I’m living in Spain for the semester, and nearly every weekend I explore another Spanish city or another European country. This past weekend was especially adventurous of me because I went to Morocco, an Arab country in Northern Africa. And I had my first experience of what modesty can actually mean. I went to Catholic elementary and high school, so I’ve always felt well versed in the fashion of covering up. But I realize now that what we call modest dressing is really just an attempt, a polite reference to what modesty means. My catholic schoolgirl self has always thought that wearing a hemline that falls by or below your knees, and a top that doesn’t expose cleavage to be the pinnacle of modesty.
And then I was surrounded by hijab, and the even more serious burka wearing women. A burka gloves the hands and screens the eyes along with every other body part. I saw a fair amount of westernized women who still covered nearly their entire body, but with typical western clothing. Some women wore more middle ground hijab styles which meant covering their hair and bodies, but allowing their faces to be visible. Considering the varying levels of modesty I saw, I have come to the conclusion that Moroccan fashions are rooted in a different breed of modesty than the Western version I was taught as a child. In our culture, a woman who dresses modestly says that she is not overly concerned about the attraction of the opposite sex. Her primary interests and objectives fall elsewhere. It seemed to me that that modesty in Morocco meant not letting people know what one’s body looked like at all. Shape, proportions, good features, and bad, none of this should be shown to people. Modesty conveyed that you were a good person, decent, and normal person.
This realization aside, I began to notice that some women had found loopholes in their mandatory modesty. They found ways to show that they had attractive bodies without exposing flesh. While the burka pretty much kills any possibility of loopholes, most hijab styles could be manipulated to reveal corporeal beauty. Sometimes women made up their eyes, and then matched their clothing’s color so that their eyes popped. Other times women would accent their skin, choosing a shade that made them look particularly tan, olivey or creamy. Lots of women sported clothing made of clingy, soft fabric, that though loose, showed off the presence of curves and a small waist.
I think Western women should take note of this idea: it’s possible to dress modestly, but still feel attractive and feminine. Looking through fall and winter fashions, we should make a greater emphasis on color. Wearing flat colored clothing, but having one bright color run through an outfit looks fantastic. Especially if that color plays up a certain feature. I personally love red because it makes the contrast between my pale skin and dark hair stand out, while matching the color of my lips. I have a friend that wears blue tops that make her equally blue eyes visible from afar. Another idea is focusing on the figure instead of certain body parts. Too often we play up parts: wearing pants that compliment our butts or a shirt that makes one’s chest seem larger. By using more fabric, we can show off the slimness of our frame, or the thinness of our waste in comparison to other physical regions. Try long skirts that show off waste and thighs, tunics and long sweaters that end mid thigh, dresses that hug the body but don’t leave large parts exposed.
Finally, a woman’s face is her most attractive element. Fashion should never distract from the face. Choose styles that emphasize the colors on your face, or at lease don’t hide them. Tops should always bring the eye up. And a scarf worn correctly can frame the face. Voila: