Modesty or dressing modestly has no set rule, but it does have basic factors to consider that can help you feel confident in your modest dressing and customise it to fit your style.

WHAT IS MODESTY & WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?

Before we begin, let's define what modesty means. If you're in a rush scroll till you see a burnt orange box.

Modesty is the act of having a humble or moderate estimate of one's own merits or importance and avoiding vanity, egotism, boastfulness, or great pretensions in your daily life.

Essentially, being modest means dressing and behaving in an acceptable way that is respectful to oneself and others. This includes dressing in less revealing clothes that cover more skin.
Now that we’ve covered that, I hope you can now visualise what modesty looks like.

Modesty appeals to people for a variety of reasons whether it's rooted in faith, personal preference, or maturity. Whatever the reason I am glad that you’ve decided to adopt modesty, and as Christians, we believe it is how God wants us to live our lives. So we hope we can be of great help to you in your modest journey.

Let’s now move on to the main part of this blog-how to start dressing modestly. Keep in mind that this is just a rough guide, so feel free to customise it to your financial goals and other needs. A lot of these tips and techniques are from TikTok, personal research, courses etc. Not an expert but, let's help each other!

Step 1 - Take a good look at what you have -

To start, assess your closet and distinguish between modest and immodest clothing and remove the immodest clothing that can't be made modest. Whilst you’re at it, consider removing clothes you no longer like or that no longer fit you (Want a guide for that? let us know!). What you decide to do with these clothes is up to you, but options include selling, recycling, or upcycling them if they're still in good condition.

Here's a basic guideline to help you know what to look out for:

Step 2 - Separating the modest pieces if you have any -

Now that your closet is full of modest pieces (with a few acceptions), let's move on to the separation of the basics from the trendy stuff. Look at your tops, bottoms and dresses in your closet to separate the basics from the non-basics.

If you’re unsure how to, you can, depending on your closet, put basics on the top and the non-basics on the bottom, or place them on either side of your closet with a bunch of hangers separating them in the middle, that's how I've done mine.‍

How do you know if it’s basic? Basics basically go with everything and can be worn to any occasion, they're usually plain in style but vary in neckline, fit and cuts depending on personal style. When looking for basics I would suggest focusing on the neckline and fit, as different cuts are basics but sometimes don’t go with everything.

The next step has image examples of what the basics look like. You can do step 2 using the images from step 3. But for now, separate the basics based on your knowledge of basics already. We will refine it in the next step.

Step 3 - The basics you have and what you need -

Since the aim is to effortlessly create stunning outfits, having a complete or nearly complete basics collection is essential. Why? Because with basics, everything goes with everything, ensuring you always have something to wear.

Have a look at the basics that you’ve separated and compare them with the list below, and take note of the basics you're missing. The goal is to have all these basic pieces in black, white, cream and any other neutral colour (based on personal style preferences), varying in fit (relaxed, fitted and oversized) and neckline (round, boat, V, etc.) Ready?

I know it’s a lot, so don’t be upset if you don’t have all these basics because I don’t. ‍

REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT A RULE…just a guide. Basics can come in different styles (fits, cuts & necklines), so make sure you like the style. 

Step 4 - Buying what you need or not -

Now you've identified the basics you already have and the ones you're missing, you have a clear idea of what you need to complete your wardrobe. I’m not saying buy all of these right now, but it is a good investment if you are serious about improving your wardrobe. To manage costs, consider starting with a few items in each section (tops, bottoms, shoes), ensuring they vary in colour, fit, and neckline.

Keep in mind that you can still buy non-basics, but you need to make sure you have pieces in your wardrobe that can be paired with the pieces you want to buy.

Step 5 - An alternative solution if you have a lot of trendy stuff -

Take a look at your non-basic, trendy pieces that you have chosen to keep (if not, consider revisiting step 1). For each piece, try to match it with a capsule piece in your closet. Don't force it – if you can't find anything that pairs well with the trendy piece, add a basic piece to your shopping list that will complement it. By doing this, you'll have something to pair with the trendy piece, and because it's a basic, you can match it with many other trendy and basic pieces. It's a quick fix to ensure you always have something stylish to wear.

Step 6 - Adding Personality to your wardrobe -

To infuse a touch of style into your basics, start by identifying the foundational pieces of your chosen aesthetic. Gather images of your preferred style and pinpoint the most basic pieces that can form an outfit within that aesthetic. Make a note of these essentials – they may align closely with the basics mentioned earlier, with a few additions like a hoodie or a cardigan. This approach ensures that when you buy trendy pieces, you'll have pieces to pair them with to match your chosen aesthetic.

Alternatively, you can enhance your style by diversifying your basics collection with different cuts, fits, necklines, and colour schemes. Additionally, invest in trendy pieces that complement your basics, allowing for versatile and stylish outfit combinations.

I know it’s a lot but it’s either this or me telling you to buy random things from Amazon.

WHAT IF I HAVE A PERSONAL STYLE?

Great! we would suggest you create a Pinterest board or gather images of your style visually represented and take note of the types of clothing, necklines, cuts, neutral colours and fits so that you know what to look for in terms of basics.

BEYOND THE CLOTHING

Remember modesty isn't just about what you wear but how you present yourself and live your life. It’s important to live a pure and honest life, being respectful to others and yourself. Being humble, slow to anger and a bundle of joy wherever you go, living within your means and not caring what others think but only what God thinks of you.

Hope this helped, stay tuned for more modesty blogs.

Any questions, queries, topics we should cover or anything we should add to this blog, make sure to get in touch with us!

God bless you!