When one thinks of fashion, the first image that comes to mind is the extravagance of designer clothes, shoes, and accessories. However, when it comes to everyday fashion, what comes to mind are controversial questions that boil down to one main theme: how appropriate an article of clothing is for a given situation. Women often have to wonder whether their clothing is too revealing or too conservative, whether it shows too much skin or too little. There doesn’t seem to exist a middle ground in which women are not criticized for their fashion choices. A group of women who are persecuted for their choice to dress more conservatively are Muslim women who may decide to wear a headscarf or some other form of veil. Often, veiling is seen as a form of oppression when it is actually quite the opposite. The choice to wear some form of veil is left up to each individual woman, and each woman considers her own values and makes this decision on her own. In fact, this choice is a crucial form of expression, for it reflects the values and ideals that each woman holds dear.
Fierce, Focused & Free Fashion Hani Hulu
Afreen Yasin, one of the models for the photos, is a business major who made the decision to wear a headscarf last year. She prefers a laid back, newly emerged “hipster” style of fashion that includes earthy tones, button downs and the creative use of a beanie as a head covering. The stores she frequents are Forever 21, H&M and Pacsun. She combines various articles to make her outfits conservative yet fashionable. The ‘modest fashion’ website she frequents is Modanisa, because it caters to her fashion choices as well as providing various new styles. Honeyah Masood is the second model for the photos. Sher prefers a more elegant , feminine style of clothing and mainly uses scarfs as head coverings. The stores she frequents ate Forever 21 and Express, using various article to create an outfit that heed the ‘conservative style’ requirements. The ‘modest fashion’ website she frequents is the Verona Collection, a recently launched fashion website that caters to women of various styles. Afreen was the model that was interviewed about her views on the hijab and the modest fashion movement and she reflects positively on her decision to wear a hijab, for she feels that the entire focus is not on her appearance. The choice to wear a hijab is quite empowering because it reminds individuals of what is truly important: the experiences that one brings to the table. Often, people pay more attention to what’s on the outside– what clothes a person is wearing– rather than an individual’s personality and their values. Many societal judgements are based off of external factors, and such judgements lead to biases against the individual. For example, a woman who dresses more modestly is often thought to be prude, when this may not be the case. Conversely, a woman who dresses in more revealing clothing is seen as the exact opposite. The very notion that a more revealing outfit is described as being “suggestive” or “provocative” speaks to the judgements that are passed on an individual based on their clothing.
Honeyah Masood, Tillett Hall,
Rutgers University Livingston Campus,
taken by Megha Karnam
This school of reasoning gave rise to the modest fashion movement, and it’s important to recognize that modest fashion is not only for Muslim women who choose to dress in a more conservative manner. It’s for anyone who wishes to dress in a conservative manner, regardless of race, gender, or creed. In fact, the word conservative is probably not the best word to use, as are the words suggestive or provocative because they suggest characteristics of a person based on their fashion choices. The modest fashion movement is a push to increase awareness for reserved fashion options– that individuals can dress fashionably while wearing what they consider to be comfortable. Not all fashion is about skimpy clothing, or extravagant material. Those who choose to dress modestly are not limited to jeans and sweaters; there are other options, and a major goal of the modest fashion movement is to call attention to the options that are out there. Take for example, a maxi skirt with a solid ribbed long sleeve top paired with a patterned scarf. Though relatively simple, this outfit is quite fashionable and accessible to those who seek it.
Objectification is not the only lens through which women should be seen. They are so much more than a sexual object, and the modest fashion movement pushes society to recognize this fact. Similarly, wearing a hijab is not only a religious statement, but also a personal one, and the more willing individuals are to accept this fact, the more comfortable women will be in their choice of attire. Modest fashion is a form of expression for the same reason that any other type of fashion is a form of expression: it allows for freedom and creativity through each deliberate article of clothing.
Another perspective on the modest fashion movement is given by Anisha Patel, a Rutgers University student who was raised in an Indian culture where she was brought up wearing clothes that would be considered conservative. She states that rather than seeing such fashion as oppression it should rather be viewed as a political statement. Women are not being oppressed but rather the opposite, that they are embracing their own choice and free will to dress how they please. Politically this is showing that women are gaining more standing in society. While this concept may be confusing since many people relate conservative dressing to oppression, many women believe this is showing a woman's free will to dress how they please, and in the case of the hijab dress in accordance to their beliefs rather than what society deems as right.
Afreen Yasin, Tillett Hall,
Rutgers University Livingston Campus,
taken by Megha Karna
This viewpoint is one not only presumed by thousands of women but also a lot of men as well. While many men still feel that they are uneducated about the culture, and aspects of the hijab, they do believe that this form of expression does show that a woman respects their body and their culture and opinion to wear what they want should be respected. And while there are and probably always will be misogynistic men and women who associate this conservative fashion to radical islam and terrorism many believe society as a whole is shifting away from such viewpoints as the modest fashion movement continues to trend. More and more men are respecting women that wear conservative clothing rather than following the trend of wearing revealing clothing that the culture displays as beautiful, but rather creating their own beauty expressed to clothing such as the hijab.
Afreen Yasin, Tillett Hall,
Rutgers University Livingston Campus,
taken by Megha Karnam
The modest fashion movement aims to change exactly that viewpoint: one that assumes veiling is a form of oppression rather than one of freedom of expression. A recent fashion show in Turkey served as an eye-opening reminder that not all burqas are black; burqas come in all colors and patterns. While the choice to wear a burqa is, in itself, a statement, the colors and patterns that are chosen allow for women to make a fashion statement. A woman may choose to wear a burqa when she is 11. She may choose to do so when she turns 20 or even 50. And along the way, she may wear a black burqa one day, a neon pink one the other. Or maybe she decides she’s feeling cheetah print later in the day. She can change her burqa. Or maybe she changed her mind and now wants to wear a metallic burqa. She may ponder the decision to stop wearing a burqa all together. The point is– it doesn’t matter. Whatever choice the woman makes is a reflection of the values she holds true for herself. It’s the fact that she has the ability to make this decision that makes the burqa so powerful.
Afreen Yasin, Tillett Hall, Rutgers University Livingston Campus, taken by Megha Karnam
Furthermore, a specific article of clothing does not represent oppression. This holds true for any article of clothing, not just the burqa. A rather hot topic in modest fashion is the burkini, a full body swimsuit which was recently banned in France, for it was seen as a form of oppression. What is more oppressive, however is deciding what a woman cannot wear to the beach when she is simply trying to enjoy herself. Going to the beach is not for others to ogle at a woman’s body, for the beach is a place where individuals go to have fun. The irony in France’s decision lies in the fact that they insensitively decided that women were being told how to dress (i.e. being forced to wear burkinis) and proceeded to exactly what they were trying to prevent (i.e. told women what is unacceptable beach attire).
Runway Models Anniesa Hasibuan
More and more companies are beginning to respect the ideals of the modest fashion movement and the reasoning behind it. The movement is a push to change stereotypes about what it means to dress modestly, and that modest fashion is more than dark colors and unfashionable clothing. Mainstream designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, and DKNY have designed Ramadan collections. Granted, these collections need more refinement, for they often may not accurately represent the fashions of the holiday they claim to be tailored for. Outside of the world of designer clothing, there exist many common, more affordable brands that cater to modest fashion. As discussed earlier, just like regular fashion, modest fashion is not about the article of clothing, but rather how it is worn. Even so, there exist many boutiques and marketplaces that sell clothing that the manufacturers deem to be modest. This clothing generally fits guidelines of modest clothing: that it not be too tight nor show skin. ModLi, ColorMeApparel, Apostolic Clothing, Cleo Madison, I Shop Simply, Jane, Lucy & Lyla, and Zilias, just to name a few, are all places where women seeking modest clothing can shop.
2016 Hit List-Modanisa Collection photograph
As the modest fashion movement gains momentum, stereotypes regarding modest clothing and forms of veiling are changing. This change is warranted, for nothing is more oppressive than dictating to an individual how they should live their life, be it in terms of religion, clothing, or otherwise.
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