Why is modest fashion a good business idea?
Of course, with modest fashion often having its roots in religion, the concept has been around for a long time. However, what is new is how it’s becoming more and more mainstream. For example, H&M released a modest clothing range in 2018, while ASOS, in collaboration with Verona Collection, launched a ‘modest fashion edit’ in 2019.
The ASOS collection uses a number of models, including a model who wears a headscarf – indeed, hijab style is a big part of the modest fashion concept.
Modest fashion also offers a way to increase representation in the fashion world and beyond, as well as reinforcing the importance of diversity and inclusion. Not only does it make business sense to cater to as many customers as possible, but it could be said to reflect wider cultural changes, allowing us to question and challenge commonly held perceptions around fashion and style.
Modest fashion is making headlines around the world, with Vogue Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, and Harper’s Bazaar Singapore featuring it on their sites.
Yet it’s not only established titles that are promoting it – as these articles about modest fashion influencers show, the concept is making waves online too. For example, at the time of writing, the hashtag #modestfashion had 2.2 million posts on Instagram.
And there are modest fashion vloggers, too: With Love, Leena, a US-based YouTuber, has 478,000 subscribers, while popular UK-based YouTubers include Amena, whose channel currently has 410,000 subscribers, and AyeshaHak, who has amassed more than 10,000 followers since joining YouTube in 2018.
Modest fashion was even the focus of an episode of Netflix’s Follow This documentary series in 2018.
But modest fashion doesn’t have to be faith-based. The ‘bourgeois’ style has been predicted to be a major fashion trend from the autumn winter 2019 fashion shows, with Vogue dubbing bourgeois as the biggest trend of the season, and The Guardian offering a guide on ‘how to wear: bourgeois chic’.
So what constitutes bourgeois fashion, exactly? With a focus on minimal design, neutral colours, pussybow blouses, knee-high boots, and long skirts, it consists of traditional, conservative clothes. Sometimes, these items come with a twist: garments can have more ‘out there’ aspects, like animal print or leather features. Whichever way it’s interpreted, it’s clear to see the bourgeois trend favours covering up.
via https://www.AiUpNow.com/ by Scarlett Cook, Khareem Sudlow
