I requested this book but unfortunately never got around to fully reading as upon starting I realised it wasn’t a book that resonated with my tastes and interests. That isn’t to say it isn’t a good book, just that I should have realised sooner that my tastes differ

An interesting read that I'm glad to have discovered. I'll definitely be seeking out more by this author.

Modesty was a fascinating look into the development in the modest fashion industry over the past decade. It's a topic I've previously read about in such books as Pious Fashion by Elizabeth Bucar. Modesty provides an overview of the modest fashion industries in Egypt, Indonesia, Iran and Turkey. I felt that these chapters could have been a bit more in depth, but as I've already got more than a passing knowledge of the subject it didn't really bother me that much. It explores what modest fashion actually means to different people in different cultural contexts. It also explores whether or not the very idea of modest fashion is contradictory to the spirit of modesty in Islam, which I found fascinating.
It also contains chapters focusing on influencers and businesses, which was not quite as interesting to me, as I prefer the more academic chapters.
On the whole, a wonderful read. I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in fashion or aspects of Islam in different cultures.

Interesting book. Did feel repetitive throughout, with much of the same information referred to in different places, almost as if this could have done with better organization into chapters and planning (it did feel lumped together throughout). But what made me enjoy this a bit less is that many pages read almost like a catalog of modest brands and/or modest bloggers with their names dropped all through along with their Instagram handles (which makes you want/need to drop the book and go open Instagram to know who & what the author is talking about). This aspect was a bit heavy and took away from the actual topic - a lot of times after so much name-dropping, I had to blink and ask myself, So what is the author supposed to actually be talking about right now?
Bit too rambling and repetitive on the whole, though it is a treasure trove of modest brand names and blogger inspiration

An overview of the evolution of the modest fashion industry over the past decade with profiles of some of the big names in brands, designers, and influencers.
While the whole was a bit uneven (the chapter detailing the last hundred years of modest fashion in Turkey, Iran, Egypt, and Indonesia was simplified to a level that felt shallow), the chapter about the ongoing debate about the whether or not the idea of modest fashion is a contradiction in terms, since to be fashionable is to stand out, makes it worth the read. There's also some solid discussion about the varied interpretations of modesty across cultures and times (although again, the historical view doesn't go very deep) and how that plays out in the mainstream fashion sphere (and for influencers, on social media).

The challenge with a book like this is that it can feel like advertising, and the chapters on both businesses and influencers in here were a little too close to that line for me (but full disclosure: maybe that's just because I'm trying to cut back on my own shopping!). Regardless, for anyone who is unfamiliar with this subsection of fashion, I think that will give them some names to explore (and I can see this being a decent gift for a teenager who is experimenting with modest fashion themselves).

The version I read was an eARC from NetGalley.

This book was an amazing read! It was the perfect balance of social and political issues without being preachy. If you are interested in fashion I think this book would be so interesting for you. If you identify as a modest dresser (whatever that may be to you) this book really opened up my eyes to the different issues and changes the fashion industry and its consumers have dealt with. My personal favourite chapters were the more political ones, coming from an academic political background I found it fascinating.

I enjoyed the interviews with women from different backgrounds and faiths discussing what modesty means to them and the reassurance that modesty is personal. I felt like the author did a great job highlighting different actors in the industry (designers, influencers). It explores the controversies within the fashion world and highlights brands who are seeking to change some of the issues (sustainability, environmental, human rights).

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in fashion and the role it plays in our lives and society.

I hadn't heard of the author before seeing the front cover. A very interesting and very relevant read from someone qualified to write about the topic. It's provides great insight into modest fashion and is eye-opening.

Modest fashion is such a debatable topic to talk about, no matter the religion and the geographical area considered.

Indeed, it is originaly force upon women by men, and its rules are set by men - in their capacity of fathers, husbands and religious leaders - but women themselves may assume a religious choice and direct their fashion options based on their faith requirements. Within the limits set by society and politics - especially in those countries where institutions impose on women their choices - style and spirituality can create specific needs and requests, especialy among the educated, welltravelled middle class women.

Modesty. A Fashion Paradox by Hafsa Lodi considers what does fashion mean for a new generation of Muslim women from all the possible angles and points of view.

It might be that those women living in the Middle East and able to express themselves through fashion are the luckiest ones. They already made a religious choice, and the hijab was not imposed on themselves as a political tool of pressure. They do not need to risk their freedom for their choice of clothes. They have more than enough financial resources, eventually a family background that confers them a certain status, and they want to spend the money by purchasing goods that do resonate with their religious choices while looking fresh from the Western catwalks. Some do own (online) fashion stores aiming at high-end customers, like one of my favorite outlets featured in the book, Bouguessa. In the end, the end-customers might be not necessarily religious, but having their own style, aimed at revealing less, among others. Everything is a matter of options, as long as women are offered the choices for expressing themselves.

The discussion slightly shifts when it comes to Muslim identity - and observant religious identity in general - in the Western societies as such. Hijab and head covering in general are considered an intrusion which conflicts with the values of open societies and in subsidiary, it might happen to be used as a prozelytism/ideological tool by religious establishment keen to set its borders within the democratic society.

However, the ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings of modesty does not diminish the demand for modest clothing. Hafsa Lodi is covering not only the Muslim projects in this respect, but relies on similar trends within other communities of faith, including some of my favorite modest Jewish fashion creators, such as Frock NY, RaJu, Mimu Maxi and Batsheva, among others. Those companies count among their faithful customers many Muslim women happy to have found the clothing that suit their style. At the same time, fashion brands - from H&M to Christian Dior - started in the last years to include modest fashion - including hijabs - as part of their collections.

´Most Muslim modest wear labels based in the West are founded by women who have struggled to find stylish attire that fits with tnheir personal dress codes, and to designing prices for themselves instead, only to realize that there was huge demand from their peers´. Hafsa Lodi adds a lot of examples and features many companies and women entrepreneurs involved in the modest fashion industry based in UAE or Turkey, some of them with a high rate of glamorous success.

Modesty is a book that helps understanding various trends and fashion choices, including as a way of self-expression. It explains many details and add a lot of depth into concepts that are usually featured in a hurry and which do have a heavy emotional weight. It is a reality that there are women for whom faith is a huge part of their lifestyle, including as a self-assumed choice. Understanding the trends and having an overview over the various options is a step towards a better understanding of the phenomenon, which most probably is here to stay for a very long time. It also helps to understand and respect those options of the women who are expressing themselves differently through clothes and everyday lifestyle.

While it looks in-deph at the subject of modesty in-depth, the book's focus is almost entirely on modest dressing in the context of Islam. While the author acknowledges that non-Moslem women dress modestly for various reasons, often also religious, she doesn't give concrete examples. The question is more charged for Moslem women, but the book would be improved if other types of women and issues were considered.

Intriguing Look At Muslim Fashion and the Rise of Generation M Through That Lens. I grew up in a very conservative Christian region. The church I grew up in wasn't hyper strict on dress code (though it was still enforced that pants and closed toed shoes were required for males, which I chafed at every summer - this was outside of Atlanta, after all), but I new others that were very much in the vein that Lodi describes in brief flashes of this book where she looks at any form of Christianity at all, including the Mormon friend that she references in the introduction and conclusion.

But overall this book is hyper focused on modest fashion *as seen through the lens of Muslim females, particularly Millenial Muslim females*. Lodi does a seemingly good job of showing the last century or so of history of how we got to this moment in female Muslim fashion, from early efforts to liberalize and get away from the traditional coverings to the movements to go back under the abayas and burqas as a protest of such liberalization. She does a decent job of examining the various social arguments both for and against both covering and even making the covers more fashionable.

But what really sets the book apart is just how tied into Instagram in particular it is. Indeed, seemingly every single time Lodi first mentions a person, she also mentions their Instagram handle if they have one - and most everyone she mentions has one.

Arguably the most glaring weakness of the book - and it isn't actually big enough that I can bring myself to ding a single star, it is more of the difference between run of the mill and transcendental - *is* the hyper focus on Muslim fashion specifically. Yes, the other Abrahamic faiths are mentioned a few times, and even no faith at all is mentioned at times, but the lens is absolutely through the one particular viewpoint. The book very much could have benefited from maybe as little as two extra chapters - one on Christian modest fashion/ rationales and another on secular, "skin care" type modest fashion/ rationales.

But ultimately a strong book from within its perspective, and seemingly very complete and as up to date as a book can be. Very much recommended.

As a non-hijab wearing Muslim woman living in Western society, I have frequently been exposed to conflicting views on the idea of modesty and fashion. As a result, I have struggled with the subjective nature of modesty. One person’s perception of modest dress may be immodest to another and vice versa. I am also interested in the different historical patterns in terms of modesty. For all of these reasons and more, this book caught my attention as soon as I heard about it. 

I went into this book thinking that I had a pretty good grasp of the modest fashion movement but discovered that I knew very little. I was surprised by how many big companies such as H&M, Dolce & Gabbana, and Nike, created products to fill the gap/need for modest clothing in western society and the middle east. It was also addressed that this was often primarily financially motivated resulting in poor execution due to lack of engagement.

Lodi also explores the different reactions that the modest fashion movement has had from both sides. While many celebrate the emergence of hijabi models onto the fashion scene, there has also been a lot of criticism. Some believe that modesty and modelling are paradoxical in nature while others have expressed disdain in seeing the hijab “normalized”. This ties back to the subjective nature of modesty.

I really enjoyed the chapter that discussed the different trends in modest wear/hijab over time and across various countries. It was also great that the final chapter addressed modest fashion for men as well, although I wish this was discussed more throughout the book.

Overall, this was well written and a great read. It was well researched and a lot of different ideas were explored. Modest fashion was from so many angles such as political, various religions, feminist approaches, and business. I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in modest fashion or just fashion in general.

This book explores the premise held in Western societies that modesty is a sign of subjectivity and highlights the retailers and Muslim fashion bloggers who are pushing back against this mentality. I think this premise is a very interesting one and appreciated the book tackling such an interesting and relevant topic.

A very interesting book about the different cultures and how they dress. It tells you about how the high streets and fashion labels have taken to putting themselves out there in the shops for the different cultures and how it has been perceived by the general public.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.