Faith and Fashion

Hey friends!

Today I have a fun little message for you, and I'm excited about it because it speaks to my inner child, which is always so healing 🥺.

Growing up, Bailee and I were super into fashion. We loved styling our outfits, and you KNOW we loved the song "Fashion is my Kryptonite" by Bella Thorne and Zendaya. Specifically, we were very fond of neon colors and sparkles, and we loved to accessorize with jewelry, headbands, and the occasional bow. We laid out our outfits the night before from elementary school to high school, and being the overachievers that we are, we even created a magazine club in intermediate where we shared our fashion tips with the entire grade. 💀

We are your typical girly girls, and I honestly love that about us. I also love that God allowed us to be built-in besties to share all these memories together.

Although we've grown up and are now in a different stage of life, we still value fashion and beauty. I mean, our mom is a hairstylist and nail tech, and we grew up at the beauty shop where she works, so we were kind of born into this whole girly girl thing. Our hair, nails, and outfits have been a daily grounding point for us as the waves of anxiety and stress come crashing over us in college.

I do acknowledge, however, that beauty and appearance can become an idol. Trust me, Bailee and I have both been there. However, when we are healthy and our minds are submitted to the Lord, fashion is simply a new way to express the beauty and creativity of God.

It makes total sense why the enemy would attempt to destroy God's original purpose for beauty. You see, it was never God's intent for beauty to be prioritized over practicality. In fact, it's quite the opposite. For instance, the Lord designed it to where the trees lose their leaves each winter. They still perform their purpose of providing us oxygen, but for a season, beauty is not their top priority.

The same is true for us. Although beauty and fashion is fun, it cannot be our main priority in life. Sadly, guys and girls alike can fall prey to the belief that appearance triumphs all. What a lie this is. Bailee and I have experienced this first-hand. When our first priority is maintaining our outward appearance, it prevents us from performing our best in other areas of life, and more importantly, it was never what the Lord intended for us. Even our physiology supports this concept. For example, when girls place looking good on the outside on too high of a pedestal, they can quite literally lose their ability to create life. This is known as hypothalamic amenorrhea. We just learned about this in anatomy, so I'll tell you the science behind it if you're interested. Basically, when the body doesn't have enough energy to function properly, the hypothalamus stops producing a hormone called GnRH. In turn, the anterior pituitary gland doesn't produce a hormone called LH, and ovulation does not occur. This all leads to a woman losing her menstrual cycle. Although it's unpleasant at times (thanks Eve), this cycle is a marker of the miracle that a female is able bring a new soul into this world.

Although we might not think about it often, every part of our being reflects God in some way. Our desire to look pretty on a daily basis is a reflection of God's heart, as He, too, values beauty. He could have made every plant & animal look the same, and He didn't have to create so many different sources of nourishment with so many different flavors, but He did because He is far too creative not to. One of my favorite attributes of God is that He delights in making things both things both beautiful and functional.

"And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food." Genesis 2:9

Sometimes, I feel guilty for taking the time to make myself look presentable, as I could be using my time more "productively". But honestly, some of my best study sessions happen when I am listening to lectures as I simultaneously curl my hair or put on my makeup. When I'm not listening to lectures while getting ready, I am typically listening to a Christian podcast or fun music that lifts my spirits and makes me smile. Sometimes I even prefer silence so that I can use that time to pray over myself, my circumstances, or other people in my life. These are all God-honoring things.

As a perfectionist and someone who hates the idea of "wasting time", I've been slowly learning and living in the truth that God isn't mad at me for enjoying life and delighting in the day that He has made. Of course, He wants me to be responsible and use my time wisely, but He also loves my unique sense of creativity and my ability to find beauty in this broken world.

An example of this occurred this week. On Monday, I had a biochemistry quiz that I was pretty nervous for. I had attended all the review sessions I could, rewatched all the lecture videos, and had completed several practice problems, but I was still feeling unprepared. I have been so anxious about my classes lately that I haven't been sleeping very well. So it makes sense that I woke up Monday morning feeling extra tired and moving a little slower than normal. I got ready more leisurely than I normally would and switched back and forth from listening to biochem lectures and music. I curled my hair, did my makeup, and honestly felt pretty good about myself. But then the guilt kicked in. "What if because I didn't spend my entire morning studying, I won't do well on the quiz?" I feared.

I tried to push these thoughts aside and proceeded to attend one last review session, complete a few more practice problems, draw out my nucleotide structures one more time, and pray before the quiz. While I was taking the quiz, things were going pretty smoothly. There were a few questions I was unsure about, but I definitely expected to pass. I finally pressed submit and checked my grade. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the score 30/30. "No way," I told God.

Honestly, the entire morning I had felt the Lord whispering to me that everything was going to be okay. However, the shouts of accusation from the enemy unfortunately drowned out the Lord's words of comfort, reassurance, and peace.

I'm not telling you this story to say that you'll make a perfect score on your next assignment just by praying, but I am saying that the Lord wants to be a part of every aspect of your life. When you partner with God in any endeavor and do your best to listen to His voice, amazing things are bound to happen.

Fashion and beauty is quite literally art. How you present yourself is a reflection of your internal world. When I get dressed, my outfit choices are a reflection of what I always imagined college girls wearing when I was little. It's a way for me to acknowledge that even as I walk into my biochemistry and anatomy classes and learn about the functionality of God's creation, I am still the same little Bre who values fashion.

Below is a screenshot from one of Cambria Joy's weekly newsletters. She talks more about this concept of beauty and functionality in her devotional book called Milk and Honey. She put words to concepts I've known since I was a little girl but couldn't articulate.

I could probably talk about this all day, but I pray that after reading this, you'll decorate your house, put on makeup, fix your hair, style your outfit, or even perfect your Instagram aesthetic as an act of service to the Lord. No one has your unique sense of creativity, and no one sees the world the way you do. Don't do the world a disservice and neglect this simple yet profound gift. But also never let your desire to be pretty override your passions and ultimate purpose in life- to know the Lord and make Him known.

Thanks for reading 🖤

Love,

Breanna Reese Chavez