In 2001, singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue wore a backless hooded white jumpsuit in the video of the track Can’t Get You Out of my Head from her album Fever. Designed by stylist Fee Doran, the outfit now sits in the performing arts collection of the Arts Centre Melbourne. Complete with bat-wing sleeves and flared legs, its drapery overly long at front, open to the waist—the costume occupied a sensual spot, sitting somewhere between cover-up and revealing.

That was twenty-two years ago. The First International Modest Fashion Show was held in Istanbul in 2016, a platform largely for designers who realised the need for garments that are stylish yet in tune with the Islam-prescribed sensibility of dressing. In the years that followed, such fashion shows have had editions across the globe, from Amsterdam and London to Riyadh, Dubai and Jakarta.

There‘s no denying the grip that Wahhabism has had over the oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where women are expected to dress in long, black abayas, their head covered by a hijab, or a niqab, which hides the face completely but leaves a slit for the eyes. Today, however, Instagram and TikTok are awash with Do-It-Yourself videos on putting together stylish looks. There are tailored suits, abayas in luxurious silks, printed co-ord sets, and bucket hats and baseball caps sewn onto hijabs for a sports-friendly version. Given the growing purchasing power in the Gulf, labels such as Dolce & Gabbana, Miu Miu, Max Mara and Louis Vuitton are tapping into the region’s discerning market, through overstated designs or understated elegance.

Couture houses have taken to making garments that envelope and shield your body. There is a fresh balance of opposing elements, from strength and softness to structure and floor-swishing fluidity, Vogue’s recent take on “Torah-teacher aesthetic” notwithstanding. Take, for instance, Malala Yousafzai’s captivating hooded silver sequined gown with a cinch detail on one side of the waist by Ralph Lauren at the Academy Awards earlier this year, or Rihanna’s choice of a blood-red leather Alaïa hooded coat, or Priyanka Chopra Jonas who chose to wear a carmine-hued Ralph Lauren ensemble with a gold beaded cape-style hood at the Met Gala in 2018.

From runways to reality

Elongated bulbous sleeves, enough ruffles to chastely conceal décolletage and full-bodied sumptuous skirts that even Rei Kawakubo would approve of, designers and brands are playing to their strengths with offerings that not just find favour on runways and red carpets but in reality too. Be it the sculptural splendour of Proenza Schouler coats, midi skirts from Loewe or Valentino’s boxy silhouettes, modern modest clothing entails dressing to your liking without compromising on style. This perception of modest fashion, of course, differs from person to person, and is shaped by factors such as one’s upbringing, cultural traditions, personal preferences, and how connected they feel to their roots or faith.  

Who doesn’t want to be able to move around with ease? With comfort comes strength and, well, swagger, without having to be mindful of our hemlines or tug at our straps. Representation is important; what is equally important is the empowerment of choice, of dressing the way you feel like.

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