Today midi skirts are a crucial part of any woman’s wardrobe. Sitting at a demure length, there is something ever so elegant and sophisticated about this hemline. Midi skirts typically fall below the knee and above the ankle, a length that flatters a variety of shapes and heights. The cut elongates the legs and creates a polished silhouette. Whether opting for a fitted number like a pencil skirt or a flared A-line look there is a design for every mood and occasion.
The midi skirt is a style that has very much come back into our clothing wardrobes over the past few years. This one style however came into our wardrobes in the early twentieth century and has never really left. Ever since Coco Chanel rose hem lines throughout World War One, women have been more open-minded about fashion and the midi skirt was one of the first examples of just that. There are a variety of ways to wear the midi skirt.
Of course it depends on the vibe you’re going for:
Flowy and relaxed, it offers a softer, more casual or romantic aesthetic.
Great for achieving a cottage core-inspired vibe with a cooler, minimalistic edge.
Practical for different activities, allowing freedom of movement while maintaining a stylish appearance.
The midi length (mid-calf) provides excellent coverage, making it a modest option.
A-Line midi skirts might resonate more as they lean into an effortlessly chic, creative aesthetic. However, a midi pencil in neutral colors could also work beautifully for work or the office! For activities ranging from running errands to work meetings, midi skirts strike the perfect balance between ease and sophistication.
Starting to stress about what to get for the modest women in your life? Look no farther than our guide to holiday gifts for her. Choosing the best holiday gift for the modest woman involves selecting items that fit her style while respecting her preference for modesty. Here, you’ll find 10 great holiday gift ideas for just about anyone on your list!
Maxi Dress: Select a maxi dress with a modest neckline, long sleeves, and a suitable length. Look for elegant fabrics and classic colors.
Long Cardigan or Duster: A long cardigan or duster in a neutral shade can be a versatile layering piece. It complements a range of outfits while providing coverage and warmth.
Jumpsuit: Look for a jumpsuit with a modest tailored cut, such as a higher neckline and longer pants. Jumpsuits can be both fashionable and practical.
Flowy Blouse or Tunic: Choose a flowy blouse or tunic with a crew neckline and three quarter sleeves. Neutral colors or subtle patterns can enhance its versatility.
Modest Swimwear: Consider a swimsuit, such as a swim dress or a swim skirt with attached shorts or leggings. Look for simple designs in her preferred colors.
Classic Turtleneck: A classic turtleneck in a comfortable knit is a versatile and cozy choice for colder seasons. It can be paired with skirts or trousers.
Activewear: If she loves to exercise look for modest activewear with stretch fabrics. This could include long-sleeve tops, loose-fitting pants, and a sports head covering.
Loungewear Set: Everyone loves comfy stylish loungewear! A pajama set with long sleeves and a fluffy warm robe can be great for relaxing at home.
Elegant Jacket or Cardigan: A sophisticated cardigan or jacket in a lush fabric or faux leather can be a chic way to add warmth and interest to her outfits.
When selecting clothing, pay attention to her size, preferred colors, and style preferences. By choosing classic, timeless pieces you can ensure the gift will be both thoughtful and practical for her modest wardrobe. What is the best holiday clothing gift you ever received?
Dressing modestly doesn’t need to be expensive. Saving money on clothes can be done by careful planning and smart shopping habits. Here are some practical tips to help you save money on clothing purchases:
Create a capsule wardrobe of neutral basics: Since neutral pieces work well together, you can create a wide range of looks with fewer items reducing the need to buy additional clothing. With a capsule wardrobe, Instead of buying random items, you focus on acquiring versatile, timeless pieces that can be worn for multiple seasons and occasions.
Shop Online: Online shopping can offer a wider selection of modest clothing options at various price points. Look for online retailers that offer free shipping or discounts on your first purchase to save even more money.
Sign Up for Email Lists: Subscribe to the email lists of your favorite clothing brands and retailers. Many companies offer exclusive discounts and promotions to subscribers, so you can save money on your purchases.
Use Loyalty Rewards Programs: Take advantage of email rewards programs for modest clothing. Many credit cards, websites, and apps offer cashback or points for purchases, which can help you save money on future purchases.
Buy Mix-and-Match Pieces: Invest in mix-and-match pieces that can be styled in multiple ways to create different outfits. This will allow you to maximize your wardrobe without having to buy a lot of new clothing items.
Shop Off-Season: Look for clothing items during off-season sales. Retailers often discount clothing at the end of each season to make room for new inventory. You can find great deals on modest pieces by searching for winter clothing in the spring or summer clothing in the fall.
Consider Secondhand Options: Explore thrift stores, consignment shops, and online marketplaces for secondhand modest clothing. You can often find gently used items at a fraction of the cost of new clothing.
Clothing Swaps: Consider organizing or participating in clothing swaps with friends, family, or community members. This is a great way to refresh your wardrobe without spending any money by exchanging gently used clothing items.
Remember to prioritize quality and versatility when building your modest wardrobe, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your bargain hunting strategies! By following these shopping tips, you can find modest clothing options that are fashionable and stylish without breaking the bank.
Before these days of modest fashion, modest dressers found lots of obstacles to dressing modestly and fashionably. Today, there are so many great clothing lines that either choose to make modest clothing by design or create modest items in
their general collection that coincidentally flow with the fashion trends. These trends have helped the modest modern dresser, but there will always be certain issues the modern, modest woman will have to deal with.
Here are some of our most annoying or funny challenges that we find in dressing modestly. We would love to hear some of your daily hurdles in dressing modestly!
One small piece of the storm surrounding Harvey Weinstein has been a resurgence of the question of whether modest clothing prevents rape. Mayim Bialik brought the issue back to the limelight when she wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times. In it, she implied that she had never been assaulted because “I dress modestly. I don’t act flirtatiously with men as a policy.” (She later retracted that implication on Twitter.)
It shouldn’t need saying, but modest clothing doesn’t reduce sexual assault. If it did, there wouldn’t be any assaults against burka-wearing Muslim women or long-skirted and cloaked Jewish women.
Brands like ours certainly disprove Mayim’s implication that dressing modestly is less attractive. There are so many great fashion lines out there that put effort into making modest dressing women feel beautiful. Just cast an eye over the huge stable of fashion bloggers who pull together amazing outfits from the modest pieces that are in regular fashion stores.
But it’s possible that modest dressing can make a difference to sexual assault, just not the way you might think.
It’s not about the clothes.
It’s about the mindset.
Women who’ve chosen to dress modestly generally feel more self-confident. They project an aura of assertiveness, of feeling comfortable in their skin. Contrary to popular myth, modest-dressers are not just victims of patriarchal brainwashing, nor are they ashamed of their bodies or scared of being assaulted.
One example of the power of covering up comes from looking at how powerful women dress. Check out how much skin is shown by female CEOs, politicians and other important women. The more power you have, the less skin you show.
Psychologists hold that sexual assault isn’t about sex. It’s about power. Choosing to dress modestly takes back the power into women’s own hands.
Note that the key word here is choice. This fascinating video shows a Muslim woman liberated from ISIS in Raqqa ripping off the abaya she was forced to wear to reveal equally modest clothing beneath. She wasn’t objecting to wearing modest clothing; she objected to the modest clothing she was forced to wear. It’s the modest clothing we choose that empowers us.
Modest clothing sends a clear message that this woman is not a man’s plaything, eye candy or entertainment. The aura of confidence that surrounds modest dressing women might just deter a number of men who, like all bullies, feel free to cat-call, comment or grab at an easy target.
In talking about modesty and the choice people make to dress modestly, there are various reasons that people cite as their impetus to dress modestly. A very common one is religious beliefs. Through the many different religions or spiritual value systems, dressing modestly is about uplifting yourself to higher spiritual realms and lessening one’s dependence on the physical world. However, it is very interesting how religions define their own guidelines. Comparing Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Judaism, we have found many similarities as is expected, but also a few differences. Where do these differences come from? How do people reconcile these differences?
Buddhism dictates that dressing modestly is a purifying quality for everyone, not just for monks. The guidelines of Buddhist dress is less focused on the physical requirements and more on the type of clothing. The cloth should be simple, undyed fabrics that wrap around the body and do not fasten or have buttons but rather are knotted. In the Buddhist religion, the clothing should mainly represent that one is peaceful, restrained, committed to the holy life and is harmless to all beings.
In Christianity, because there are so many sects the dress code can change from suggestive to strongly enforced with clear guidelines. In general, the Christian stance towards modest dress is to pay attention to the clothing you choose because your clothing should cover your body, not reveal or imply the shape of your body. Clothing should not be worn to draw attention but to rather dissuade the focus on the physical body and encourage the inner beauty to become apparent. There are sects that suggest physical markers as modest, such as covering one’s shoulders and upper arm, wearing skirts or shorts to at least knee length and avoiding shirts with low necklines. These qualifiers help identify an idea of modest dress for a Christian.
Hinduism has taken similar modest concepts as other religions but much of the way Hindu’s dress today is affected by factors such as class, geographic location, and political influence. Over time, the standards of modern dress have fluctuated and therefore the dress that is most iconic to Hindu religion is the Sari, worn by women and the Dhoti, worn by men. These two items mainly cover the legs, shoulders and a piece of the cloth that wraps around the midriff, although may sometimes show parts of the waist. The emphasis here is put on the cloth covering up the body as a symbol of grace. Again, an example of how modest dress is defined by a value system with strong cultural influences.
In the Muslim religion, as in many other religions, the stringency of modest dress varies between communities or enclaves of practicing Muslims. The dress code can be very stringent as with the Naqib, the headdress that covers the face to the Hijab, which only covers the hair and part of the face. Both worn by women in an effort to avoid drawing attention and because the prophet Muhammad instructed his people to draw their head coverings over their chest. This instruction explains the length of the cloth that is used to cover them. In Islam, there is also a standard expected of men to keep themselves covered from their navel to their knees, but even a shirtless man would be seen as inappropriate in many situations and looked down by his fellows. All these restrictions are made in the same effort, to remove the apparent emphasis on physicality and create an environment of spiritual growth.
The last example, although indeed there are more, is Judaism. In stricter Orthodox or Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, there is an outline for the standards of modest dress from which within a wide range of standards exist. For women, it involves wearing shirts from the collarbone to the elbow, and for the lower half, only skirts are allowed and they must be from below the knee to the ankle. The men also are expected to dress in shirts with pants and some communities even expect a suit Jacket to be worn with a hat. Modern Orthodoxy, has more relaxed definition which reflect more of a spirit of modesty rather than strictly defined guidelines.
These expectations of dressing modestly are all just an attempt to create something tangible. The goal, of course, is to elevate oneself through the seeking of a spiritual life. In addition to the spiritual aspect, it can help to create stronger bonds between man and his(her) fellow, developing relationships based on internal beauty versus external beauty.
There is no doubt these guidelines are not true for everyone in every religion, there are variations and personal choices people make in how to follow each guideline. Surely, we have failed to mention certain religions that have modest dress ‘rules’ but this piece is just to offer some insight into the similarities and the differences. Feel free to share the standards you follow in your religion below.
