How Dressing Modestly Effects Society

In our modern era, people have the freedom to wear whatever they want. That being said, the modesty aspect of clothing has begun to drift away. Both celebrities and social media have influenced the public to wear much shorter and revealing clothes. Historically, the 1920s saw the introduction of shorter clothing. This period was known as The Jazz Age, and during this time, Women decided to rebel against their traditional placement in society and wear mini-skirts and revealing blouses (Monet). Years later, and modesty has plummeted even further.

Certain religious groups continue to dress modestly according to their beliefs and the laws, but it is not common to see someone wearing something modest according to their own personal interests. The easing of modesty within our society is also a reflection of how much less we value and respect ourselves.

The way you dress has a lot to do with what you think is important. People use clothing as a way to express their personality, interests, and much more. As stated by William James, an American philosopher and psychologist, “The human person is composed of three parts- soul, body, and clothes.” This statement speaks to the fact that a person’s true personality can be shown through clothing. Often, this is shown through an individual’s religious standpoint. In Judaism, there are specific laws called tznius that dictate how to dress modestly. (Women in North America’s Religious World). These laws are clearly evident in the clothes that religious Jews wear. Women must have their knees, shoulders, elbows, and collarbones covered in order to follow the laws of dressing tznius. Men were a yarmulke (also known as a keepa) and tzitzit (a prayer shaul) to show their modesty and devotion to G-d. Although it’s not common to see someone dressed in this manner (it also depends on where on lives), religious groups continue to present themselves in a modest fashion, regardless of how the rest of the world views them.

In Islam, there are also rules that dictate modesty in dress, which are called hijab. The definition of hijab is “to cover” Dress Code of Muslim Women), and many Muslim women choose to cover their hair in order to follow the law of modesty. Moreover, this shows their devotion to their religion, and their devotion to themselves. Instead of choosing to dress like Abercrombie & Fitch mannequins or models, Muslim men and women dress according to what they believe in, and something that they clearly value.

While it may be uncommon to see people dressed modestly on a daily basis, many people use social media in order to share their value (or lack of value) for modesty. For example, social media enables people to build connections with those who dress at similar levels of modesty. In her book, “Dejabis and Dewigies: Expanding the Parameters of the Modest Fashion Blogosphere,” professor of Cultural Sciences at the London College of Fashion, Reina Lewis mentions that “Blogs and websites promote careers in the creative industries to young women from faith communities who have been excluded by intersecting factors of migration, class, and ethnicity.” Having these blogs and communities online can give people who dress modestly (or don’t dress modestly) an opportunity to expand their knowledge on dressing modestly, and allows them to interact with people on a similar level. These blogs teach their audience why it may be important to dress according to their beliefs and can inspire others to begin dressing that way, or to feel much more comfortable with dressing modestly, especially while living in a world where it may not be “the norm” to dress with one’s hair wrapped or with one’s elbows covered. One example is Zehra, which is a blog about modest clothing and it discusses how people can begin dressing modestly, especially if it’s something they’ve never done before, and teaches people how to find a healthy in-between for dressing modestly and how they may dress on a daily basis (Lewis). This is only one example of a “modesty” blog – other blogs elaborate upon modesty within religious groups. While these blogs give people access to learn about why to dress modestly, they also allow people to learn about why someone may have stopped dressing modestly, and how they continue to dress now. Nina Cohen, and Orthodox Jewish woman, expressed her opinion on her fashion blog that modesty is an important element in her life, but it isn’t a concrete definition. Although she does dress continue to dress modestly according to the laws of tznius, it isn’t something that Cohen views as a definition for her life, and she uses her blog to discuss that.

One of the laws in dressing tznius involves a woman covering her hair when she gets married, and Cohen decided to no longer cover her hair, something she thought about for a while. She wrote in her blog how she felt, “as though I have given up something important. Observing Jewish law is a huge part of my life, and I do not take its abrogation lightly...Can I replace the hat with a tattoo telling observers how hard 1 tried, and how I agonized over the decision?” By discussing why Cohen chose to no longer wrap her hair, it allowed readers to get another view on the value of dressing modestly, and why it may not be the best decision for that specific individual. Having this ability to explore social media and read various opinions about modesty enables people to understand its importance and its potential benefit to society. The environment in which one is raised can also largely influence how one dresses. People tend to wear items either to show their status or to “fit in” to society. Therefore, clothing has also become a way to display who has the most money, the best body, and thus a culture has been born that emphasize looks, not values (Lamm). The shift in clothing from beliefs to society has caused people to distance themselves from modesty.

In 1865, the Salvation Army was born in London (The Salvation Army USA). The men and women that were involved in this group strayed from traditional, religious wear for the purposes of personal gain (Le Zotte, “Be Odd”). The shift to less traditional attire sparked outrage amongst numerous members of the Salvation Army, who called out the secularizers for tarnishing the society. Back in the 19th century, the issue with society was the secularization of clothing. Now, however, the tables have turned. People have their own right to decide whether or not they choose to dress modestly; however, society influences us much more than we may like to admit. This drastic influence is all because of what is being shown in the fashion industry. Fashion designers focus on revenue when it comes to clothes, meaning that making modest clothing would hinder the business. This makes it increasingly difficult for religious groups to maintain their modesty in society.

When it comes to modesty, there is also the opinion that it’s not important and unnecessary. Angela Dennis, writer for the London England Standard, stated that “It is a worryingly short leap from there to judging a woman's character by her clothing and to the bad old days of women being regarded as ‘sluts’ if they wear short skirts.” (Dennis, “Modesty” is Not a Clothing Style). Dennis speaks to that clothing doesn’t define who you are or what is important to you. Worrying about clothes can be degrading, and is almost like reliving the past, as people used to judge others completely by their attire.

While this argument is possible to make, it is still true that what you wear can display what is important to you. Moreover, while people don't need to wear ankle-length skirts to show their values, the act of modesty allows people to recognize you for your personality and beliefs, and not just appearance. People can be shamed and made fun of for whatever they wear, but choosing to dress in modest clothing gives a person character and the ability to show their values.

Overall, choosing to dress in modest clothing can allow one the opportunity to display his or her values and self-worth, as well as give one much more confidence by not completely exposing oneself. While society may try to force someone to dress a specific way, it is essential to always stay true to what is most important for an individual, and not have what’s trending interfere with values.