Offbeat Modest Dress

A couple months ago I was asked to add one of my flickr wardrobe_remix pictures (see right) to an "Offbeat Modest Dress" group on flickr.

As it is advisable to do, I first scoped the group out before adding my picture.  As other flickr members likely know, there are quite a few fetish subcultures on flickr and you have to be wary of groups like "BBW in leggings" or suspicious of people who favorite all your pictures that include a pair of strappy sandals or Converse shoes. Recently I had someone favorite/gallery a couple of my photos as "Mature FTT" and I still haven't figured out what that means, but in both photos I'm wearing the same pair of red shoes so it must be shoe related.  Shoe fetishes are rampant on flickr, FYI!

At any rate, the "Offbeat Modest Dress" group seemed relatively harmless, if not a bit odd, deeming itself created so "that other people can realize that you don't have to give up being the bizarre person you are in order to be modest."  So I went ahead and added the four photos the admin from the group asked about.  

I'm not really sure I would want to, or could trust myself to add stuff just by default.  It isn't that I necessarily get dressed with modesty as my first priority, or as my intention.  Possibly modesty is just a by-product of my personal style?  Upon looking through my set of wardrobe pictures, it does look like most of them would fall into "modest" category.   And I guess that makes sense, as overall I'm a shy/modest type of gal, just a tad offbeat... so hey, why not?


Yet, what defines modest dress?  Wikipedia's entry on modesty is interesting and includes some info related to dress under the body modesty heading.  

Apparently "standards of modesty usually discourage non-essential exposure of the body. This applies to the bare skin, hair and undergarments, and especially to intimate parts. The standards not only call for the covering of parts of the body, but also obscuring their shape, by means of suitable clothing."


The image to the right illustrates a "mid-Victorian idea of how the hemlines of girls skirts should descend towards the ankle as a girl ages."  Wow, crazy!


Also it is interesting to think of it in terms of "body modesty" as in, are you trying to hide parts of your body?  This may be a more acceptable/understood/practiced definition, especially in terms of those of us who have bigger bodies to dress... upon looking into the "Offbeat Modest Dress" group, many of the contributors happen to be curvier ladies.  


But what are other "rules" for modest dress?  I suppose if I really dug deep I could unearth something pretty definitive.  However that would be like writing a research paper and I'm not up to that unless I'm getting college credit toward a PhD, or paid.  Instead I'll just summarize what I've found from a few searches and perusals of interesting links.    


Let's look at more "modest dress" online communities.  One other flickr group I've had at least one photo added to is one that questions what is deemed modest.  The "Is This Modest?" group defines itself as being "about images of people or outfits of clothing and whether the clothing is modest and proper-- it's meant to stir the question "Is This Modest?" to challenge what we think about modesty."  Having a peek into the pool of photos makes me think this one is no longer moderated all that well, also the last discussion topic was from six months ago, but still, it's existence makes it seem the question "is this modest?" is still unanswered.

Shade Clothing, an online retailer, was started after the Mormon behind it was frustrated finding "items that were stylish without being too revealing."  And here I'll delve into the idea that modest dress is typically identified with a religious way of thought.  If there is one thing I know about my tendency for modest dress, it is NOT related to religion.  However for many religious cultures, modest dress IS mandatory, an integral part of their communities.  


Shade Clothing was founded by a Mormon, and the Mormon religion, the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), does issue guidelines for the modest dress of its members. Wikipedia tells me that Mormons believe that "Clothing which can stimulate sexual desires, such as "short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, and shirts that do not cover the stomach" are discouraged, as well as extremes in clothing or hairstyles."

Another modest dress online community I found, again related to the Mormon religion, is *Jen* Modest Fashion Magazine which defines itself as "an online magazine dedicated to the young female members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and anyone else who is interested in fashion without compromise..."  They provide a Modest Clothes Shopping Directory and, something I saw come up quite a bit in google searches, a section with information regarding modest prom dress and activities.  The fact that my prom dress  bared quite a bit of my neckline and shoulders with a hemline that showed my knees probably means it wasn't very modest.  

The modest dress mandate of the LDS can be taken to an EXTREME, such as by the fundamentalist LDS group in San Angelo TX that came into the news a couple years ago. What struck me first with that news story, other than the whole polygamist sect storyline, was their manner of dress.  The ladies all wore their hair pulled back and sported long sleeved long dresses.

At the time, it was style I was unknowingly championing myself!  As the headlines swirled, a few of the articles focused on their style of dress, though admittedly the main concern was the welfare of the children and the "wives."  Related to that is the notion that a mandated modest style of dress is a way to exert control or even fetish-ize the "innocent" look.  One of the articles even accused the husbands as practicing pedophilia.  I can't find that one now, but there have been a few sexual assault charges made in the aftermath.

Which makes a person think, modest dress(?), um ew, yuck.

Yet, I do think there is a place for "offbeat modest dress" - or - dressing somewhat modestly without being told to or believing someone said you should, etc.  Note, the group on flickr?  It is non-inclusive, "this is NOT strictly a religious group. You may add offbeat modest pictures of yourself whether you are religious or an atheist."  So I wonder, is there a type of person who just happens to dress modestly on their own accord?


If I had to describe why it is that I dress the way I do, I think I'd go back to what I said the first time anyone asked me about how I dressed... which was September 2005, after I added my first outfit (see left) to the wardrobe_remix group.  I'd described what I was wearing in a post on my LiveJournal, saying that lately I'd been dressing "like a hippie/amish/farmwife or something."   Tricia had questioned, "so, do you like this kind of style? or do you want to change it? it certainly looks comfortable. what kind of fashion are you drawn to, generally?"


I answered "Comfort is fairly important for me and to some extent, simplicity/convenience. I rarely wear accessories... my shoes are all comfort shoes... When I'm shopping or thrifting I'm drawn to fairly basic/classic items that I can mix & match, but they tend to be unique in their details, color, lines, texture, etc..."  This is pretty much how I dress and shop four years later.  I still don't think that I dress/shop with modesty as my main priority, but I HAVE bought several long-sleeved dresses lately...  hmmm.

Just this past week I added a layer to an outfit, and really it boiled down to modesty...   Mom and Dad were visiting and I'd gotten dressed in something I'd worn before, a black knit dress with a low scooped neckline.  I'd worn the dress out in the public then, but this time, upon entering the kitchen and having to bend down to pick something up off the floor, I felt like I was letting too much hang out, if you know what I mean.  So I went back and put a thin sleeveless t-shirt on underneath the dress and felt perfectly fine prancing around in front of the parents after that.  


Does modesty play a part in what you wear?  Do you ever feel a need to avoid non-essential exposure of the body?  Do you have any "body modesty" issues and does it effect what you wear?

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Time to write/post = 2 hr