There are two levels of dressing modestly that pertain to my personal life. First came the intellectual ideals of how the way I dressed which affected the way I acted and felt, then came the practical implementation of using style, not to define me, but to enhance my beliefs.
As an orthodox jewish student living in a modern world I have learned that dressing modestly never means forfeiting fashion or looking frumpy, just adapting what’s beautiful to ensure I never have to forgo my self respect.
The jewish idea of tznius, loosely translated as modesty, is a lot bigger than just standards of dress. It’s not about keeping guys’ eyes off of women or becoming a subservient wallflower. No, for women following guidelines of modesty, the goal is dressing with the dignity we deserve.
Our clothing is a constantly changing costume. What a girl wears always affects how she feels, the way people view her, and how she acts. What you wear puts you in the zone of how people see you. Now imagine always dressing classy, beautiful, put together, but never overdone.
You would be viewed by others as classy, beautiful, and elegant, but it would never eclipse your personality. You feel good about yourself, you can be yourself, and people see the real you. Can you say winning, please, everybody?
But as for the fun stuff: how to use your wardrobe to create endless class.
Step 1: Find a staple and stick to it. One of my best clothing friends is the pencil skirt. There’s the black pencil skirt, the jean pencil skirt, the stretchy pencil skirt…just a whole lot of skirts. The best thing about them are their instant ability to dress up every outfit. The overdressed-underdressed dilemma virtually disappears because you are always in the neutral, dressed for all occasions zone.
Step 2: Layers! Of course this is a generally great tip for everyone to use during the winter. In terms of modesty, it’s important to remember that while we were given a beautiful body to keep strong and healthy, there is really no reason to let the world see ever bit of our anatomy. We’re young, attractive, perfect in many ways, but even with all of that we are still much more than just a body.
I recommend investing in quality, basic and statement camisoles, tank tops, and undershirts that you can mix and match for most outfits. Follow this with all sorts of tops, cardigans, vests and sweaters. It’s really a free for all once you’ve developed a style that represents, but doesn’t eclipse you.
Step 3: Don’t be afraid to accessorize. Please, do NOT look drab! Take care of your appearance, and have fun with it. Color is our friend, shoes (obviously) are your friend, scarves, jewelry- you decide what makes you feel positive and beautiful.
Yes, I keep my neckline up and my hemline low, but I never miss out in fashion. No, my clothing doesn’t cling or drape formlessly, but you will see me in a lot of sparkle, prints, lace, and color. (Read: infatuation with all shades of purple.)
I love fashion, I love being girly, but most of all I love dressing myself with dignity. It’s about having taste and grace in your attire to allow the world to see the charm in your personality and essence.