Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad: A Style Guide for Every Woman

by Shari Braendel

In Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad, Shari Braendel teaches you how to appreciate the body God gave you and how to always look your best---from conquering the battle of finding the right swimsuit, to choosing how many bangles you should wear or how big your purse should be, to wearing the right style jeans that will best flatter your thighs or hips, to finding the best places to shop to suit your unique personal style.
Many of us are watching reality TV shows to get a clue on how to dress right and look good. We hungrily purchase fashion magazines any time the cover article has something to do with how we can hide our despised body parts. We make mad dashes to the local department store to pick up the new anti-wrinkle cream Oprah promised will take ten years away from our face.
We care about how we look. Why is that? Because we're women, and women love to look and feel good. God made us that way. And this is not a bad thing. In fact, it's a wonderful thing. God loves beauty. He doesn't want us to reflect his image being sloppy, disheveled women of God who don't pay any attention to what we look like.
Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad will show you how to look and feel your best, no matter what day it is or what the occasion. And it will also stop you from screaming at the top of your lungs, 'I have nothing to wear.'

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Adult

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is an easy read, though it is full of information that makes picking out the right clothing and color easy. On her website www.sharibraendel.com she even has a fun and easy to do quiz to find the colors that will suit you best. It's nothing like I've ever seen and it is free so go play after you read the review!

It is exciting to see a book on dressing well that addresses the spiritual side. So often as a Christian woman you get the feeling you aren't supposed to be concerned about how you look. Braendel addresses this issue in a way that makes sense. God isn't using His words in the Bible to say ignore the things you wear. Not at all. Dressing respectfully and honoring His creation is a good thing.

It's not a book full of preaching and it's not meant to be. Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad is what it's about. Why wear black if it makes you look ten years older? Did you know carrying the wrong color purse can throw a few years on you as well? And just how many clothes do we really need? My closet is stuffed and after reading this book I have an idea of what I need to keep to look professional as well as when I run to Target.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun fashion book to dip into, and Braendel has a flippant, conversational, girlfriendy sort of style. Some of her tips I haven't seen before - like pick your hem-length based on where the "diamonds" (or open spaces) are when your feet are at 10 and 2. And I like her 14-point accessory rule (though I tend to run at about a 12 most days). Nicely illustrated.

Why it's not a five for me:
1) While she makes a nice case that women should feel good about themselves and the body God has given them, I'd like to see her answer the question of: How can I justify buying a new bangle or bag when there are starving children in the world?

2) I do not mind at all her advocating for modesty, but I mind very much her framing it as an issue of "let's not lead our Christian's brothers into temptation." This is disrespectful to Christian men. They're pretty good at controlling themselves, or they'd be unable to leave their houses and walk to the bus stop without falling over from lust. Braendel's argument is also the same one that Muslim men use for why women should veil, and it's just as oppressive when used here as it is there. God made us beautiful; Hallelujah, and men can cope.

[Allison Severson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Braendel has some good tips, particularly about hemlines and fits for different body types, but I think she writes with a presumption of authority that I don't see her as deserving. I thought she expressed many opinions as if they were the end all, be all. For example, people will pale skin wearing black, she says it's the ultimate "No"... I disagree. Anyway, some of it was helpful but I found her slightly irritating.

She also "name drops" several different company names or brands, which I can't help but wonder if she received a profit to do... For example, she sights a Mary Kay product as best for treating acne. I have used several and definitely do not agree! Same with Premier Designs jewlery and Avon. Perhaps she has friends who sell? Anyway, maybe I'm too skeptical, but didn't agree with many of her product choices and recommendations.

[Britni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know any woman that hasn't watched at least one episode of TLC's What Not to Wear. I know I've watched more than just one and am always wondering, how would I put myself together a little better in the morning without adding in a lot of effort. So when I was offered the opportunity to review "a style guide for every woman," I jumped at the chance. And I read it cover to cover as soon as I got it.

The beginning of the book explains the concept that looks do matter and that the way you present yourself is a reflection of how you feel not only about yourself but about your faith. If you truly believe your body is a gift from God, a temple perhaps even, then why not treat it like you would a gift from God - wrapped up in shiny paper and with a lovingly tied bow. I tend to agree with Braendel's explanation, and it kind of hit home to me that maybe I should try just a little harder when I'm getting ready to go anywhere.

The rest of the book goes through step by step in determining the best way to find YOUR best look including in your clothes, makeup, hairstyle, and accessories. When I say YOUR, I mean it. The book is personalized not only by just body type, by your height, and by your coloring (e.g., hair, eyes). I found many of the suggestions to be ones that I had never heard before that are pretty easy to follow, and it even told me the colors that are bound to be my best.

However, my favorite part of the book actually had nothing to do with how to make me personally look better. It was a general guideline that I found the most intriguing and eye-opening, and it's called the 16-point accessory rule. It basically means that you give yourself points for what you are wearing and try to add up to 16 before you walk out the door. Points are as simple to get as wearing shoes (two points) and wearing a little makeup (1 point). It's very easy to get to about 12 points without doing anything extra at all other than the basic necessities to walk out the door. The fun part is getting to the 16 points by adding in simple accessories (earrings, purses, belts, headbands, etc.) to add just a little oomph to your look. Since I read this book, I've gotten into a jewelry and accessory kick and tried to constantly up my outfit just a little bit with a pop of color or sophistication with a pair of earrings or a bracelet - I'm in love with bracelets right now by the way.

Sorry for the accessory tangent, but I really enjoyed this book. I thought it had a lot of great tips to personalize your wardrobe and your overall look. I love the 16 point accessory game, and I really like the idea that the book is based on dressing modestly but still well. 5 stars.

[Sunflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the midst of homeschool preparation and dealing with chaotic schedules, reading “Reborn to be Wild” to catch up on a belated book review post was a convicting reminder of the common theme of how busy our lives are and how busy we tend not to be for Him.

From page 96 of “Reborn to be Wild”,

“Studying God’s written Word consumed us. What we failed to notice, as the devil smiled, was that we were ignoring the living Word, the One who washed us from our sin in His own blood, the One who made Moses, Isaiah, and Paul and inspired the to write down the words we were pouring over.

His name is Jesus. Tragically, the more we focuse our laser focus on His Word, the less we saw of Him.”

….not by good works….not by good works. As busy as we can be or filling up our schedule or pouring….how beneficial is it all if we don’t live and feel Him too?

“Wouldn’t you have to agree that since you’ve become so preoccuppied with following the Law, you have been thinking less and less of Jesus”? (page 104 of “Reborn to Be Wild”).

What is telling about the book is that it’s not about focusing on the “talking points’ of Christianity but on the person of Christianity, our Heavenly Father and the price, Jesus paid at the Cross. It asks if somehow, we have fallen from all that and instead picked over Christianity in a way that suits more of our lifestyle or personal beliefs over what He is sharing and calling us to follow.

Here’s an excerpt from “Reborn to be Wild”:

Excerpt taken from Reborn to be Wild by Ed Underwood © David C Cook, 2010.

The Outsiders

It intrigues me that Springsteen used the same word the apostle Paul used to describe those who now find room for their ideas in a revolution—outsiders.

Paul used the Greek term three times to remind Christians of their responsibility to live in a way that “outsiders” (NIV, NASB) or “those outside” (NKJV) would want to know more about Jesus (1 Cor. 5:12; Col. 4:5; 1 Thess. 4:12). Outsider is his technical theological description of people who live outside of God’s mercy and grace. Outsiders were those living in the domain of darkness, outside the borders of the kingdom of the Son of His love (Col. 1:13).

Even if I didn’t know what the Bible called it, I couldn’t think of a better title for the place we lived before God’s love brought us inside—darkness. The revolution reached into the darkness outside, where we lived:

• Tough, hip neighborhoods where God was for dorky church kids and the only thing we liked about Jesus was that he wore long hair and sandals.

• Busy, preoccupied homes that didn’t have time for the silly charades of religious folk.

• A culture in which grace was when a well-starched family took the booth next to yours in a restaurant, bowed their heads and folded their hands in a way that made everyone around them feel weird.

• Neighborhoods where loyal, lifelong friendships seemed to be unraveling from the pressures of growing up, where mercy was what you called for just before blacking out when the big neighbor kid caught you in his famous “sleeper hold.”

Oh, it was darkness all right. But it didn’t seem dark to us then, before we saw the light. It was just life, our reality, our dark reality. From the core of our blackened souls to the gloomy, immoral rhythms of our everyday lives, to the sinister generational evil we were trying to ignore, we were incapable of knowing anything but darkness.

I think our hopelessness had a lot to do with our revolution that became a revival. From the darkness of our lives, we couldn’t see the light, had never seen it before. We didn’t entertain ideas about how much the light might need us or how it could improve our lives in ways that would enhance our career or get us to heaven when we were through doing what we wanted to do down here. We were blinded by the light.

Before we met Jesus, we were outsiders and we knew it. After we took Him at His word, we were insiders, and we knew that, too. And we knew how we got on the inside. Jesus rescued us from darkness. We couldn’t quote it from memory because we probably didn’t know where to find it in our crisp new American Standard New Testaments, but when we read His words, we knew Peter was talking about us when he said:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9–10)

If you’re going to have a revolution, you need to have new ideas. If you’re going to find new ideas, they will never come from those who are comfortably inside. They come from the outside, from outsiders. Even though we were now inside the borders of the kingdom of the Son of God’s love, the old insiders never did embrace us. To them we would always be outsiders.

It didn’t bother us much. Actually, it didn’t bother us at all. To be totally honest, we dug it. Our hearts were on fire with the love of Christ and we didn’t really trust them with the fire anyway. All they wanted to do was douse it, control it, or worse, take credit for it.

And so we did what outsiders often do, we started a revolution fueled by a passion insiders can’t know… unless they reach out to us. And like revolutions everywhere, our fresh expressions of truth didn’t move along the protected stain-glassed corridors of the institutional church. Our revival happened in the very places that had been deserted by most religious insiders as they watched in horror, threw up their hands, and screamed bloody murder from inside their cloistered fortresses of irrelevance. It happened on the street.

The scary thing that “Reborn to be Wild” shares is…are we either too afraid to reach out to society or are we too much a part of society that either way, rather than sharing His word and leading others to Christ, we are tempering our call to be His voice and light to the world.

“Reborn to be Wild” is a call to come out of our comfort zones, not seek within our community or like minded but as Ed Underwood shares,” If you’re going to have a revolution, you need to have new ideas. If you’re going to find new ideas, they will never come from those who are comfortably inside. They come from the outside, from outsiders. Even though we were now inside the borders of the kingdom of the Son of God’s love, the old insiders never did embrace us. To them we would always be outsiders.”

At 314 pages, “Reborn to be Wild” was a reminder to me, even in the midst of a busy schedule and the onset of the school year, that it isn’t about going with the flow of others that is what makes a different, but like that of Jesus Christ, who went against the norms of society and what was comfortable with others, to be able to reach out to others.

Sometimes it may make other people uncomfortable, and “Reborn to be Wild” reminds us that when we stand up for our Father and what we know He calls for, we may not make friends, but we have hope and promise in and through Jesus Christ and that is what matters.

Not what the neighbors next door thinks. Or *gasp* the church, or today’s world and culture, but Him, Jesus Christ.

He is the one who matters.

Not mere men.

Are you a tame evangelical?

Maybe it’s time for a wild revival.

In today’s world where anything goes and people look the other way or escape or find ways to avoid, our Father needs us to use for His greater purpose, to wake, to encourage and to lead people to Him.

Being a Christian isn’t a tame walk. Being a Christian, means being a follower of Christ and experiencing a life filled with growth and challenges.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Super did not realize this was a specifically Christian book. This does nothing for me.

[Rachel Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks, Shari, for everything!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone in a style rut, this book is for you. It is broken down into easy topics and offers the best clothing for each body type. This is by far one of the most helpful books I read in fashion styling. I put many of her ideas into action already. I can't want to read her other book!

[Chickadee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Good Girls Don’t Have To Dress Bad wasn’t just another “fluffy” fashion guide.

This was probably the most comprehensive book I’ve read on the subject, including the how to’s of dressing to compliment your body type, the right hair/glasses/accessories for your coloring and face shape, make-up tips, skin care and more.

This book proves that modesty doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless. I appreciate Shari Braendel sharing her years of experience and knowledge and putting them into this book.

This is not only a great guide for Christian women – but every woman who wants to look her best. One of my favorite parts of this book is that Shari is REAL and shares the fact that she personally fluctuates between a size 12 and 14. I love that! I am so tired of reading fashion advice from “stick” women who weigh next to nothing and wear a double zero!

Real sized women can find great tips and secrets on how to look fashionable and classy without breaking the bank. Shari includes body type descriptions along with very tasteful pictures of women of various shapes which really helped me learn what body type I am (and it’s not the usual pear, apple, etc comparisons!). I also liked how in- depth she was with teaching her readers how to learn which colors look best on them. I was shocked to learn that I shouldn’t being wearing black which is my favorite color!

This book also includes specific brand names of clothes that are a good fit for each body type along with the names of stores in various price ranges where you can find these items. This book is the encyclopedia of fashion/makeup and looking your best – a must have for every woman who wants to look great and feel good about herself.

This book was provided free for review by Zondervan

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this made a handy little how-to guide. I found it useful and think a pocket sized version would be awesome.
In a few sections it helped you classify what color scheme you fall under, what shape of face you have(and therefore what hair style and glasses shape you need), what body type you are and what size range you fit into (not because therre's a bad one but because it may determine what sort of accessories you should wear). These made me realize how little I know about myself and that I need to stop and analyze before making a purchase. I still don't know that I fit neatly into a specific coloring category. Some of the colors she would suggest for the category that seems to closest describe me I know to look dreadful on me for some reason so maybe there needs to be more sub-categories.
I also found it a tad discouraging to find out that a lot of what I have in my closet is all wrong for me because I just don;t have the money to go throwing out and replacing an entire wardrobe. But, still good info to go forth with.
But I loved that it encouraged us to spend time on our appearance and not feel selfish or ungodly for it. And it helped me to sift through all of the confusing marketing and advertising in the fashion world and find some advice from someone who shares my values.

[Christy Trever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad by Shari Braendel is a thoroughly enjoyable and positively encouraging book for Christian women. I've dropped over thirty pounds in the last year, and so I've been making over my wardrobe. I've also been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what looks best on me, so Shari's book was truly a Godsend for me. She breaks it down from body type to coloring to face shape to help readers figure out what clothes are flattering and what clothes must be avoided at all costs. I learned that I'm doing well to stick with the solid colors I usually do, but the muted tones I've been buying don't do anything for me. I've also been planning to get highlights all summer, but according to the book, I am the one coloring that should avoid them at all costs! I'm so glad that I procrastinated. The book is a lot of fun to read. My teenage daughter and I took turns looking through it and figuring out where we fit. We also discovered that we are both wearing the wrong bra size! Braendel is always encouraging and uplifting; she genuinely wants readers to feel how beautiful they are and to embrace it. I learned a lot of new ideas, including the 16 point rule, and this book has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several years ago, I had a nasty cold and spent the weekend on the couch watching a marathon of "What Not to Wear." I was a mom with young kids and knew I had crossed to the frumpy side, but didn't quite know how to begin to tweak my wardrobe with my meager budget.

I did some googling and stumbled onto Ms. Braendel's site and found her approach much less abrasive (and reasonable) than those two characters who were trying to make good television. I've gone back to this book multiple times when I feel I'm in danger of slipping into a rut. Do I completely agree with everything she says? Nope. But there are many excellent tidbits to be gleaned in reading - how to best dress your shape, your colors, using accessories (this is one area that I definitely do not utilize as many as she recommends) - all with photos to illustrate her advice. Super helpful, especially for someone who didn't have a mom or friends who intuitively knew some of these things! Maybe not as good as an all-expense paid trip to NY with personal stylists and a huge shopping budget, but an excellent investment in reclaiming the style that you know is hiding under the misshapen tshirt with a bleach spot near the hem...

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I loved it. So many style and fashion books are intimidating and are full of skinny, sexy models who are leaps, bounds and airbrushes away from me and my life. Here, finally, is a book for real, every day women. Shari Braendel explains body type and helps you determine which type you are. And there are photographs of real women who have that body type. Then, she explains why certain styles work better with certain types, and there are photos of these real women wearing those styles. It's awesome.

With categories for every aspect of style including: Meet Your True Colors, The Art of Undergarments, How to Divide and Conquer Swimwear, Hair and Makeup, and others, this is a book for every woman.

I think my favorite thing about the book is that all of the models are real. They're people you would know. Even in the section on swimsuits, these models are real, flawed, beautiful women, some of whom are plus-sized. It's so refreshing. You can look at any one of these photos and see yourself.

This is a book you could read in one setting, but I think it's more of a great resource guide.

[Anastasia Tuckness · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great all-in-one style manual for women who want to look their best without compromising on modesty. Braendel covers body types (including best jeans and swimsuits for each), colors (for clothes and makeup), accessories (size and number) and more.

Her premise is that most women are spending a fair amount of time watching style shows, reading style magazines, and thinking about what they should be wearing or purchasing to best highlight their features and downplay other areas. Women who fit that description will find a lot of practical straightforward and concrete information and advice in this book, and I highly recommend this book for anyone who has been trying to figure out the mystery of what would look best on her.

I will admit that after reading this book I became hyper aware of clothes and accessories (as in, wait! I'm supposed to wear teal not baby blue! uh-oh! I don't have enough bracelets to get my 14 points today! arggh!), both on me and others, so beware of that possibility.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! If you've ever wanted to know about colors, styles, accessories, or anything fashion, but need a Christian perspective, this is the book to read. Shari Braendel opens the book by talking about how God views us as beautiful just the way we are, then she goes through figuring out your body type, style personality and coloring, and then goes through how to choose clothing to fit you. She even gives specific brands to look for and stores to shop at (at varying price points) for each body type and style personality.

This book has helped me figure out my style personality and learn to really love and embrace it. The shopping guide has been so helpful, as have the many tips. I also have a set of color swatches (these are available on her website) that have been so helpful on my shopping trips. I highly recommend this book!

[Jennifer Gelert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that mixes fashion and style with modesty. As woman we can look and feel beautiful without exposing all parts of our bodies.

Shari shares how to find our shape, the best colors to match for our hair and skin color. She shares how to shop and dress according to what we like. There is even a chapter on shopping for the dreaded swimsuit!

At the end she shares how we can empower our young women not to dress in ways that detract from their beauty and allow them to still be in style.

I think all Christian women should read this book.

[Lara Krupicka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, practical resource. Braendel addresses everything from color choices to best fits for your body shape to how to accessorize (count to 14). I love how she spells things out and directs readers to specific brands and stores. For ongoing updates, Braendel's blog is a must. I can't say enough good about this book. I'm dressing better, while probably spending less overall. It feels great to look good!

[Elyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the fashion advice was quite nice, but honestly there were some sentences here and there that made me uncomfortable and fed a bit into rape culture/victim blaming that I just couldn't get behind to give it a higher rating.

2017 Reading Challenge Advanced #11: About a difficult topic. I'm cheating on this one, but fashion is hard for me, lol.

[Yolani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a great fun book that teached me to be ME in a Modest and Fashion way. I recomend this book and pray so one day could be translated to Spanish. Is an Emergency that my people need to learn about modesty.

[Pattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is probably the most unintimidating and helpful book on fashion for the fashion-challenged woman!

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an AWESOME book!!!!!! Had some great tips about colors, styles, accessories, and clothes in general. I would recommend it to all of my girl friends!!!!!!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all sorts of beauty books - this one is the best for overall "makeover", especially for a clueless military veteran like me. Thank you Shari !

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Sheri simplifies the fashion information. This is the first time I've really understood how to buy for my body type and coloring. She made the process simple!

[Manjot Nandrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading for every woman

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent help regarding all things appearance!