Modesty

February 24, 2020
Journalist Lodi debuts with a nuanced and insightful study of the “modest fashion movement” in the Muslim world and beyond. Combining high-end fashion with Muslim religious codes, the trend, according to Lodi, has motivated even nonreligious women to dress more demurely. She talks to models, designers, and social media influencers in Indonesia, Turkey, Lebanon, and Dubai, tracing the evolution of modest dress as it varies from region to region, and notes that major labels, including Michael Kors and Dolce & Gabbana, have marketed to Muslim women during “The Ramadan Rush” and “modesty themed fashion weeks.” The owner of one independent label based in the U.A.E. says that 75% of her orders come from the U.S., where Muslim consumer spending is expected to reach $368 billion by 2021. Lodi’s litany of blogs, Instagram handles, magazines, and fashion labels can be dizzying, and more evidence is needed to support her claims that the influence of Muslim fashion can be seen in “the alternative mode of style” worn by the Olsen twins, Blake Lively, and Emma Stone. Nevertheless, this enthusiastic and wide-ranging account successfully disputes Western stereotypes of Muslim women as “repressed victims of a tyrannical religion.”

Starred review from April 1, 2020
Modesty, in the context of contemporary womenswear, is clearly trending. Dolce & Gabbana introduced a collection of abayas back in 2016; Gucci has been touting hijab-inspired head-coverings since 2018, and just this past year Sports Illustrated put a burkini-clad model on the cover of its swimsuit issue. Outside of fashion, however, the concept of modesty is fraught with social, religious, and political implications. This thoughtful consideration touches on numerous aspects, ranging from Islamic, Jewish, and Christian scriptural passages enjoining modest clothing, to high fashion modest-wear runway shows, institutionalized subjugation of women, and activists' claims that voluntary covering-up is a form of feminist expression. Author Lodi, an American journalist living in Dubai, is uniquely qualified to address this topic, thanks to her years of experience covering the international fashion beat and her master's degree in Islamic law. She maintains a balanced and accessible tone, introducing modest-wear designers and models alongside analyses of international sales and marketing strategies. And the sales figures she quotes are impressive: retailers ranging from H&M to Macy's are becoming involved in the modesty movement. This trend shows no sign of going away, so expect increasing reader interest.WOMEN FOCUS(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)