Mothers and daughters trying to balance fashion and modesty will have multiple educational events to choose from next weekend.

Fashion shows, lectures and workshops will be offered at First United Methodist Church on East North Street and at Mars Alliance Church onRoute 228, Mars.

Events at First United will begin May 16 with a two-hour Modest is Hottest fashion show. The event will feature author and stylist Shari Braendel of Proverbs 31 Ministries, based in North Carolina.

Braendel's books include "A Girlfriend's Guide: What Your Mother Never Told You About Fashion" and "If Clothes Could Talk."

Cindy Cipoletti is the coordinator of Women's Ministries at the church and was eager for a program that would focus on issues relevant to young women today. She believes the issue of dress is a biblical one.

"In Paul's letters to Timothy, he suggests that women are to dress modestly," Cipoletti said.

"The images and media that most teenage girls see in movies, magazines and on television show young women in low-cut dresses or low rise jeans with their backs or bellies exposed. Unfortunately, these images have become the norm, and so that is how most young women believe they should dress," she said.

"What most girls will find is that when they make a few adjustments and dress a bit more modestly, they also look very classy and sophisticated," Cipoletti said.

As part of the fashion show, local girls between 12 and 17 years old will choose their own outfits, including one casual style and one dressy style.

The outfits will comply with Braendel's "five Bs of fashion," which include no visible bra straps, bust line, backs or bottoms, bellies and "bubbling," what happens when a tight shirt accentuates curves and rolls.

Cipoletti said the event will be appropriate for girls ages 12 to 18, but even younger girls will learn things to apply as they mature.

Cipoletti's stepdaughter Lauren also believes in the message of modesty and will be one of the models at the event.

"I see so many girls at my school who wear clothes that are too short and too tight. I think a lot of girls just don't know that it looks bad," said Lauren, a junior at Butler High School.

"The biggest influence is fashion magazines like Cosmo Girl, and marketing for brand names like Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch are popular, but a lot of their stuff is really short and really tight."

The weekend at First United Methodist will continue on May 17 with a "What Not to Wear" program.

"This is much more interactive, as women will learn about dressing for their body types, and what styles are best for them," Cipoletti said.

During this four-hour session, the subject of make-up and accessories will also be addressed, along with clothing color choices.

"Certain colors in your palette can and should be used to accentuate certain areas," explained Braendel.

"Other colors can be used to distract from certain features because they are slow to catch the attention," she added.

Braendel also will touch on swimsuit dos and don'ts. The audience will be able to ask questions and participate in experimenting with fashion as time permits.

Secret Keeper Girls

A Secret Keeper Girl tour May 17 at Mars Alliance Church will feature Dannah Gresh, author of "Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty."

As part of her program, Gresh will address girls 8 and older, a group she says struggles with fashion at war with God's design for a woman's beauty.

The event will feature a combination of fashion shows, skits, testimonies and dialogue to help equip girls in making wardrobe decisions.

It also will open up issues and topics pertaining to boys and puberty that all mothers and daughters will eventually need to discuss.

"I've had so many calls from moms who are delighted for this opportunity to break the ice on those touchy subjects with their daughters," said Cherie McNulty of Cabot.

McNulty's church, New Life Christian Ministries, is a church in Saxonburg that owns land, but no building. They meet at Knoch High School for worship.

"I really wanted to bring this tour to my church but because we don't have a building, I knew it would be a challenge," she said.

In the fall, McNulty presented one of Gresh's books, "Eight Great Dates For You and Your Daughter," to the fourth grade mothers at Portersville Christian School. McNulty shared her desire to bring the tour to Butler County, and Julia DeSantis of Mars decided to look into it — getting the approval of their pastor, the Rev. Paul Cope.

DeSantis has three daughters ages 12, 14 and 10.

"In our home we have stressed that it is your gifts and your talents, not your body type, that should get you noticed or enable you to find favor in society," she explained.

"Our image should revolve around who we are and what we hold inside of us, not what the outside looks like," she added.

DeSantis said she enjoyed McNulty's book discussion so much that she plans to host a mother-daughter book study at home.

"This seminar not only gives young ladies tips and techniques to excel in modesty, but it also gives parents resources and strategies to help their daughters succeed," said McNulty.

<b>WHAT: </b>First United Methodist Church fashion weekend<b>EVENTS: </b>Modest is Hottest fashion show, 7 p.m. May 16; What Not to Wear workshop, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17<b>WHERE:</b> First United Methodist Church, 200 E. North St.<b>COST: </b>$3.00 per person per event or $5 per person for both events<b>INFO: </b>Call Cindy Cipoletti at 724-283-6160.———<b>WHAT: </b>Secret Keeper Girl tour<b>WHEN: </b>6 to 8 p.m. May 17<b>WHERE: </b>Mars Alliance Church, Route 228, Mars<b>COST: </b>$10 per person<b>INFO: </b>RSVP to CherieMcNulty calling 724-482-1730.