NEW YORK, May 11 — With loose and comfortable clothing, often minimalist in style and sometimes covering — but always inclusive — modest fashion is gaining more and more followers around the world. This refined aesthetic, which combines discretion and elegance, meets many of the clothing requirements sought after by younger generations, even though it is the antithesis of the fleeting fashion trends that they (also) follow en masse. As a result, modest fashion is now a hit on social networks.
Modest fashion is by no means a new aesthetic, but it has been a growing craze for several months, especially among younger generations who do not hesitate to share tutorials, outfit ideas and other inspirations on social networks. If this aesthetic has long been singled out, largely because it is directly associated with religious codes, and particularly with Islam — although the modesty it translates is actually originally influenced by all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism — it today finds a place as a form of opposition to certain norms or expectations. Core to this is the notion of inclusivity, regardless of religious beliefs, and especially a certain nonconformism, shunning certain stereotypes and clichés that associate femininity with sex appeal.
Nearly four billion views
Modest fashion is not, like many trends spotted on TikTok, a fleeting aesthetic — far from it — and the craze for this inspiration is such that France has just hosted its second Paris Modest Fashion Week, May 6 and 7, entirely dedicated to this kind of fashion. The initiative is helmed by Modest Fashion France, a communications agency and marketplace, which highlights designers and brands of modest fashion — clothing and accessories — and gives rise to round table events and fashion shows. This Fashion Week reflects a growing interest in modest fashion in France, despite the preconceived ideas that have long persisted. For modest fashion is not, as some have suggested, an aesthetic influenced by Islam, it is an inclusive form of fashion for all women wishing to combine femininity with modesty and elegance.
@zozosfits shoutout to sofia richie for giving us all the modest fashion inspo we neeed #fyp #modestfashion #sofiarichie original sound - Stan :)
“They are mostly Jewish, Christian, atheist, agnostic or Muslim women. People who first put forward the importance of dressing as they want. Go against the trend of fashions that we see on television or in stores,” reads the Modest Fashion France website. It continues: “For some non-believing women, modest fashion has a nonconformist aspect that goes against the image of the sexy woman that we tend to see in advertisements.” And the aesthetic is now reaching new heights on social networks, where it is spotlighted by a host of influencers. In fact, the #modestfashion hashtag has no less than 3.7 billion views on TikTok.
Another view of femininity
Far from clichés, modest fashion actually channels many trends that have been big in fashion for a long time, such as the art of layering, loose and comfortable clothes, and minimalism. The idea is to flatter more than to reveal, with oversized or full-length pieces — clothes that cover, in short — but also fluid or floaty cuts and a colour palette that can range from neutral to bright. These pieces are all worn with accessories such as high boots, scarves, hoods, caps or hats, depending on the inspiration of the moment. These kinds of looks can be found on the catwalks of some major luxury houses, but they are now (also) the subject of specific collections.
Combining elegance and simple, refined aesthetics, modest fashion paves the way to another vision of femininity, which hints at more than it reveals the female silhouette, taking the opposite direction from ultra-sexy looks made up of cut-outs, transparency and tight-fitting dresses. It is not a question of condemning this celebration of sensuality, but of allowing as many people as possible to dress according to their tastes and desires, and above all, to feel good in their clothes, whatever they are. The quest for comfort, which has been seen since the beginning of the pandemic in the fashion industry, is also central to this aesthetic.
But that’s not all, because followers of modest fashion have also embraced the trend for ecological and health reasons. On the Chinese social network TikTok, many users say they have traded their sexy outfits — most often found on ultra-fast fashion platforms — for “safer” options, whether in terms of their impact on the planet or their potential toxicity. Another factor that shows how this minimalist aesthetic is actually well rooted in the consumer concerns of the moment, between ecological awareness, the quest for comfort, and a more discreet approach to fashion and luxury. — ETX Studio
