The New Modesty Movement
Living in Utah, I am at the heart of the modest clothing movement. The Latter Day Saint community, AKA the Mormons, has a practice of dressing conservatively. Changing social norms and styles have led parents in this community – as well as many others around the US – to rebel against what they see as improper dress, particularly when it comes to their children. Their demand for more modest standards from clothing designers and their efforts to positively influence what their daughters wear has gained a lot of momentum recently.
The interesting thing is, girls are responding. A recent article by TrendCentral found that many tween girls are voluntarily changing their clothing style, modeling their mothers’ more conservative style and taking cues from entertainment outlets that now feature kids in more innocent attire.
Whether your interest in the movement is based on religious affiliation, values, trend-spotting, or simply your desire to help your little girl stay a little girl for as long as she can be, here are tips offered by proponents of modest girls’ clothing for shopping and dressing in style.
Building your daughter’s wardrobe
There are a number of clothing items available at your local stores that are cute, modest, and in style. Start by looking for items that meet these criteria, such as long, flowy skirts, pants with natural waist lines, tees and hoodies. You can build from there.
Not all clothing is inherently modest. Avoid low-cut pants, deep necklines, short skirts, midriff tops, too-tight clothing, and see-through fabrics as much as possible. Or, consider supplementing these items with accessories and other pieces to create a modest, yet stylish outfit. Leggings have made a serious comeback recently, and can be worn beneath skirts, dresses, and long shirts to provide coverage and comfort. Outfits can also be modified with shrugs, jackets, wraps, shawls, cardigans, tank tops/camisoles and undershirts to keep arms, bellies, and necklines covered.
Testing clothes at the store
Before buying things, have your daughter try them on and then see if they pass the following tests offered by Dannah Gresh, founder of Pure Freedom:
- Is the shirt too tight?
- Does her belly show if she lifts her arms above her head?
- Is a pantyline visible through the pants or skirt she is trying on?
- Is too much leg exposed by her shorts or skirt if she sits cross-legged?
- Do pants reveal too much leg or back side if she bends forward in them?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may opt not to purchase the item. But, buying one size larger than your daughter would typically wear, layering clothing items, looking for a different style of pants, or modifying the outfit with other clothing can also result in a more modest look.
Stylish, but Modest Clothing Sources
- DownEast Basics
- Modbe Clothing
- Splendid
- Ella Moss Girl
- See the Modest Clothing Directory for more clothing sources
Posted in 
Tags: 
