Modest fashion

fashion trend in women of wearing less skin-revealing clothes

Modest fashion is a style of fashion with less-revealing and private clothing.[1][2] Some Muslim, Jewish, and Christian women wear modest fashion.[1][3][4] In 2022, the modest fashion industry earned US $295 billion.[5] It will earn US $402 billion industry by 2024.[2] This style is worn by many people in the Middle East and Northern Africa.[6] The countries with the highest spendings are Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.[5][7] Muslims from other areas such as Indonesia also wear modest fashion.[5] Roughly 87% of Indonesia’s population is Muslim.[6]

A woman walking down a fashion show runway, wearing a long white dress with a flowered overlay. She is wearing a wide-brimmed hat and carrying a basket of flowers.
One example of modest fashion at Istanbul Modest Fashion Week, 2016.

Types of Modern Fashion

change

Modest fashion includes wide legged pants, sheer dresses with non-transparent tops underneath, and traditional abayas.[5]

Hijabs

change

Hijabs, or head scarves, are scarves or shawls that are usually a part of modest wardrobes.[8] It can be worn to express a person’s identity.[9] French and British colonizers encouraged women in the Middle East  to remove the hijab, so many see it as a sign of protest and pride.[9] Some people think that the hijab should be worn to avoid men’s gaze.[9] The hijab is popular in the United States to prove religious identity, as well.[9] Or, to deepen connections with God. Hijabs mainly represent privacy and morality, as well.[8] In some countries, such as Iran and Aceh Province of Indonesia, wearing the hijab is mandatory. This decision has led to protests, on occasions such as on the death of Mahsa Amini.[10]

Modest fashion companies

change
 
Example of modest fashion at London Modest Fashion Week, 2017.

Miss Ayşe by Ayşe Yıldırım

change
 
Modest fashion at Amsterdam Modest Fashion Week.

Yildirim (Yıldırım) is a Turkish modest fashion designer running the brand Miss Ayshe (Ayşe) in Istanbul, Turkey.[11] She focuses on making beautiful clothing while keeping it appropriate for Muslim women to wear. She is passionate about exposing luxury or big brands for targeting Muslim audiences but not admitting that they are.[11]

An example is Zara. Rather than labeling clothes as modest, they work to make it easy to layer. This means they make money from Muslims but don't acknowledge it.[5][11]

Dulce by Safiya by Safiya Abdallah

change

Abdallah makes the clothing for Dulce by Safiya.[2][12] She makes fashionable shirts with hoods (called "hoodies") and hats called "beanies" that cover women's hair like hijabs.[13][14]

The Frock by Simi Polonsky and Chaya Chanin

change

Polonsky and Chanin are Jewish designers.[15][16] They are sisters.[15][16] They are from Sydney, Australia.[17][18] Polonsky is a widow.[18]

They started a modest fashion company called The Frock.[15][16] Their clothes cover women's knees, elbows, and shoulders.[15] Ploansky wanted modest dress but hated looking different from other people.[18]

They like to take clothes that are immodest and mix them with modest clothes.[15] They cover their bodies but include immodest fashion.[15]

Mimu Maxi by Mimi Hecht and Mushky Notik

change

Hecht and Notik are also Jewish designers.[15][19] Their clothing is popular with Jewish and Muslim women.[20] Notik grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. [19] Hecht grew up in Seattle, Washington, USA.[19] Modest clothes were expensive. Also they were not pretty.[19] They make clothes that are for layering - for example, wearing a dress and pants and a jacket, or wearing two dresses.[20]

References

change
  1. 1.0 1.1 "How modest clothing went mainstream". The Independent. 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 LODI, HAFSA (2022-03-31). "How Modest Fashion is Evolving and Being Embraced By Women All Around the World". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  3. "Why Muslim & Jewish Modest Fashion Is So Popular, But Christian Fashion Week Failed". Bustle. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  4. Conan, Neal (2010-05-10). "Modesty And Faith Connected In Many Religions". Talk of the Nation. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Herrmann, Viktoria (2022-10-18). "Why Modest Fashion Is Big Business". Fashion Industry Data and a Point-of-View. Archived from the original on 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Muslim Population by Country 2023". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  7. "gulftoday.ae | DIEDC spotlights modest fashion in Italy". web.archive.org. 2017-12-12. Archived from the original on 2017-12-12. Retrieved 2023-01-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Why Do Some Women Wear a Hijab? | Wonderopolis". wonderopolis.org. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Killian, Caitlin. "Why do Muslim women wear a hijab?". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  10. McGrath, Maggie. "Mahsa Amini: The Spark That Ignited A Women-Led Revolution". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Turkey's modest fashion market hits its stride". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  12. Ahmed, Khulood (2022-10-12). "Is A Runway Hijab a True Hijab? A Modest Fashion Designer Weighs-In". Harpers Bazaar Arabia.
  13. Lodi, Hafsa (2018-09-26). "Dulce by Safiya is modesty that's a la mode". The National. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  14. "This Label Made Us Fall In Love With Modest Fashion All Over Again: Modest, modern and inclusive!". Cosmopolitan Middle East. 2019-07-30.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Nast, Condé (2017-02-27). "Orthodox Designers On How to Make "Sexy" Trends Modest". Vogue. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Meet the Fashionable Women Behind The Frock NYC's Stylish Modest Clothing". The Forward. 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  17. "What's a good Jewish girl to do? This". New York Post. 2017-03-16. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Linett, Andrea (2018-07-18). "The Frock: Cool style that's modest, too — Wrapt Magazine". Wrapt. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 "Kim Kardashian, These Hasidic Designers Have Just the Thing for You". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  20. 20.0 20.1 "Meet Mimu Maxi: The Retailer Founded By Two Orthodox Jewish Sisters Who Craved Modest Yet Fashionable Apparel". Bustle. Retrieved 2023-02-27.