Elizabeth Bucar is an associate professor of religious studies at Northeastern University, and is the author of the recently published book Pious Fashion: How Muslim Women Dress. In this op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, she writes about the new emergence of modest fashion into the mainstream commenting “for most of the years of my research, the fashion world barely noticed Muslim style and the style makers I studied. But now I see pious fashion showing up on catwalks, in department stores and on non-Muslim women. It’s almost as if modesty has gone mainstream.”
Ms. Bucar gives compelling examples of how far modest fashion has come in the last few years – citing a $2,000 Dolce & Gabbana abaya at Harrods in London; Jakarta-based Anniesa Hasibuan, the first designer to show an Islamic collection in New York Fashion Week’s; British designer Hana Tajima modest wear collection for Uniqlo; CoverGirl’s new hijabi wearing spokeswoman Nura Afia and finally, this season’s Project Runway contestant Ayana Ife who specializes in modest fashion. [Note: be sure to CLICK ONTO the links as Storybank has covered all these topics].
“I can’t help thinking that modesty is spreading because of the tremendous style success of young Muslim women, like the ones who have taught me so much about pious fashion,” pens Ms. Bucar in her piece. “They look covered and cool. Pious and modern. Their sartorial savvy is at least one reason why women are being told midi skirts and turtlenecks are wardrobe essentials for the fall.”
