Modest clothing is a global movement on the upturn. Evidences have been showed on instagram’s top search—to date, over half a million people have hashtagged the term modest fashion as their photo caption with multiple spin-offs (modest style, modest fashion, modest movement, modest clothing, etc) are broadly use. Below-the-knee hem, sensitive layering, raised necklines, and long silhouettes are the OOTD’s favorite.
While getting trendy is cool, modest fashion by its truest sense isn’t rising just now and isn’t universal in its rules or its politics. Women in different groups across the religious spectrum are adhering to their dress code for a long time whether doing so was labeled “modest” or not. Christians are encouraged to have standard sleeves, below-the-knee bottoms, and non-tight tops with properly raised necklines. While all other customs vary in a way or the other, everyone still, has a different conception of what modesty is to them. This could be in terms of clothing brand, fabric choice, colors, cuts, and wide options. Within being held to faith-based dress code, modest dressing is liberating and fun. You can express your own style, personality, and mood.
From Biblical to historical
As prized in the courtyards of ancient Christian Jews and Israelites as it is in the pews of Philippine heritage, modesty is so deep-rooted into human society that every culture has its silent encryptions encouraging women to dress and behave respectably.
It was long already been written in the Bible that man should be an above authority of woman
and throughout the history, that they are expected to cover up more than men. In a study, an anthropologist believe its origin lie in male sexual jealousy and mate-guarding, which are seen in other species including some apes. In humans, mate-guarding appears to have been amplified to its significant extent. Church has elaborate ways of restricting female sexual freedom and keeping women under control. By being modest, a woman ought to comply with the demands on her to be virginal and faithful.
The same manner of clothing represents the Spanish colonial history of the Philippines as well as the aristocracy of the Filipino people.Throughout the 16th century up to the 18th century, women wore a Hispanicized version of the Baro’t saya, composed of a bodice – called a camisa, which means blouse in English, often made in pineapple fiber or muslin – a floor length skirt, and a panuelo, a big square cloth folded triangularly and worn locally like a great ruffle or collar.
Until the Spanish Regime was finally overthrown and was replaced by the First Philippine Republic, women still wore this kind of fashion. Today, this type of clothing is now called as the “Maria Clara” dress, named after the character of Maria Clara from Dr. Jose Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere who became a symbol of the traditional Filipino woman, known as modest, elegant and conservative.
Media Personalities and their influence
To date, media personalities, as influencers have always been on the show giving grace to the fashion pages without breaking the cardinal rule of boobs or legs.
Emma Watson’s styling in a recent Vanity Fair issue reports that US President Donald Trump might have suggested that “women should dress like women,” In the like are the wardrobe of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, and Drew Barrymore.
In Philippines, we thought of ladies who actually like covering up. The ones who dress modestly on the red carpet, and shown on television screen, that it doesn’t take a crop top to make you sexy — sometimes, all you need is a crewneck dress and an unmatched amount of confidence to turn heads. So if you’re not willing to bare it all in a low-cut, thigh-slitted something, gather some inspiration from the media personalities who prove that modest really is hottest.
For instance; fans love Sarah Geronimo because she’s an easy-to-reference example of a real pop star like, yet conservative— the same on-trend styles everyone else is wearing, but with more coverage: higher necklines, longer lengths and sleeves. She is proof that modesty and fashion can go together, and it doesn’t have to be a big thing.
The like are Lucy Torres, Dawn Zulueta, Lea Salonga who nearly always covers their shoulders, shows no cleavage, and don’t wear mini skirts. ABS-CBN, a major local media company in Philippines also takes pride on its bosses, Charo Santos and Gina Lopez who prove that high necklines and low hemline are we know a lady has class. In the same network are broadcasters Ces Drilon and Karen Davila who always show on the news screen that it is possible to be both glamorous with their modest and covered attire.
While all the women mentioned above have at one point or another been on a modest dressed list, they were selected not just because of their ensembles, but also because of the way they carry themselves in the clothing they wear in media front. Many a designer will tell you that the clothes you wear is a reflection of the person you are. So are with these women.
Faith-based clothing, Challenges and Growth
While for some, “modesty” simply means going with the trend, for others who aren’t religious, they believe dressing modestly is a way to assert female empowerment and self-confidence; but for most women involved, it implies a host of deeper values about how they interact with the world.
Modest fashion arises initially from and serving the needs of women from the three Abrahamic faiths, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, orthodox Jews and who are motivated to dress modestly for religious reasons. Their causes vary; often it’s to comply with religious traditions and dress code for women. They grew up religious and keeping to modesty standards but struggled to balance fashion and faith.
Sticking to a religious code for modest dressing standards can prove challenging. At the level of pure convenience, appropriate pieces need to be cherry-picked from across several stores. On a broader scale, professional clothing styles are often unfriendly to, or at least limiting of, religious attire.
Some women took to the internet as outlet to their frustrations about limited fashion choices and to share creative tips to mix-and-match their outfits. The result: growth and visibility for the modest-fashion movement. It’s now a new generation of religious-lifestyle bloggers, designers, and trendsetters from across the faith spectrum all over the globe.
