THE REFLECTIVE. 2023. ‘About’. The Reflective [online]. Available at: https://the-reflective.com/pages/about [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(The Reflective, 2023)

• Modest fashin is not restricted by culture and religion

The other founder is Ariella Immerman and found she only felt confident when dressing modestly.

• No cultural or religious motivations

LODI, Hafsa. 2022. ‘How Modest Fashion Is Evolving and Being Embraced By Women All Around the World’. Vogue Arabia [online]. Available at: https://en.vogue.me/fashion/modest-fashion-global-importance-evolution-dulce-by-safiya-chador/ [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Lodi, 2022)

Reformed Jewish

• Connected to her religion in high school

• Expressing through clothes and fashion

  • Growing up- Wore trendy fashion not what made her feel comfortable

  • Wanted to become more observant-but be expressive with her fashion

• Dressed modestly due to faith

  • Exploratory process

  • Went to Israel, pack clothes that are modest to be respectful, felt better to dress modestly

• "Feel liberated"

• Always felt the male gaze prior, so modesty gave her "total and complete freedom"

  • Hone in on her personality

  • Helped her listen to God and herself

  • Dont have to engage with trends

    • Can interpret trend cycles with modesty values

    • Can be restrictive

    • Can find the in between

• Trends are exhausting

  • But a mechanism of art

  • Editorial component is key

• Challenging aspects to modesty

  • "Feel like an outsider"

  • This is deeply rooted in current societal norms and expectations for women

KENT, Aiden. 2023. ‘13. More Than a Hemline with Ariella Immerman | Got You Covered: Stories of Modern Modesty’. [online]. Available at: https://got-you-covered.simplecast.com/episodes/more-than-a-hemline-ariella-immerman-the-reflective-modesty-podcast-zzCz_Ozn [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Kent, 2023)

"The spirit of diversity that’s at the heart of this movement"

• Some take modesty literally, some minimally, some bright- it is for everyone

  • It is empowering

    
    

"these patriarchal attitudes regarding women’s bodies are being replaced with female-led visions and creative depictions of what womenswear can look like"

LODI, Hafsa. 2022. ‘How Modest Fashion Is Evolving and Being Embraced By Women All Around the World’. Vogue Arabia [online]. Available at: https://en.vogue.me/fashion/modest-fashion-global-importance-evolution-dulce-by-safiya-chador/ [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Lodi, 2022)

Fig . El Shamy, 2022. Modest Fashion.

Fig. Unknown Maker, n.d. Influencers Modest Fashion

LODI, Hafsa. 2020. Modesty: A Fashion Paradox. London: Neem Tree Press.

(Siddiqui and Marciniak, 2023: 127)

"Clothing worn by female consumers who wish to dress in a modest way, shaped by the boundaries of their faith/religion and/or personal choice" (Siddiqui and Marciniak, 2023: 128)

"The retail industry needs to acknowledge inclusivity and diversity of choice in womenswear ranges"

"Through product range development"

"Modest Wear that appeals to both religious and/or and personal requirements" (Siddiqui and Marciniak, 2023: 134)

RESEARCH INTO TOP BRANDS AND WHETHER THEY PROMOTE MODEST FASHION ONLINE/INSTORE

SIDDIQUI, Noreen Q and MARCINIAK, Ruth. 2023. Pioneering New Perspectives in the Fashion Industry: Disruption, Diversity and Sustainable Innovation: United Kingdom: Emerald.

Unknown Maker, n.d. The Reflective Press. [online image]. Available at: https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/the-reflective-launches-online-marketplace-for-modest-fashion/2023072070657 [Accessed 18 Dec 2023]

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. The Modist Press. [online image]. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/companies/modesty-has-become-a-macro-trend-modists-own-brand-fashion [accessed 18 Dec 2023]

(Sutherland, 2018)

(Benissan, 2022)

(Kunjachan, 2019)

(Clawson, 2023)

(Kadiri, 2021)

(Smith, 2023)

• This is the belief that there is a "law the right to believe, or not to believe, while at the same time keeping religion out of public affairs."

  • This is intended to protect a member of societies right to religious practice in private but maintain a separtation from public, societal affairs.

S.P. n.d. ‘What Is French Laïcité?’ The Economist [online]. Available at: https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2020/11/23/what-is-french-laicite [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(S.P., n.d.)

AUDUREAU, William. 2023. ‘France’s Century-Long Crusade against Religious Symbols at School, from the Crucifix to the Abaya’. Le Monde.fr, 5 Sep [online]. Available at: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/09/05/france-s-century-long-crusade-against-religious-symbols-at-school-from-the-crucifix-to-the-abaya_6124828_7.html [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

2004- Banned conspicious religious symbols from state schools and public insitutions including headscarf and crucifix.

• In 2002 a student wore a headscarf in lyon and was excluded from most classes but not from school

• Left teachers deprived of authroity and went on strike

• "The law requires teachers to judge ostentatiousness for themselves. This prerogative is impossible,"- the syndicat national des enseignements de second degre- left leaning newspaper liberation (Audureau, 2023)

  AUDUREAU, William. 2023. ‘France’s Century-Long Crusade against Religious Symbols at School, from the Crucifix to the Abaya’. Le Monde.fr, 5 Sep [online]. Available at: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/09/05/france-s-century-long-crusade-against-religious-symbols-at-school-from-the-crucifix-to-the-abaya_6124828_7.html [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

  
  

2010- Full face coverings banned from all public places- the niqab (S.P. n.d.)

S.P. n.d. ‘What Is French Laïcité?’ The Economist [online]. Available at: https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2020/11/23/what-is-french-laicite [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

2022- November- a memo from the French ministry of education noted an increase in reports of the wearing of abayas, khamis and djellabas, three items of clothing common in Muslim countries.

• Now in 2023 Gabriel Attal- education minister announced a clear inention to ban the abaya and khamis in school

  • "clearly demonstrates a religious affiliation in a school environment" (Audureau, 2023)

    AUDUREAU, William. 2023. ‘France’s Century-Long Crusade against Religious Symbols at School, from the Crucifix to the Abaya’. Le Monde.fr, 5 Sep [online]. Available at: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/09/05/france-s-century-long-crusade-against-religious-symbols-at-school-from-the-crucifix-to-the-abaya_6124828_7.html [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

LAUWAART, n.d. Les Hijabeuses. [online image]. Available at: https://www.nike.com/gb/a/foune-diawara-les-hijabeuses [Accessed 18 Dec 2023]

(Ezagui, Miriam. 2023. Some of my favorite photos from our family vacation at the beach.

• “We have the opportunity to cater to communities historically underserved by the fashion industry in Europe,” a spokesperson for the retailer says. “Offering a truly diverse assortment, including hijabs and other modestwear, enables and empowers our customers to make their own choice [about] how to dress.”

Nawal Sari, a Sydney-based modest fashion content creator

• “A lot of retailers think of the general long baggy dress or abaya, which there is definitely a market for, but there are also a lot of girls like me who opt for really baggy pants and maybe a really cool turtleneck on Eid,”

BENISSAN, Ezreen. 2022. ‘TikTokers Are Changing the Narrative around Modest Fashion’. Vogue Business [online]. Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/fashion/tiktokers-are-changing-the-narrative-around-modest-muslim-luxury-fashion [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Benissan, 2022)

"There’s a double standard here. Voluminous silhouettes and face/head coverings aren’t always coded as ‘modest’, as evidenced by the numerous appearances of capuche hoods and even full-face coverings on recent high fashion runways, or when Billie Eilish was praised for wearing deliberately oversized streetwear. How often are the diverse cultures that originate and interpret these so-called ‘innovative’ aesthetics credited?"

PENNANT, Felicia. 2023. ‘Saeedah Haque, the Designer Protesting Islamophobia through Modest Streetwear’. [online]. Available at: https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/xgw4ez/saeedah-haque-designer-interview-protesting-islamophobia-with-modest-streetwear [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Pennant, 2023)

THE ECONOMIST. n.d. ‘France’s Complicated Relationship with Christmas’. The Economist [online]. Available at: https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/12/21/frances-complicated-relationship-with-christmas [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(The Economist, n.d.)

(Office for National Statitsics, 2021)

(Statista, 2023)

THE REFLECTIVE. 2023. ‘Our Story: Why Modest?’ The Reflective [online]. Available at: https://the-reflective.com/blogs/posts/our-story-why-modest [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(The Reflective, 2023)

• Modest fashion apparel segments poised to reach $360 billion in the next two years.

Large population of Muslim millenials

• The Muslim population has always had the largest impact on the modest fashion industry, as they are the biggest group of modest dressers. In recent years, as the Muslim Millennial population, otherwise known as Generation M, have greatly brought up the projected size of the modest fashion industry — as they begin taking positions in the workplace rather than staying at home — they have a larger disposable income to spend on clothes.

Traditional interfaith customer base of Muslim, Jewish and Christian consumers and

• “removing religion from the equation and making modesty mainstream,”

Founder Liza Sakhaie

• "I noticed how many other women still thought a modest dress code was oppressive, archaic, frumpy and restrictive."

  
  

ZACZKIEWICZ, Arthur. 2022. ‘The Reflective Wants Modest Fashion to Go Mainstream’. WWD [online]. Available at: https://wwd.com/business-news/business-features/the-reflective-modest-fashion-1235042541/ [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Zaczkiewicz, 2022)

"The Reflective is an all female New York-based modest fashion retailer that aims to empower women of all faiths and bridge the gap between fashion and modesty. It was founded by a team of fashion experts, including a former Bloomingdale’s associate, in 2020."

PREUSS, Simone. 2023. ‘The Reflective Launches Online Marketplace for Modest Fashion’. [online]. Available at: https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/the-reflective-launches-online-marketplace-for-modest-fashion/2023072070657 [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Preuss, 2023)

• "Aden’s re-emergence comes at an interesting moment where modest fashion is seeing an uptick in attention. On Pinterest, searches for “modest fashion outfits” are up 80% since last year and “modest outfits” by 40%. “Through rising search data, it’s clear that more considered and covered looks are becoming increasingly popular, especially among gen Z,” says Jenna Waller, head of fashion at Pinterest UK."

Muslim Women

• They point to a double standard around when the fashion industry and media choose to call modesty “desirable”, and when they don’t. In popular culture dressing modestly when linked to Islam has been characterised as restrictive or even oppressive, but the tone around it feels markedly different when it is an aesthetic choice by an influencer.

• Brands such as The Reflective, an online marketplace for the latest modest high-fashion items, are challenging perceptions. A key feature is the brand’s attempt to appeal to everyone. “We removed religious language from our branding,” say its founders Liza Sakhaie and Ariella Immerman. “With the imagery we create we always try to represent different groups,” they say. “That way the platform feels like it’s for everyone.”

JOBE, Nyima. 2023. ‘When Is Modest Fashion Desirable? When It’s Called “Quiet Luxury”’. The Guardian, 11 Dec [online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/dec/06/fashion-statement-modest-fashion [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Jobe, 2023)

• still struggle to find clothing options they can afford, that they feel are appropriate and support them in adhering to their beliefs. As one interviewee, Izma, put it:

  I want to wear something within my modest limits but it is so hard to find such clothes. I wish they start making fashionable clothes which are fully covered. Sometimes I see these modest lines, but these are out of my reach.

Many non-Muslim women embrace some degree of modesty in their clothing, in a bid to express personal style while maintaining a more conservative appearance. As the writer Sarah Al-Zaher has said:

Modest fashion is for people who just choose to show less. It is also for people who just prefer the ‘relaxed’ or the ‘oversized look’.

ASHRAF, Samreen. 2023. 'Conversation article: Modest fashion – why the UK high street still offer' [online]. Available at:https://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2023/06/26/conversation-article-modest-fashion-why-the-uk-high-street-still-offers-women-too-little-choice/ [accessed 18 Dec 2023]

(Ashraf, 2023)

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. About Us at The Reflective. [online image]. Available at: https://the-reflective.com/pages/about [accessed 18 Dec 2023]

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. Lynn. [online image]. Available at: https://the-reflective.com/pages/about [accessed 18 Dec 2023]

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. Viktoria. [online image]. Available at: https://the-reflective.com/pages/about [accessed 18 Dec 2023]

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. Leslye. [online image]. Available at: https://the-reflective.com/pages/about [accessed 18 Dec 2023]

”PERVEZ, Saulat. n.d. ‘Hijab In Islam: Modesty, Humility and Dignity’. Facts about the Muslims & the Religion of Islam - Toll-free hotline 1-877-WHY-ISLAM [online]. Available at: https://www.whyislam.org/hijab-in-islam-modesty-humility-and-dignity/ [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Pervez, n.d.)

HOUISSA, Ali. 2023. ‘LibGuides: Women in Islam and Muslim Realms: Dress Code’. [online]. Available at: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/IslamWomen/DressCode [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Houissa, 2023)

• More rigid rules in Najaf and Karbalas Shi'a holy cities

Saudi Arabia

• Women cannot eat if exposed or in clothes that hug the body

• More of a fashion statement in this country

Indonesia

• After political controversy wearing hijab is not mandatory but women have a fondness for hijab

• For weddings hijabs are considered essential accessories

Iran

• Islamic revolution in 1979, a women must wear hijab in a public place

Yemen

• Embraced the philosophy of hijab

• Most choose to wear it as a symbol of religious and intellectual standards

• “Man in early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved, he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is regressive back to ancient times.” This is a famous quote by Tawakkol Karman, a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, which explains volumes about the hijab’s views in Yemen.

HIJABO. 2023. ‘Countries Where Hijab Is Mandatory - HijabO’. [online]. Available at: https://hijabo.in/countries-where-hijab-is-mandatory/ [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Hijabo, 2023)

POUSHTER, Jacob. n.d. ‘How People in Muslim Countries Prefer Women to Dress in Public’. Pew Research Center [online]. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/01/08/what-is-appropriate-attire-for-women-in-muslim-countries/ [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Poushter, n.d.)

(Poushter, n.d.)

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. A week in outfits. [online image]. Available at: https://the-reflective.com/pages/about [accessed 18 Dec 2023]

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. Batsheva Hay. [online image]. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/the-multibillion-dollar-modest-fashion-industry-thats-gone-global [accessed 18 Dec 2023]

• No longer dismissed as the dowdy domain of religious folk, this multibillion-dollar industry is being driven by a young and cosmopolitan consumer who demands coverage in accordance with her faith but refuses to skimp on style. It’s also been embraced by those who simply prefer an aesthetic that doesn’t cater to the male gaze.

• Hay’s own journey from Jewish secularism to observance began when she started dating her now-husband, fashion photographer Alexei Hay, who had already embarked on his own foray into Orthodox Judaism. Together, they began to observe Shabbat and keep a kosher household, deftly straddling two worlds: New York’s highly secular fashion scene and a new, spiritual realm of “super intense” Friday-night dinners with her husband’s rabbi and his 14 children. Inspired by outfits she spies at religious weddings, Hay designs her collections with tzniut – the Hebrew word for modesty applied to Jewish women's rules of dress – in mind. The dresses might look better next to a 19th-century covered wagon, but they sport the high necklines, low hemlines and long sleeves required by Orthodox Judaism.

USHER, Pip. 2018. ‘The Multi Billion-Dollar Modest Fashion Industry That’s Gone Global’. British Vogue [online]. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/the-multibillion-dollar-modest-fashion-industry-thats-gone-global [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Usher, 2018)

• female members of Catholic religious communities wore distinctive dress, called habits, often reflective of when and where the order was founded. Modernizing actions in the Second Vatican Council in 1962 allowed habits to be greatly simplified or discarded entirely.

In the United States, twenty-first-century Mennonites, Amish, and women of other conservative Christian groups are easily recognizable by their “plain” clothing. Their simple solid-color dresses, including a head cover, denote their religious affiliation, piety, and intentional separation from the world. Mennonites believe that dress visually testifies to a woman’s spiritual state and that lack of appropriately conservative dress is an indication of problems; it is likely to warrant a visit from the religious leader.

LINDHOLM, Christina. 2010. ‘Politics and Dress: Women’s Religious Head Covers’. In Joanne B. Eicher and Phyllis G. Tortora (eds). Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion. Global Perspectives Oxford: Berg. Available at: https://www.bloomsburyfashioncentral.com/encyclopedia?docid=b-9781847888594 [accessed 18 Dec 2023]- CHECK REFERENCE

(Lindholm, 2023

• more common for orthodox jews nowadays

Men and women must cover their heads for prayer and in the synagogue.

HUME, Lynne. 2010. ‘Dress and Religious Practices’. In Joanne B. Eicher and Phyllis G. Tortora (eds). Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion. Global Perspectives Oxford: Berg.

(Hume, 2010: 77-84)

Habibtitime, 2023. Habibitime.

• Mitzvot is Literally, “commandment." A sacred obligation.

SONSINO, Rabbi Rifat. 2015. ‘Religious vs. Observant: What’s the Difference? | Reform Judaism’. [online]. Available at: https://reformjudaism.org/blog/religious-vs-observant-whats-difference [accessed 18 Dec 2023].

(Sonsino, 2015)

Opaque fabrics

Avoid low cut tops, short skirts and sheer clothing

Layer clothes

Accessorize with modesty

LONG, Andrea. 2023. ‘Modest Business Attire: Looking Professional and Modest’. Dainty Jewells [online]. Available at: https://daintyjewells.com/blog/modest-business-attire-looking-professional-and-modest [accessed 18 Dec 2023].'

(Long, 2023)

: “You happen to go into an office on business and among the modestly dressed women you can’t help but instantly notice someone in a revealing dress of patterned silk brocade, with earrings in one’s ears, glittering beads around her neck, and three bracelets on her wrists. Heavy make-up and a complicated hairstyle complete her getup. Such an outfit is out of place during working hours; it does not inspire confidence in the efficiency of its wearer”- Rabotnitsa 1963

VAINSHTEIN, Olga. 2010. ‘The Concept of Modesty in Socialist Dress and Grooming’. In Djurdja Bartlett and Pamela Smith (eds). Berg Encyclopdeia of World Dress and Fashion, Volume 9: East Europe, Russia, and the Caucasus Oxford: Berg.

(Cited in Vainshtein, 2010: 364-365)

LEECH, Marie. 2023. ‘Women Bosses Still Judged More on Their Looks than Their Smarts - Bizwomen’. The Business Journals [online]. Available at: https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2023/03/women-bosses-still-judged-more-on-their-looks-than.html?page=all [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(Leech, 2023)

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. Dubai. [online image]. Available at: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/the-modist-fashion [accessed 19 Dec 2023]

BBC. 2018. ‘Boris Johnson Faces Criticism over Burka “letter Box” Jibe’. BBC News, 6 Aug [online]. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-45083275 [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(BBC, 2018)

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. Two women in the desert. [online image]. Available at: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/the-modist-fashion [accessed 19 Dec 2023]

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. Pink Dress. [online image]. Available at: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/the-modist-fashion [accessed 19 Dec 2023]

How? Keepsake #VintageFits are paired with seasonal #YouthEssentials in unique compositions focused on #Layering, which is especially important for the young #Modest consumer.

• When creating a modestwear collection, understanding the variations in customs of different regions and cohorts is crucial to ensure you're catering to your customers' needs. Note that this capsule speaks mainly to a more flexible approach of modestwear and should be adapted accordingly if necessary

• 
  

WGSN. 2023. ‘Design Capsule: Young Women’s Modest #TheNewIndie A/W 22/23 - WGSN Fashion’. [online]. Available at: https://www.wgsn.com/fashion/article/93092#page1 [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(WGSN, 2023)

In India, courts recently upheld the right of schools and universities to ban the hijab. France has outlawed the wearing of hijabs in certain school and government buildings, and last year lawmakers voted to ban it from sporting competitions as well.

Missouri's House of Representatives imposed a new dress code this year requiring women to cover their shoulders. On TikTok, creators like @drooscroo have blasted US schools for their own dress codes, which often outline more severe mandates for girls than boys.

According to the State of the Global Islamic Economy 2022 report, produced by DinarStandard and Salaam Gateway, spending on fashion was up 5.7% in 2021 and is estimated to reach $375bn by 2025

Even for non-religious consumers, modesty is becoming more influential in mainstream fashion thanks to young people's taste for androgyny and a push towards more empowered personal style.

Abercrombie reported its highest year of sales for pants (as opposed to dresses) in 2022 alongside other trending items such as baggy T-shirts and waistcoats.

Tailor modesty messaging by region

Honour the complex modesty culture of consumers depending on their region, offering support for however they choose to dress in accordance of their religious practices or personal comfort

2

Invest in the modest fashion market

Engage with the modern Muslim consumer through updated silhouettes and collections that fall in line with modest dress requirements. Show how trending items can also be styled or repurposed for better coverage

3

Reframe modesty outside religion

Celebrate a more gender-fluid approach to fashion that allows consumers to cover up as a sign of rebellion. Invest in LGBTQ+ creators and stylists to show how styles can be reinterpreted for a more androgynous and potentially less revealing look

4

Offer modest spaces and services

Offer certain retail spaces and brand events to be women-only for religious consumers who wish to enjoy events without the presence of men. Consider carving out women-only experiences across travel, entertainment, nightlife and personal care services

WGSN. 2023. ‘Lifestyle Strategy: Modesty Culture - WGSN Insight’. [online]. Available at: https://www.wgsn.com/insight/article/644bc037b169eb9991eb6aca [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(WGSN, 2023)

• Mirrored the discipinline enforced on the people

Currently in Russia an area of land called Chechnya

• Strain of Islam

• Dress Modestly

  • It is enforced it is not a choice

• Simplicity and modesty constituted the Socialist ideology of beauty.

• Was encouraged in the framework of an ideology of collectivism—discipline demanded that one did not stand out from the masses.

• the social nature of Soviet modesty can be clarified with the aid of French historian Jean-Claude Bologne’s theoretical differentiation. His study titled Histoire de la pudeur (History of pudency) posits a distinction between pudeur as the individual sense of shame and décence as the norm of social decency. Soviet modesty is closely associated with décence.

VAINSHTEIN, Olga. 2010. ‘The Concept of Modesty in Socialist Dress and Grooming’. In Djurdja Bartlett and Pamela Smith (eds). Berg Encyclopdeia of World Dress and Fashion, Volume 9: East Europe, Russia, and the Caucasus Oxford: Berg.

(Vainshtein, 2010: 364-365)

(20th century) However, the naked body is not wild, it is even subject to an important work of domestication and codification, which makes it visible without scandal and therefore decent, which is perfectly illustrated by the history of the beach and the swimsuit. . On the other hand, because feminist movements, by rejecting any distinction between the sexes, have called into question the very idea of ​​feminine virtue and have made, without being the only ones, nudity an element of social protest.

HAVE TO QUESTION WHY A MAN IS QUALIFIED TO TALK ON THIS

(Gonzalez-Quijano, 2011)

GONZALEZ-QUIJANO, Lola. 2011. ‘Bologne Jean-Claude, Pudeurs féminines. Voilées, dévoilées, révélées’. Genre, sexualité & société (5), [online]. Available at: https://journals.openedition.org/gss/1918 [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

The basic importance of clothing is to cover or conceal the private parts of the human body.

BRAINKART. 2023. ‘Theories of Clothing’. BrainKart [online]. Available at: https://www.brainkart.com/article/Theories-of-Clothing_35570/ [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(Brainkart, 2023)

Historical records on clothing, mention about clothing used to attract opposite sex. According to this theory the basic idea of clothing is attraction seeking.

BRAINKART. 2023. ‘Theories of Clothing’. BrainKart [online]. Available at: https://www.brainkart.com/article/Theories-of-Clothing_35570/ [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(Brainkart, 2023)

Right from the origin of mankind, peo-ple were trying to beautify themselves. Clothing has always supported this idea and helped one to form beautiful appear-ance. Wearing beautiful garments gives an aesthetic appearance.

BRAINKART. 2023. ‘Theories of Clothing’. BrainKart [online]. Available at: https://www.brainkart.com/article/Theories-of-Clothing_35570/ [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(BrainKart, 2023)

BRAINKART. 2023. ‘Theories of Clothing’. BrainKart [online]. Available at: https://www.brainkart.com/article/Theories-of-Clothing_35570/ [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(BrainKart, 2023)

• Fundamental human essentials

  • The basics of clothing- socks, all appropriate for survival- the basics

Safety and Security

• In the current social climate for women, safety would include underwear, in some cases face coverings to hide identity

• Also religious garments like the hijab

Love and Belonging

• Clothes that are gifted from friends or family

• Trend items to help fit in with the current fashion climate

Self-esteem

• Clothes that make a woman confident

  • However she may choose to express herself

Self-actualisation

• Clothes that empower

• Big events being able to express their inner self without judgement

MCLEOD, Saul. 2023. ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’. [online]. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(McLeod, 2023)

Unknown maker, n.d. Maslows hierachy of needs

UNKNOWN MAKER, n.d. Maslows hierachy of needs. [online image]. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html [accessed 19 Dec 2023]

• Laura Mulvey is a feminist film theorist from Britain, best known for her essay on Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Her theories are influenced by the likes of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan (by using their ideologies as “political weapons”) whilst also including psychoanalysis and feminism in her works.

• Mulvey is predominantly known for her theory regarding sexual objectification on women in the media, more commonly known as The Male Gaze” theory.

• Mulvey states that “the gender power asymmetry is a controlling force in cinema and constructed for the pleasure of the male viewer, which is deeply rooted in patriarchal ideologies and discourses.” This means that the male viewer is the target audience, therefore their needs are met first and that this problem stems from an old fashioned, male-driven society. Her theory on how women are portrayed in film and the media is just as prevalent today as it was in 1975 when her text was first published.

  
  

THE MALE GAZE THEORY

The Male Gaze theory, in a nutshell, is where women in the media are viewed from the eyes of a heterosexual man, and that these women are represented as passive objects of male desire. Audiences are forced to view women from the point of view of a heterosexual male, even if they are heterosexual women or homosexual men.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) – source: Paramount Pictures

From the feminist perspective, this theory can be viewed in three ways: How men look at women, how women look at themselves and finally, how women look at other women. Typical examples of the male gaze include medium close-up shots of women from over a man’s shoulder, shots that pan and fixate on a woman’s body, and scenes that frequently occur which show a man actively observing a passive woman.

• Not only is the Male Gaze theory relevant to cinema, but it also correlates with every-day life. Some theorists have noted that in advertising, objectification and sexualised portrayals of the female body can be found even in situations where sex or representations of sex have nothing to do with the product being advertised.

SAMPSON, Rachael. 2015. ‘Film Theory 101 - Laura Mulvey: The Male Gaze Theory’. Film Inquiry [online]. Available at: https://www.filminquiry.com/film-theory-basics-laura-mulvey-male-gaze-theory/ [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(Sampson, 2015)

CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY. 2023. ‘Ethnocentrism’. [online]. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ethnocentrism [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(Cambridge Dictionary

McDean, n.d. Billie Eilish

SNAPES, Laura. 2021. ‘“It’s All About What Makes You Feel Good”: Billie Eilish On New Music, Power Dynamics, And Her Internet-Breaking Transformation’. British Vogue [online]. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/billie-eilish-vogue-interview [accessed 19 Dec 2023].

(Snapes, 2021)

• 1905 laicite was signed into law

  • Initially to separate catholosicm from state matters

• Civil servants must stay neutral regarding religion

• Bank holidays in france are christian so is it hyppocritical

Understanding ‘laïcité’, France’s special brand of state secularism [Film]. 2021. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7qJ-lHGPW4 [accessed 31 Dec 2023].

(Understanding ‘Laïcité’, France’s Special Brand of State Secularism, 2021)

• . Through their innovative reinterpretation of classic outlines, DASKA discreetly challenges and reforms long-standing conventions, sparking a renewed exploration of beauty and style.

DASKA. n.d. ‘Our Story’. DASKA Fashion | The Modest Brand [online]. Available at: https://daskafashion.com/our-story/ [accessed 24 Jan 2024].

(Daska, n.d.)

The brand’s mission is to “empower women and reassure them that they can feel beautiful without having to show skin, whether it is a religious decision or not, and aim to remove the stigmas attached to modest clothing in the mainstream market”.

HALLIDAY, Sandra. 2021. ‘New Modest-Wear Label Daska Launches on October 1’. FashionNetwork.com [online]. Available at: https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/New-modest-wear-label-daska-launches-on-october-1,1336861.html [accessed 24 Jan 2024].

(Halliday, 2021)

(M.D, 2023)

Chechnya’s main ethnic group is the Chechens, with minorities of Russians and Ingush. The Chechens and the Ingush are both Muslim and are two of the many Caucasian mountain peoples whose language belongs to the Nakh group.Fiercely independent, the Chechens and other Caucasian tribes mounted a prolonged resistance to Russian conquest from the 1830s through the ’50s under the Muslim leader Shāmil. They remained successful while the Russians were occupied with the Crimean War, but the Russians used larger forces in their later campaigns, and, when Shāmil was captured in 1859, many of his followers migrated to Armenia. The Terek River remained a defensive frontier until the 1860s. The constant skirmishes of Chechens and Russians along the Terek form the background to Leo Tolstoy’s novel The Cossacks.

Ingush- A minority in Russia

Nakh Group- , sometimes called the Central Caucasian languages, is often classified by scholars with the Dagestanian languages (among which are Avar and Lezgian) in a Nakho-Dagestanian, or Northeast Caucasian, language group.

AUGUSTYN, Adam, 2023. ‘Chechnya | History, Location, Religion, & Facts | Britannica’. [online]. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/place/Chechnya [accessed 24 Jan 2024].

(Britannica, 2023)

Females are required to cover their heads in public and will not be permitted to study at State University unless they wear dresses. This dress code for women is part of a wider government campaign launched a few years back to promote “morality and revival of national traditions,” according to President Kadyrov.

Former Chechen rebels loyal to Kadyrov [known as “kadyrovtsy”] were suspected of driving around in cars with no license plates, shooting paintballs at women who weren’t wearing headscarves. The Chechen government and authorities enforce the dress code. Whatever Kadyrov says will be carried out.

The years I worked in Chechnya seemed to be transition years as the government was building mosques, ordering girls to cover themselves up, and imposing strict Islamic practices. This has now become the norm. Many I spoke with who once questioned such rituals now don’t, and abide by the dress code as an expression of pride in their faith and culture.

YAMAGATA, Yukiko. 2014. ‘A Dress Code for a New Generation’. [online]. Available at: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/chechen-women-modesty-new-normal [accessed 24 Jan 2024].

(Yamagata, 2014)

(Esposito, 2020)

• Lewis, Reina

(Rosenberg, 2019)

• In small scale cultures modesty mainly refers to the genitals

Many African countries are Islamically influenced- will abide by islamic teachings

Cache-sexe- covering for the female genitals

• Compound word dervived from the french cacher- hide, and sexe- gentials

  • Named this due to colonisation in Africa

"western Mali to southern Cameroon. Cache-sexe are used throughout much of West Africa and parts of East Asia, where the term modesty apron is more commonly used."

"materials including woven fabric, leather, beads, leaves, and metals. For example, cache-sexe created by the Kirdi (Fulani) women in northern Cameroon are skirts beaded with a fantastic range of colors. Cowry shells and brass beads ornament and give weight to the fringe. Cowry shells originate in the Maldive Islands, off the western coast of India, indicating Kirdi linkages to long distance trade. Cache-sexe are worn low on the hip and tied with a cord. Regardless of materials, the skirts measure approximately twelve to eighteen inches in length and twenty to twenty-two inches in width, excluding the cord."

"Cache-sexe appear to be exclusive to females. When and how a woman wears a cache-sexe varies from society to society. In some, a girl begins to wear the skirt after menarche; in others menarche is recognized by a change from a small leather panel skirt to a fringed skirt that wraps all the way around the body. In visual sources of information, cache-sex are part of an ensemble that includes necklaces or supplements to the nose. In parts of New Guinea and Irian Jaya, women use knitted net bags that hang from a strap across the forehead. In twentieth-century images women can be seen wearing brassieres, T-shirts, and blouses.

"Female informants report that protection from the environment is the main reason they wear cache-sexe. However, because of the open styling of the of the skirt, either as panels hanging in front and back or as fringes, it may be less effective as physical protection than as spiritual protection. For example, in Papua New Guinea, the Doni believe that ghosts can attack vulnerable areas like the anal opening. Articles of dress with ritual power, such as the cache-sexe, are used to protect, if not actually conceal, the lower body against evil."

• Menarche- after first menstration

GALAL, Saifaddin. 2024. ‘Africa: Prevalence of Islam by Country 2023’. Statista [online]. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1239494/share-of-muslim-population-in-africa-by-country/ [accessed 24 Jan 2024].

(Galal, 2024)

Islam is one of the most widespread religions in the world. There are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims globally, with the largest Muslim communities living in the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, Indonesia hosts the highest number of Muslims worldwide, amounting to over 200 million, followed by India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Islam is also present in Europe and America. The largest Islamic communities in Europe are in France (5.72 million), Germany (4.95 million), and the United Kingdom (4.13 million). In the United States, there is an estimated number of around 3.45 million Muslims.

GALAL, Saifaddin. 2024. ‘Africa: Prevalence of Islam by Country 2023’. Statista [online]. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1239494/share-of-muslim-population-in-africa-by-country/ [accessed 24 Jan 2024].

(Galal, 2024)

Modest Range for:

• French Connection

• Hollister

• Odd Muse

I have connections with these brands and both could work

Modest Lookbook

• To give out in presentation to help explain my points

  
  

Modest Report

• Detailed history of modetsy in all different cultures then show how retail is very behind

• Were all very modest and ingluenced the women

GRONOW, Jukka and Sergey ZHURAVLEV. 2015. ‘Fashion in People’s Minds: The Public Discussion of the Culture of Dress in the Soviet Press’. In Fashion Meets Socialism. Finnish Literature Society, 192–243. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvggx2cr.11  [accessed 28 May 2024]

• Wear western clothes like tight jeans

• After the Islamic revolution were forced to wear hijab and modesty was imposed

BBC. 2019. ‘Iranian Women - before and after the Islamic Revolution’. BBC News, 8 Feb [online]. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47032829  [accessed 24 May 2024].

Assia and Mina forced into modesty by society and family and re-account it being unfair and stripping them of their feminity.

LAZREG, Marnia. 2009. Questioning the Veil Open Letters to Muslim Women. Course Book. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR. 2024. ‘Nigeria Dressing Code | Travel to Nigeria’. [online]. Available at: https://www.africatourvisa.com/nigeria/dress/ [accessed 29 May 2024].

ROBINSON, Martin. 2024. ‘Nigeria’s First Lady Slams Influence of US Stars after Meghan’s Visit’. Mail Online [online]. Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13463769/Nigeria-Meghan-Markle-Lady-Prince-Harry.html [accessed 29 May 2024].

• Why do people dress modestly?

2- Market research

• Is there a demand for modesty garments

3- Competitive Analysis

• What are the competition doing for modesty

4- Design the range based on trend, brand identity and consumer demand

5- Get consumer opinion

6- Prep for launch

M- Produce 15 pages worth of the collated research using interviews getting real stories

Achievable- Allocate 10 hours a week

Relevant- Its key to undestand why people dress mdoestly in order to create a range that suits all requirements

Timebound- Complete by week 4

M- Complete a data table filled with at least 10 graphs and charts

A- Allocate 5 hours a week to this

R- Understanding the market is imperative to producing a commercial range

T- Complete by end of week 2

• I felt like i couldn't do the topic justice as with such a low word count, i wasnt able to look at all cultures, religons and preferences, so i felt as if the research would end up feeling unfinished

• I also wanted to produce something creative and have an example of how my research could be applied

• I also wanted something physical to show employers when i graduate and i felt like a report wasnt enough

Why did i reject it?

• Because it felt like it would have little to no substance and i wasnt sure how i would incorperate any research into the project

• I also have no confidence in indesign which was my main concern especaily with such a short amount of time, and i wanted to go into FMP feeling confident about my skills so i knew i would do well

• I had no spark or inspiration for the range, i wanted to feel connected and inpsired by what i was creating and the brand didnt feel exciting enough

• The brand actually wasn't very fitting either it was just conveinant after my 3 week work placement i had the right connections to back up the range

• However, this wasn't convincing enough for me to follow through with it

Brexit

Trade policy

Political stability

Government policy

Exchange rates

Interest rates

Disposable income

Unemployment rate

Population age

Health

Target demographic

Culture

Tech changes

Cyersecurity

Health and safety

Consumer safety

Climate change

Sustainability

Pollution

Recycling

M- Complete a minimum of 6 case studies

A- Allocate 5 hours a week for this

R- To disect where there be a gap in the market but also find inspiration from those that are doing it well

T-Complete by end of weekk 3

M- Produce 3 separate concepts, developing the range each time

A- Allocate 2 hours a week to this

R- To make sure a lot of thought goes into the range and show a lot of thought has gone into it

T- Complete by week 3

M- Conduct 1 focus group with direct target consumers

A- 1 hour of tume for it

R- It is key to see whether the range actually targets the consumer

T- Complete by week 5

M- Produce a video/social post/ launch

A- Allocate 2 hours a week for this

R- This is a huge part of why odd muse is successful and they are growing so well

T- Complete by week 7

• This included long sleeves on the dress and jumpsuit

• Turning the dress maxi instead of midi

• Making the colar have a larger surface area to cover more

• Introduce a scarf that can serve a modest purpose or just an accessory- took inspo from hermes

• One of the struggles I found was reaching a turly diverse demographic

  • With a high % of white people answering

  • However the views are all mixed and there are still a lot of answers that are from other ethnicities

• Core industry trends, shifts and developments

• DTC model a- BOF article on Week 2 seminar

Personal context

• Look at the external world and show felxibility, adaptability and practical adaptation

• Take where the industry is going, why should you do these things?

Marking and grading:

• Must include core industry trends and topics

  • EDI, WGSN

• Reference legality, regulations etc

• Does you concept fit into whats happening within the fashon industry

• See primary research collumn with multiple interviews, a survey with 100+ responses and a focus group

  • Combination of exploratory and descriptive research, use exploratory to get specific consumer opinions, descriptive to find out shopping behaviours

• See the other end of the padlet for all of the secondary research I have completed on the topic of modesty

• See comp shop collumn for all of the primary and secondary research I have completed on Odd Muse and their competitive environment

• See topic blurt collumn to find a lot of my research written out academicaly to consoldiate all of my research into one place

  
  

• This impacted the designs because there are multiple considerations to be made in order to suit all modest requirements

  • For example, someone with medical issues may require more room around the waist which wouldnt be a consideration for a Christian however there was no comprimise on design and style, just comprimise on how accessible it is for all

• Most will cover head to toe in public but in all female environments wont always

• Some will cover their faces

• Some will prefer to wear much looser clothing and wont dress for style but will wear religous garments like an Abaya

• In some cases like nuns they will cover hair with a habit but for this consumer this wouldnt be the case

• The modesty does not cover head to toe but will not be very revealing

• When the woman marries she will cover her head with either a wig or a scarf in public

• Will cover essentially head to toe

• Covering the stomach area

• For some covering the top of their legs and their arms due to aging skin

• Also key to consider that it is generational

• Fabric must be comfortable, stretchy, maybe flowly in order to be happy wearing the items

• Certain details like belts may need to be longer and thicker

• Details like pockets can come in handy

• This can all really depend on the person as preferences can come from many different reasons

• So just look for a brand that will offer all varieties of necklines, sleevelengths, shapes, fits and fabrics

After comp shopping and really analysing the brand, Odd Muse have a stand out signature dress in only one or two colour ways that doesn't necessarily stand with one collection or another

• Just a product in its own right so by taking inspiration from luxury brands Miu Miu and Prada I will add a dress inspired by their recent runways

• Queen of Iran and family went thorugh exile

• Farah lives in Paris now

• Went to Paris to speak to Farah about the Shah

• Farah was queen of Iran for 20 years but was exiled after the revolution

• Thought Iran would have democracy and freedom with the end of the Shah rule but that was far from the truth

  • Mass executions began

  • Her brother was hanged at 17 years old

  • Khomeni demanded women to wear the veil which everyone thought to be a joke but it was true

  • "Regimes come and go but a new regime should be better or at least not this bad

    
    

• The shapes, colours and outfits she wears really represents Odd Muse

• The brand have even made multiple comments on these similarities on social media

• Espresso MV had her with a silk scarf on which has inspired the range and developed the products

• The colour of her met gala dress and performance outfit at Coachella are the on trend colour from WGSN for SS/25 so this influenced the blue colour way

• DEI Consultant and Life Coach

• Is true diversity a realistic ambition

  • If it wasn't something that we were working towards, no one would be in the room

• Thinks conversations have gone quiet on EDI

• There are more stories to be told

• Make it authentic

• Nikes story is fearless

Ben De Pfeiffer Key

• Inclusive talent strategist and Coach

• We are seeing a lot of conversations around what brands are doing for customers whether thats on religion, size or body type

• How to improve product offering

  • Understand the customer

  • Engage with what the customer needs