Daughters of the King by Gail M. Hayes, PhD (Walk Worthy Press) reviewed by Joanne Brokaw
It’s impossible to get a sense of my fashion style by looking at my closet. Inside, you’ll find silk blouses, jeans, denim skirts, and hoodie sweatshirts. There’s a gorgeous Jones NY black evening dress hanging next to a floral Wal-Mart special. There are Dollar Store flip flops, black Italian leather boots with silver buckles, and New Balance sneakers. My favorite pair of lounging pajamas - a.k.a. the freelancer uniform - hangs on the doorknob. For a long time, I was bothered by the fact that I didn’t fit into one fashion particular mold, and even more by my apparent inability to conform to my preconceived image of the perfect Christian woman. No soft-spoken, gentle and submissive flower here. I've always been a little talkative, opinionated, and assertive, wavering between red high heels and Keds instead of sticking with lace and pink fluff.
And then a few years ago, I read Daughters of the King, by Gail M. Hayes, PhD, and realized that I'm not only am I not a fashion nightmare, but my wardrobe choices are a reflection of my God-given personality, something to be celebrated and enjoyed.
I bring this up not to point out my fashion faux pas, but because Dr. Hayes’s book, Daughters of the King is being re-released May 1st (Walk Worthy Press), and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it the second time around.
Gail M. Hayes has an extensive background in fashion, retail and image consulting both in the US and in Europe. She consulted for a modeling agency in Europe, and in Germany operated her own boutique selling hand-painted silk. She's spoken about image and self esteem to women around the world. And throughout her career as an image strategist, Gail noticed that women with particular personality types tend to gravitate towards particular fashion styles, even after they become Christians.
As a child, for example, Gail's mother wanted to dress her in lace and ruffles. Gail preferred the elegant and dramatic, and wondered why she felt so out of place among what she calls "wisps of femininity". It was as an adult that she finally understood that she wasn’t different from other Christian women; she was exactly the way God intended her to be, with her penchant for purple suits, high heels, and her flair for dramatically large jewelry. From Gail’s experience, Daughters of the King was born.
The book begins with The Image Indicator - a brief quiz with questions about which shoes you find most comfortable, which style of dress is most appealing to you, how you wear your hair. Based on your score, you're then directed to one of six image types. Are you down to earth and comfortable? You might be "Jaunty Esprit". Do you prefer leather and high heels? You're probably "Sensual Exotic". Most comfortable with silk pearls? You're likely "Harmonic Refined".
After you've identified your image type, Gail goes on to explore your personality based on your fashion choices, and then encourage and guide you using Scripture. She talks about your working style, your spouse, family activities, even what type of house you likely live in. She's also able to point out some problem areas, and offer biblical guidance for bringing them under God's control. At the end of each chapter, she includes brief personality sketches of your Biblical sisters.
And for the most part, she's dead on. Sure, there are some things that miss the mark, but since each of us is different, she couldn't be right 100% of the time. But she’s so close, it’s eerie. So never mind if your Christian sisters wear lace and ribbons ("Chantilly Graceful"). If you prefer sequins and drama ("Elegant Flamboyant"), go for it, under God's control. I'm content to know that my eclectic personality has a name - "Creative Poetic". It sounds so much better than Messy Disorganized.
And one important note: Don’t be fooled by the African-American women dancing on the cover of the book’s new edition. Daughters of the King is for every woman, of every race or nationality, of every church denomination, who needs to know that the Lord created her in His magnificent image. Celebrate your God-given identity.
Joanne Brokaw is an award-winning freelance writer from Western NY who covers music, entertainment and current events affecting the Christian community for publications across the US and Canada. Her humor column, This Life: Life Faith, and Everything In Between, is syndicated monthly. She recently blogged about her experiences interviewing recording artists during the Gospel Music Association awards.
Dee Stewart,
