What IS a Hidden Jewel, anyway?
The name comes from a verse in Psalm 45; "The King's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold." The idea of a King's daughter conjures up images of fancy royalty, but the truth is that the very humblest of us - no matter where we live, or what our blood line - can be a King's daughter by repenting of our sins and being born again into the family of God. It's all made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus, who gave His blood to satisfy God's justice, and then proved He had power over death by rising again.
Being brought into the family of God means taking on new loyalties and having new goals. Suddenly, life isn't about pleasing ourselves anymore; it's about obeying the One we love. This new attitude comes out very strongly in our choices of clothing.
Everyone knows that clothing identifies the wearer as belonging to a certain "group" of people. We might look at the way someone is dressed and say, "oh, there goes a hippie," or "that's a western dude," or "that's a fancy city girl," or "he's a business man in a hurry," or "that's a college student", or "she's a mom of toddlers," or some other classification from a nearly endless mental list we all carry. Clothing also shows what the wearer cares about; what colors they like, who they hope to imitate, and what class of people they want to be grouped with.
Christian women and girls are indeed daughters of a King, and the Bible describes a King's daughter as being all glorious within. This should be our aim; to be full of inner beauty - a jewel. But that verse ALSO says that her clothing is of wrought gold. In other words, her inside and her outside match. Her clothes are beautiful. Her body is beautiful, but she hides it out of the love she has for her God, who tells her that her body is precious, and isn't to be shown off to just anybody. She is a hidden jewel, and the "wrappings" that hide her physical body are beautiful, because they reflect the value of the treasure they are hiding.
The world has a warped idea of beauty; the clothing industry screams out that the beauty of a garment is dependent on how much it advertises/describes the body underneath. But the Bible tells us that the body is in fact the advertisement/description....for the soul. Our clothing should tell the world that we are beautiful within!
Being brought into the family of God means taking on new loyalties and having new goals. Suddenly, life isn't about pleasing ourselves anymore; it's about obeying the One we love. This new attitude comes out very strongly in our choices of clothing.
Everyone knows that clothing identifies the wearer as belonging to a certain "group" of people. We might look at the way someone is dressed and say, "oh, there goes a hippie," or "that's a western dude," or "that's a fancy city girl," or "he's a business man in a hurry," or "that's a college student", or "she's a mom of toddlers," or some other classification from a nearly endless mental list we all carry. Clothing also shows what the wearer cares about; what colors they like, who they hope to imitate, and what class of people they want to be grouped with.
Christian women and girls are indeed daughters of a King, and the Bible describes a King's daughter as being all glorious within. This should be our aim; to be full of inner beauty - a jewel. But that verse ALSO says that her clothing is of wrought gold. In other words, her inside and her outside match. Her clothes are beautiful. Her body is beautiful, but she hides it out of the love she has for her God, who tells her that her body is precious, and isn't to be shown off to just anybody. She is a hidden jewel, and the "wrappings" that hide her physical body are beautiful, because they reflect the value of the treasure they are hiding.
The world has a warped idea of beauty; the clothing industry screams out that the beauty of a garment is dependent on how much it advertises/describes the body underneath. But the Bible tells us that the body is in fact the advertisement/description....for the soul. Our clothing should tell the world that we are beautiful within!
That is the idea behind Hidden Jewels : to celebrate God-given beauty, through beautiful clothes. The garments I make are designed to show the world the beauty God has put into your soul, if you are His daughter. When I have a consultation with a client, we work together to create a garment that is best for her body type, her coloring, and that emphasizes the glow of her smile and the sparkle of her eyes. This is no cheap advertisement we are creating; but rather a frame for a glory that cannot be purchased with dollars.
Hidden Jewels officially launched fairly recently - in the fall of 2012 - but I have been designing clothes and sewing since I started making doll clothes at 6 years old. As my skill with a needle improved, I began making my own clothes, and then finally expanded to making clothes for family and friends. Now I am thrilled to be able to use the ability that God has given me to help a wider group of women have clothing that matches who they are; daughters of the KING. Thanks for visiting me on the web. Enjoy your time here! Amber Creator of Hidden Jewels |