drawing attention to herself with all the weirdos about…to me wearing too much is just as bad as wearing too little.

    Why can’t they just let them be…normal little girls? 🙄

    1. That is so true. I didn’t notice how weird it was to have the long skirts on the little girls until a few days ago. I’m at a Christian semi-fundy summer camp right now, and there is this one little third-grade girl. She is IFB and has been in a really long skirt all week. I feel so bad for her, knowing what she will have to live with. The akwardness around worldly kids is already starting to show, and she really is branded by her dress. She is adorable, I just really feel bad for her. Fortunately, she and a few other girls are so young that a few of the other girls aren’t ostrisizing her yet.

    2. Sunday School material in the 50s and 60s showed little girls with short skirts, sometimes even with the panties showing. I think after miniskirts became popular, the IFB got rid of all short skirts, even on small girls.

    3. Why can’t they just let them be…normal little girls?

      Because there are more IFB preachers like Schaap lurking around…

    4. My Mother never liked long skirts or dresses on little girls, said it looked “dutchy”. (Our hometown had a strong German influence.) 🙄

    1. But note! It says that even though some of their skirts have slits, their slits do not “compromise modesty.”

      1. I think I was mocking the “modern” part and not the “modesty” 😉

        But the slit statement does seems silly.

  7. First of all the skirt length in 1611 was not this.
    Secondly modesty is the issue here and sometimes its hard to find
    Skirts at the stores today that are modest
    Thirdly it sets you apart from the worldly dress. There is never a doubt
    when i see an amish or Mennonite lady in public who they are.
    Im not dogmatic on this issue because plenty of skirt wearing Christians do not portray christ well because of their pride and holyier than thou attitudes.
    ” come out from the world and be ye seperate

    1. “Secondly modesty is the issue here and sometimes its hard to find”

      Yes, but who is to say that modesty automatically means skirts? I have seen many times when a pair of pants is far more modest than a skirt. Modesty has the idea of not drawing attention to one’s self.

      “Thirdly it sets you apart from the worldly dress.”

      This is a poor argument. Where do you find anywhere in scripture that the scripture is to be separated in their dress from the world? Dress is a very cultural thing. Men in the world wear shirts, so should Christian men?

      “There is never a doubt when i see an amish or Mennonite lady in public who they are.”

      Correct, they are Mennonite. My family and myself are not. I’m an American.

      “Im not dogmatic on this issue because plenty of skirt wearing Christians do not portray christ well because of their pride and holyier than thou attitudes.”

      Good, don’t be dogmatic on things Scripture doesn’t speak about. And you’re absolutely right regarding those that have pride and a ‘holier than thou’ attitude in regards to their standards of dress.

      ”come out from the world and be ye separate”

      Using this verse to prove biblical separation on non-biblical issues is a great misuse of Scripture. This passage is referring to the dichotomy of the saved and unsaved. Not whether one wears a skirt, or listens to ‘godly music’.

      1. When you’re climbing a ladder or skydiving, a pair of trousers will give you a lot more modesty than any skirt.

        1. My daughter wore a skirt out biking once. When the skirt got caught in the chain, she had to remove her skirt to get it out. Needless to say, that’s the last time we ever let her wear a skirt riding a bike.

        2. Ah, but if one cannot do an activity modestly in a skirt, then that activity is not appropriate for women. (True story: This was drilled into me for years. I was a tomboy. I couldn’t do *any* activity modestly in a skirt.)

      2. Just stating what was taught to us in our fbc. For people who choose to wear this, God bless em. I will try and not stand in judgement of others. I was just saying that there is no doubt that when you see an Amish person you know who they are. Christians ? Can you pick them out of a crowd?

        1. I was taught this too! And it is comforting to be able to be at a restaurant or fair or museum and instantly recognize another fundy family because the girls are all in modest skirts (unless they’re Mormons!)

          But I don’t see in Scripture anywhere that demands that the world be able to instantly recognize us by our clothing. I choose today to try to set myself apart from the world not by unique apparel but by demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit – by loving when I am treated badly, by responding graciously when mistreated, by being honest and gentle and patient. It’s easier and quicker to put on a long khaki skirt, but I think more Biblical to focus on the heart.

          Of course, one can dress distinctively and still have a Christlike attitude, but often focusing on the outward appearance ended up creating people who were proud and self-righteous instead of loving and humble, in my experience.

        2. We were at the airport a few weeks ago and saw a family. 5 kids under 6. Matching homemade shirts, Mom in long denim skirt, toddler girls in homemade coulottes, dad in a biblical haircut. I couldn’t resist. I walked up and asked if they were BIMI missionaries. the woman said, “How did you know?? 😯

        3. I should add we were all boarding international flights, so I knew they were going overseas, hence missionaries.

        5. The Bible says that the World is supposed to recognize us by the love we have for each other…

          Not by our clothing.

          Clothing styles change (even, occasionally, in Fundyland!), but Love never fails.

    2. Yeah, and it is hard not tell a Muslim fundamentalist when you spot her in a full body Burqa and Hijab, revealing only the white of her eyes.

      In fact, I think they have just officially one-upped even the best fundamentalist in the area of separation. We should be taking notes.

      2. My wife says denim culottes are much worse than khaki. And the very worst, the denim jumper.

  9. Out of curiosity, I did some research on what fashions in the 1600s were actually like. Among high-class women, the necklines were often very high… or extremely low and rounded. (It may seem surprising, but back in the day, they actually didn’t care that much about women’s chests. Legs were the big no-no.) Also ridiculous collar ruffs and about fourteen layers of clothing. It was also quite fashionable to have the outer skirt pulled up to reveal the petticoat underneath.

    I’d like to see a little more of THAT style on a site called “1611 Skirts”!

    (Also, I have a couple of quite nice, modern ankle-length skirts. It’s true they’re rare, but they do exist, and some secular women do wear them. Are those verboten for fundy women? Because in all the pictures and videos I see (and on websites like this one), the skirts just seems so… unflattering. But that may be because even the chick from the Song of Solomon would look bad in culottes.)

    1. Went to the Renaissance faire this weekend, where many people were wearing actual 1611 type clothing. Its true that the skirts were quite long; however, there were huge tracts of land everywhere.

    2. I would just like to say that ankle-length skirts and dresses aren’t that rare right now. Maxis are currently very popular and very stylish. But since they’re popular, they probably aren’t Fundy approved. haha.

  10. I wouldn’t mind having the black skirt in the lower-left-hand corner. It looks versitile, especially in black. But if I never have to wear a straight-line khaki skirt again it will be too soon! 😉

    1. Oh…one more thing…I will wear a straight-line khaki skirt again before I will ever wear a pair of culottes.

  11. Well, to be honest, the name of the site is laughable and the clothes are way too expensive. That said, it is getting harder and harder to find skirts of any style in stores—a regional buyer for a department store once told me that stores are reducing skirt orders by about 12% every year. I played in a symphony orchestra for 10 years that had a dress code of ankle-length pants or skirt for the ladies, and I never could find an ankle-length skirt that I could comfortably sit and perform in.

    1. What do you play? ‘m interested in which instrument a skirt would be hampering for – I’m guessing tuba, string bass, bassoon, basset horn or cello. In any case, I’ve been of the mind for years that orchestra dress codes should be unisex – just tuxedos or dark suits for all, particularly the higher-end orchestras where the appearance of uniformity is part of the job.

    2. I disagree. I am finding skirts everywhere in stores. They are extremely in fashion right now. I’m sure ankle-length black skirts might be hard, but even that’s doubtful with the maxi skirt trend right now. If stores ever getting rid of skirts it’s because they are going out of trend, not because they don’t want people to be “modest.”

      1. Same here. It seemed like I could never find any skirts when I was in the IFB, but now that I’m gone and I don’t have to wear skirts to church or work, of course the styles changed and now I find long, cute stuff EVERYWHERE. I’m always suggesting stuff for my sister since she still wears skirts all the time to school and church. I find tons of cute, knee-length or longer stuff for her. Maxi skirts are really popular, too, so right now stores are full of long, flowy stuff.

        Hilariously enough, now that nobody makes me wear skirts I’ve found I actually enjoy wearing them (during the summer only, though, because it’s hot and they are breezy). But mostly mini skirts, or maxi skirts paired with a tank top. Definitely not very fundy.

  12. “Girls” . . . “Ladies” . . . Fundie Rule 107: If you can’t use an apostrophe right just don’t use it at all.

  13. “My husband (David) and I provide a customized solution for girls and women seeking modest skirts and culottes. Our most popular product is the box pleat culotte – great for active ware, camp, volleyball, school uniforms, and much more!”
    I have to wonder what part David plays in all of this. Does he sew? Or does he place the modesty stamp of approval on various garments if he can see them on a live model without being aroused? Or is she just mentioning him to make sure it doesn’t sound like she’s doing anything independent of him?
    And what the heck is “active ware”?

    1. I was wondering that too. She starts by introducing herself, so I’m assuming she’s the crafty seamstress then from there on she uses the royal we and refers to “our production team” which makes me think she’s putting her kids to work under the guise of home ec for homeschool.

  14. The How to Measure page is all wrong. All that page needs to say is “let your pastor measure and determine what is appropriate for you”.

    1. Miriam, you are wrong. That dress was from 1610. In the 1611 runway show, the skirts started looking like what you see on the FWOTW website. It was a revolution, I’m sure.

    2. Given by God, enhanced by CHICK FIL A

      Burger king is idolatrus, there’s only one king

        2. Apathetic or Whatever, you just made me lol in a crowded office! Thanks for that! 😆

  17. Growing up, we were better fundies than most of you. My mother had a rule for herself and my sisters that culottes were a sin because they were a “crotched garment.” (Don’t you love the faux KJV1611 language to make another dumb rule sound legit?) In addition, my mother had another rule that said, “If you can’t do it modestly in a skirt then it is a sin for a woman to do it.” By extension, it was also a sin for a man to do non-skirt activities, because “If it is a sin, then God would make it a sin for everyone because He is no respecter of persons.”

    Thus, for example, most athletic activities were a sin. Also, and this one never made sense to me, going to amusement parks was also a sin. 😕

    1. Ah, yes! My Dad always said “If you can’t do it in a skirt, you shouldn’t be doing it.” I think that was a quote from his HAC days. He also used to quote Hyles as saying something like “A woman in a skirt will always look, act, and feel more beautiful, feminine, and godly than a woman in pants. There. That’s nine reasons why you should wear a skirt and not pants.” 🙄

      1. Man, leave it to a fundy man to explain to women how they will feel. Otherwise, how will women know? 🙄

      2. I remember hearing, “Do you think it is a sin for ladies to wear pants?” “I don’t think a *LADY* ever wears pants.” by Jack Hyles. In that way saying that if you ever wear pants, you are obviously NOT a lady… but something else.

    2. Haha, my mom still insists to me that she wears only skirts because she wants to. Might be true, but she’s been in fundamentalism since birth and has been whipped (figuratively) into submission for quite some time now. I feel sorry for families like ours was: repressed, stressed over sinning, straining at gnats and swallowing camels. My dad was a source of terror rather than someone to run to. He had a trick like your mom, DS..he used Bible-sounding language to enforce all types of extreme rules. Also had a Bible verse (twisted, usually) for anything we would do that he didn’t happen to personally agree with. Never mind if God actually had an issue with it or not.

      Wow, I’ve been rambling. For some reason, the FWOTW just brought back unhappy memories.

      1. Depends on the underwear.
        If you either have *very* old-fashioned underwear, or new underwear from the “sex shop,” then maybe not.

        1. Well, in our house, womens’ underwear got a pass because . . . I kid you not . . . a Dear Abby column was once dedicated to the hygienic benefits of wearing underwear and Abby said “Also, ladies, think of what would happen if you were wearing a billowy skirt on a windy day.” Well, that was good enough for my mother: undies being necessary to total modesty, they received a pass. If THE WORLD (in the guise of that liberal divorced Jewish hussy, Abby) could recognize the importance of underwear, then SO COULD THE CHRISTIANS!!!

        2. I’m at a loss as to which reply was more disturbing, Big Gary’s or Deacon Son’s.

        3. Dear Abby was never divorced.
          You’re thinking of her twin sister, Ann Landers.
          (Both of them were Jewish.)

        4. Yeah, I always got their sordid pasts mixed up. 😉 Sorry, Big G. Our pastor used to call Abby’s sister “Ann Philanders.” 🙄

        5. We had a brief period of time where we made our own “bloomer-style” underwear. Of course we wore it over our REAL underwear. It was there simply for modesty purposes. I think we had to wear them for P.E. class… and cheerleading. (Not that those heavy, wool skirts were ever going anywhere…) We weren’t allowed to kick our feet, so we basically stood there in our heavy long skirts and bloomers that went all the way to the knees and did Power Ranger-style hand motions… now I am getting depressed.

  18. Skirts, culottes *gag*. I heard someone say that the men who insists on this type of clothing just wants easy access to what’s underneath. 👿

  19. What isn’t 1611 about a non-roll elastic waistband! It defies every rule of fashion and sets you apart from the world’s vain standards.

  20. Let’s call them “culoffs” where temptation goes to die. 😆

    One look at those, and you will cool off buddy.

  22. That poor little girl – what chance has she got to run and climb and play? I never noticed any of this when I was in but now I am out and have young nieces, I am horrified. I’d hate to thing of my little Becca having to walk in a hobble – that kid cannot sit still and good for her.

    2. Haha!! Then there’s the armenian line that lets you choose what you want to wear and the calvinist line of clothing that chooses you. 😆

      1. Calvinist clothing would be predestined, which I guess means you wear what you were born in. 😈

  26. There are web sites that sell authentic 1611 clothing. For example:

    http://www.tudorshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TTS&Product_Code=SS-KWG&Category_Code=WGS

    … And, since godliness shouldn’t stop at the outer layer, this firm also sells 1611 undergarments such as “Bumrolls, Corsets, and Farthingales.”
    http://www.tudorshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=WBL

    You’ll also need some of these, obviously:
    http://www.verymerryseamstress.com/ruff.htm

    1. I asked about farthingales on their “win-a-pair-of culottes” fb page, but I never got an answer…

  27. I know. Let’s start 1611Menswear.com. It will feature the holy clothes of doublets, ruffs and hose. Then there would be now question of our separation. 😈

    3. I know. Let’s start 1611Menswear.com. It will feature the holy clothes of doublets, ruffs and hose. Then there would be no question of our separation.

      Never mind “doublets, ruffs, and hose”, what about the period accessory to hose: The CODPIECE! Especially the formal ones that look like you’re permanently at half-mast. (And hung like a stallion to boot!)

      And don’t forget the bollocks dagger (named for the shape of its grip) in your waistband above the codpiece!

    4. I guess IFB men don’t have problems fitting into standard size off-the-shelf clothing…not sure what that says about the women. Is there still a place wear a good fundy preacher or deacon can buy a pair of those big-ass, 70’s-style wingtip shoes?

    5. I was so going to post that since 1611 seems to be the perfect year for women’s modesty (despite none of those clothes being acceptably fashionable, etc., in 1611), that surely they would want to have some doublets and hose for the men! You know, because 1611 fashion is both modest and modern! :mrgreen:

  28. {Yawn} I can go to Lane Bryant or Amerimark and get the same thing for a third less than they’re offering. Might as well call it 1611 Knockoffs (or Ripoffs, which, IMO, might be more accurate.)

  30. Where are the head covers? Modest jeans for men and boys? Swimwear for men and boys?

    Oh, wait…

  31. My evil fundy sister-in-law has four kids. Homeschooled. They all play violin. They go to BJU for music camp. She makes her own baggy jumpers to wear. Need I say more?

    It always looked like her four kids were in uniforms even at grandma’s house or on Christmas day. It seems that fundies wear a lot of khaki and navy blue regardless of the event.

    And I HATED culottes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and the Bill Rice Ranch didn’t even approve of all culottes!!)

  34. Well its strange how recently i have seen ifb kids wearing leggings under skirts so not to show a leg when they are playing but yet they still have to wear the skirt over it…. its just stupid… i remember having to wear a skirt over my snowsuit when we went sledding how dumb i looked to the world and none of them ever came over to us we were an outcast cuz we looked weird…way to go ifb lol

  35. Nowhere in the Bible does it say to wear clothes that are different than the current fashion, nor does it even hint that people in the Bible wore clothes that are different than the current fashion!

  36. Hey! Your slogan can be “Dressing repressed women since 1611!!!” Brainwashing at its best right here. I wore this crap for 13 years…never again. You people ALMOST…turned me into a raging lesbian. Your men are all closet perverts and your clothes suck.

  37. There is a company called “31” that sells purses and bags that are personalized. My daughter in law has a neighbor who sells them. From what I heard the name of the company was from the Proverbs 31 woman somehow. I think it is possible this 1611 skirt-seller person is trying to do something similar. In a weird and limting-to-business sort of way.

  38. That…wow.

    I sorta wore culottes, for a short time, and only for like, church stuff and being at the Wilds. My church wasn’t all that strict except we had to wear longer shorts or capris. The “culottes” I got came from Sears, but as I remember, they fit more like slightly longer Bermuda shorts.

    My Christian school had a “middle of the knee” guideline, skirts only dress code. If they knew you, you could get away with whatever, which I often did. My teachers were pretty cool, so…yeah.

  39. Be sure to visit our booth at the next home-school convention!

    My shopping basket (0 items), (0.00) —may it stay that way!

  40. Control, that’s all it is. Abusive, alpha-male, obedient under the thumb wife cult. With Muslims, the wives have to wear the hijabs and completely hide their figures. What do the Muslim men wear that would make them stand out in a crowd? Same with fundies, only they make women feel dirty because they were born with female body parts, so they tell them they are defrauding men if their curves are revealed. Weirdness, strangeness, mind-control, abuse. “Don’t let crazy people control you.” 😉

  41. *curls up into a little ball and cries*

    I still cannot bring myself to wear a khaki skirt. And those culottes: they look entirely different when you sit down. From behind, that slit looks like a giant butt crack. CANNOT.UNSEE.

    Now I love my work dresses and pencil skirts: probably because they’re all above knee and not fundy approved. Usually can’t bring myself to wear a jean skirt though….

  42. I bet you $1,000 that Bro. Schaap plugged this website any a few of his sermons and knows each length, color, etc..

    “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let a woman in britches on Brother Hyles’ platform”.

  43. Something else, even if the skirts were all really flattering, they’re almost all made of gabardine or trigger. Neither of those fabrics is really all that comfortable or nice. The PE culottes at PCC were made of gabardine and they were so hot and not fun. It’s a lot like sheets: cheap fabric gives you less-than-stellar comfort levels. haha

  44. Wow, Heaven forbid someone be willing to identify with the Bible by the name of their online shop. 😕 I don’t really get why a lot of people are attacking….this site isn’t trying to change *you* but trying to provide clothing to people who would already be wearing similar styles anyway. Would I wear every style on the site? Nope!! 😎 But why go out of your way to attack and belittle them over what they choose to wear/sell? Hope your bitterness had a good outing today.

    (P.S Sorry those who were hurt & forced into things in the past. That really isn’t right.)

    1. 🙄 I would surmise that the reaction here has something to do with the fact that many fundamentalists have made the issue of skirts a matter of public scorn rather than private conviction.
      To use your words, they have often “attacked and belittled” those ladies who did not dress in a manner that suited them. I know of one church that put up a sign saying that women in pants were not welcome.
      Unsurprisingly, considering that unChristlike attitude, that church is currently dying from lack of new members.

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