Title Modest dressing: faith based fashion and the internet retail Type Report URL http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/4911/ Date 2011 Citation Lewis, Reina["lib/metafield:join_ualname" not defined]Tarlo, Emma (2011) Modest dressing: faith based fashion and the internet retail. Project Report. University of the Arts London, London, UK. Creators Lewis, Reina["lib/metafield:join_ualname" not defined]Tarlo, Emma

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Unless otherwise stated, copyright owned by the author MODEST DRESSING

FAITH-BASED FASHION AND INTERNET RETAIL MODEST DRESSING: FAITH-BASED FASHION AND INTERNET RETAIL The last two decades has seen the development Modest Dressing: Faith-based fashion and of a rapidly expanding and diversifying internet retail set out to explore the market for market for modest fashion, arising initially and the dialogues about modest dressing that from and serving the needs of women from were developing online, and their relationship the three Abrahamic faiths, Islam, Judaism, to practices off-line. The project set out and Christianity, who are motivated to dress speciically to explore if and how e-commerce modestly for religious reasons. This market is and commentary online were encouraging also sustained by women whose ‘look’ may share shopping and dialogue that went across many elements of modest styling but who do boundaries of faith. not regard their processes of self-fashioning in terms of religion or modesty as such. For both groups the internet has been central to the rapid growth of the modest fashion sector, fostering the development of a niche market through e-commerce, and providing virtual platforms for debates on modesty and fashion on websites, blogs, and discussion groups (fora).

The project was led by Principal Investigator Modest Fashion: Faith-based fashion and internet Reina Lewis, Professor of Cultural Studies retail ran from March 2010 for one year under the at the London College of Fashion, with auspices of the Religion and Society Programme Dr Emma Tarlo, who is Reader in Anthropology funded by the British research councils, the at Goldsmiths, London, as the Co-Investigator, Arts and Humanities Research Council and the and with the appointment of Jane Cameron as Economic and Social Science Research Council. the project researcher. A second, further phase of the project has been funded by the London College of Fashion in order to present the work to the widest possible audience with a conference, a media event, a book publication, and this project summary (see links at end of this document for more information).

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INTRODUCTION

Having been researching and publishing on The project was focused on the use of the Muslim women and dress for some time, we had internet by modest dressers and those WHY THIS recognised that modest dressing was on the companies that seek to supply them with increase among women from other faiths as clothing. From research already carried out, well – although both in the UK, and elsewhere, it was our hypothesis that e-retail was making the press and popular focus was nearly always it possible for companies and brands to meet RESEARCH AND on Muslim women wearing hijab. This project the needs of this niche market. We also thought was designed to widen the frame in which that women seeking modest apparel were modest dressing is discussed by exploring how more likely to shop from online companies WHY NOW? women from different, or no, faith communities outside of their faith because shopping online were getting involved in and sharing their ideas is de-territorialised and de-materialised: about modest dressing. nobody sees what you look like or what you buy. It was also our contention that the internet did more than simply sell: we wanted to explore how internet discussions on blogs and in discussion fora were bringing women from different faith and secular backgrounds into discussion with each other about their varying interpretations of modesty.

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CONTEXT

The numbers of women wanting to dress In the UK it has been Muslim designers and modesty in accordance with their understanding entrepreneurs who have led the way in the STYLING A of their faith is growing in the UK and around the development of the niche market in modest world, most notably among the three Abrahamic clothing. In the US and Canada other faith groups faiths, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. that have dress requirements show similar In all three of these religious communities it is developments in the commercial production and NEW MODEST especially among young women that modest distribution of clothing: predominantly but not dressing is on the rise, and they, more so than exclusively ultra-orthodox and modern orthodox their mothers or grandmothers, are combining Jews, and some Christian groups like Mormons GENERATION modest dress with mainstream fashion styles (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or and shapes. For this digital generation, as well LDS). In most cases, internet marketing allows as for older women, the internet has proved brands to reach beyond their immediate location, indispensible in sourcing fashionable solutions serving consumers nationally, internationally, to modesty requirements. and across boundaries of faith.

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Opportunities for commerce Opportunities for commentary The rise of the modest blogosphere The reduced costs and marketing opportunities Companies involved in e-retail often have The signiicance of the internet in stimulating Outside of the commercial sector the associated with internet retail have facilitated material on their websites about modesty activity in relation to modest dressing does blogosphere is increasingly populated with the creation, invention even, of all sorts of new or faith that is not directly commercial, and not apply only to designers, manufacturers, modest fashion bloggers from all three faith niche markets. It is in this context that modest frequently host links to other sites of educational, and brands, but also to the development of groups. Like all fashion bloggers the modest fashion has emerged as a lively specialist market spiritual, and political material, as well as to new forms of fashion advice and mediation such fashion bloggers were initially independent. offering new routes to consumers for existing fashion websites generally. Increasingly brands, as blogs, virtual magazines, and discussion Like other sectors of the blogosphere, an A list off-line companies and providing affordable even small brands, also run a blog and have fora that make it easier for women to join in of ‘star’ modest fashion bloggers is emerging. lower risk opportunities for e-retail start-ups. a presence on social media like Facebook discussions about modest dressing and its Increasingly the most well-known are being and Twitter. This is sometimes outsourced role in their lives. sought for collaborations with brands, some to companies specialising in social media, of them starting their own brands or e-shops. sometimes from within the brand originator’s This coincides with the emergence of corporate faith community. In this modest fashion brands blogs on brand websites, often presented as if are replicating the marketing practices now they are the output of a single person/author. common in mainstream fashion and lifestyle Composite blogs made up of groups of modest sectors of trying to encourage consumers to fashion aicionados are also appearing as the identify with the brand not just the product. modest blog sector continues to expand and In this case, the identiication fostered is both experiment. Key bloggers attract large with the brand and with practices of modesty. numbers of followers, and often run very active comments streams with respondents from all over the world and from a variety of faith, or secular, positions.

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ONLINE DIALOGUE

ABOUT The internet also offers opportunities for more Women who are interested in modesty sustained relection about modest fashion in without necessarily linking it to faith are also discussion fora, some of which are linked to participating in fora debates. Age, position in particular religious groups, others of which the life cycle and so forth emerge as factors RELIGIOUS & are built around the notion of modesty. Like the which play a signiicant role in people’s comments posted on blogs, discussion fora engagement with modesty at different stages make dialogue possible between women from of their lives. These discussions often highlight ‘SECUL AR’ different faiths who might not interact in other women’s ambivalence towards mainstream circumstances. They create a very interesting fashion trends. space for interfaith engagement where women share subjective experiences of modesty and MODESTY recognise points of similarity and difference between faiths.

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MODEST WARDROBE COMPONENTS

This research has found convergence and In terms of apparel, ultra-orthodox Jewish and therefore entirely unsuitable, Muslim Ultra-orthodox Jewish groups may require divergence in the deinitions of modesty and women often require sleeves that extend to the women, many of whom especially in the UK clothes to be manufactured in line with the styles of dressing required and preferred by wrist and necklines that cover or reach above come from Asian communities with a tradition laws of kashrut (not mixing wool with linen for the three faith communities studied. Whilst all the collar bone. Modern orthodox Jewish women of bifurcated dress for both women and men, example), whilst Christian and other Jewish three religions share a concern with which parts may also want to cover to their elbows and see no obstacle to wearing trousers per se. groups do not have requirements about of the body should be revealed to which people sometimes to the collar bone, though sometimes In this Muslim women are aligned with many manufacture as such. (All groups also shop and in which spaces, there is no consensus a neckline that is simply reasonably high will Christian women, such as those in the LDS at mainstream fashion stores even if they between faiths on modesty policy and there is be considered suficient. Many Muslim women community who regularly wear trousers – sometimes end up modifying the clothes to considerable debate within each faith about how will also cover their chest and collarbone when although there is also evidence in the US of suit demands of modesty.) modesty should be expressed. It is therefore in the presence of non-familial men, but as women from diverse Christian denominations impossible to provide a fool-proof guide to what this is often accompanied by wearing forms of and communities who commit to wearing ‘no Women in all three faiths groups are united by women in different faith communities want in head-covering (hijab), the garments underneath pants’ (i.e. trousers) within an understanding a shared desire to look fashionable. Though the relation to modest dress – how women interpret may not need to be so high cut. Ultra-orthodox that certain versions of femininity and feminine degree to which one’s fashionability should be modesty can change in relation to mainstream and modern orthodox Jewish women who are behaviour are more religiously appropriate. conspicuous may vary, women in their thirties fashions (which might make it easier or harder married will often also cover their heads or hair and forties and most especially their daughters to shop on the high street for example) or to with a combination of headscarves, wigs, or hats. Unlike Jewish or Muslim women, LDS women in their teens and twenties no longer expect to their life circumstances. But here are a few very But unlike some, but not all, Muslim women are more likely to wear clothing that reveals achieve modesty through wearing ‘ethnic’ or broad summaries that may be of use to who wear hijab, Jewish women are not likely to the shape of the body. This is because, within home-made clothing. They want to buy apparel our different readers. consider it essential to cover their neck between a general emphasis on modesty, dress that is directly related to mainstream global the ears and the shoulders. requirements are often understood as fashion trends. necessary to cover the holy Temple garment Both Jewish and Muslim modest dressers are worn under their clothes by many church unlikely to wear clothes that cling to or reveal the members rather than to obscure the shape of shape of the body. But whereas ultra-orthodox the body that wears it. Jewish women regard trousers as male clothing

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— 1 — — 2 — — 3 — — 4 — — 5 — — 6 — As we had thought, our research We also found that brands are Some companies, especially more Our research tracked the Modest dressing is not solely As well as including ‘secular’ did indeed demonstrate that there often prepared to adapt their recent start-ups, deliberately many ways that the internet is the preserve of the religious: dressers, one of the key is a thriving online market for offering and their web presence to avoid speciic religious facilitating discussions about we discovered a vocal cohort contributions of this research, in modest clothing. This is a market welcome cross faith consumers. connotations at all, and some modest dressing and behaviour of modest dressers who deine the European context especially, that is growing, segmenting, and Some brands have speculated also avoid the term ‘modest’ itself in commercial and non-proit themselves as non-religious, is to widen understandings diversifying. It is also a market on altering their name and/or inding that it can obstruct sales online modes. These discussions or secular, as well as religious of Muslim modest dress to that is being fuelled by women website presentation so that their to mainstream wholesalers and involve women in forms of intra- women who don’t identify faith include Muslim women who from a variety of faiths, with company and its products are put off some retail consumers. and inter-faith dialogue that they as the key motivator for their are committed to modest self- consumers increasingly shopping less overtly associated with a might not enter into ofline – modest self-presentation. presentation but do not interpret from brands originating in faith particular faith. with bloggers at the forefront of For some women, modest is a this to include a headscarf (hijab) groups other than their own. the development of thoughtful useful term, with all its various let alone a face veil. new netiquettes. overtones, whilst other women might simply say that they dress in ways ‘appropriate’ to their age, occupation, or location.

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— 7 — — 8 — — 9 — — 10 — — 11 — — 12 — Looking at women entrepreneurs In light of this thriving set of The market is diversifying and Across all three faith communities The modest fashion sector and This new cohort is able to combine and bloggers, our research online communities, we have segmenting with entrepreneurs generation was a signiicant related commentary is a very modesty with more radical identiied virtual activity about concluded that the internet is branching out to cater to speciic factor, with several designers fast moving ield. Already by fashion forward aesthetics, modest fashion as an important not simply selling products that sectors of the modest dressing and entrepreneurs telling us that 2011 we can talk about a ‘second beneiting from the ground arena through which women can facilitate pre-existent practices of population. It seems likely that they were motivated to start their generation’ of young designers broken by the earliest modest participate in the development modest dress but is – though the modest dressing consumers in companies in the early 2000s in and fashion advisors (on blogs, fashion manufacturers and online of new forms of religious combination of commerce and the future will be able to choose order to provide clothes for their social media, digital magazines) mediators. They can presume on authority, usually seen as male- commentary - helping to grow from companies that design pre-teen and teenage daughters who are increasingly conident audience of their peers - younger dominated. This has the potential and legitimate modest practices. styles aimed at sub-segments of that could meet their needs to with mainstream fashion industry consumers who have grown up to displace discourses about the modest sector in line with the be fashionable without making styles and methods and can with globalised consumer culture modesty away from traditional forms of segmentation common their parents too anxious about adapt them for the modest and style media - who are able religious authority structures. within mainstream apparel transgressing community norms market with more lexibility than to decode the modest potential marketing (age, occupation, regarding modesty. the modest sector pioneers even of on-trend garments presented lifestyle, taste, and income). of the early 2000s. on websites whose styling owes This trend to micro-marketing more to Dazed and Confused than is likely to continue whilst the Church circular. participation in modest dressing continues to rise in numbers and to diversify in trends and tastes.

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CONCLUSION

The markets for modest clothing aimed at, The internet is a channel for both commerce Blogs, discussion fora, and social media Whilst the mainstream market continues largely and produced by, particular faith groups have and commentary. As a means of commerce discussion about modest dressing should be to ignore modest dressers as a consumer expanded and segmented. This development the internet facilitates and at times promotes taken seriously not only as new forms of fashion demographic, within the specialist modest facilitates access to modest fashion and to women’s participation in forms of modest discourse but also as new forms of religious fashion sector the range of garments being sold some extent also stimulates interest in it. In a dressing, often religiously motivated. This is in disputation and interfaith dialogue. These digital to meet modesty needs and the ways that they sense what we have seen is the birth or rebirth keeping with the growing commodiication of platforms uniquely foreground women’s voices are marketed is expanding and diversifying. The of the category of ‘modest fashion’ which has religious experience within modern consumer and can foster new forms of connection within, presence of apparel designed and marketed to become legitimated through and by the internet. culture, and is subject to the same tensions between, and across faiths. They are especially appeal to different segments and the growing It functions simultaneously as a taste making and concerns on the part of some religious signiicant for telling us about the lived practices range of commentary and debate online indicates mechanism, an ideological category, and a commentators and authorities. As a mode of of religion which can not be gleaned from the vitality of a ield that continues to develop. marketing device. This combination of activities communication, the internet offers opportunities theological texts. in relation to modest fashion contributes to a for women to develop and express opinions and situation in which women can ind it easier to be religious interpretations that may not be easily able to dress in line with their sense of piety but possible within the often male-dominated formal still in fashion. structures of religious organisations.

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RESEARCH METHODS

The research process was made up of a mixture New York City and New Jersey, and Los Angeles Our interviews with modest fashion bloggers Our research was qualitative not quantitative: of interviews, ethnographic observation, internet and southern California). In all these places we demonstrated that this was an important new we did not set out to provide statistics on the research and plain old-fashioned reading. spent time looking at what people were wearing cohort of fashion advisors and mediators – modest fashion market, or its component parts. We read extensively in research publications in the streets and in community venues, we and that they were, like mainstream bloggers, This was not commercial market research, in related areas (everything from research on visited general and specialist clothing stores being increasingly incorporated into the modest although some of our indings will be of use to fashion marketing to anthropology and religious to see what they were selling and how it was fashion industry. entrepreneurs or marketers trying to reach or studies). At the start of the project we spent a being displayed, we talked to consumers and expand their place in the modest fashion market. long time trawling the internet for verbal and interviewed shop owners and staff. We were Our observations of what women were wearing Neither was it our intention to promote or oppose visual representations of and discussions about also able to meet, or speak on the telephone to, and how they were shopping were combined modest dressing in any of its forms. We wanted modest fashion, as well as reading ethnic and a number of the bloggers and brands that we with interviews with shop owners and their staff to scope out the ield to provide a snapshot of religious print media. This meant that we could had identiied as important in the development which gave new insights into how women were how modest dressing is being sold and discussed begin to classify blogs and social media as well of the modest fashion sector. The interviews told putting together modest outits. online in English-language websites at the start as commercial websites relating to modest us a lot about how the market was developing. of the 2010s. fashion, and identity the places we wanted to visit We learned from designers and entrepreneurs Our reading of internet discussion fora and the individuals and companies we wanted about why they had started their businesses, enabled us to comprehend some of the levels We can’t wait to see where it goes next… to interview. We travelled to different locations what had developed as they had thought or in and nuances of interfaith engagement relating in the UK (in greater London, Manchester, new ways, how the internet was helping them to modest fashion. Birmingham, and Bradford), in Canada (Toronto reach other sorts of consumers, and how they and Montreal) and in the United States (Salt Lake were moving into social media as part of their City and the surrounding area in Utah, marketing strategy.

PAGE 18 PAGE 19 MODEST DRESSING: FAITH-BASED FASHION AND INTERNET RETAIL How can I ind out more about the Modest Dressing project and related events/publications?

You can look at the Modest Dressing homepage, and see our press coverage, here: http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/research/ projects-collaborations/modest-dressing/

You can listen to the papers from our THANK YOU symposium, Modest Mediations, held on June 17th 2011, here: http://www.religionandsociety.org.uk/events/ programme_events/show/mediating_modesty_ fashioning_faithful_bodies

You can ind out more about Reina Lewis’ research and publications here: http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/research/staff/ a-z/reina-lewis/

We owe a huge debt of thanks to all the people You can ind out more about Emma Tarlo’s who agreed to be interviewed for this project, research and publications here: and to all those who generously shared contacts, http://www.gold.ac.uk/anthropology/staff/e- made introductions, and talked through our tarlo/ ideas with us. We interviewed about forty people including bloggers, journalists, designers and You can ind out more about the entrepreneurs, social media professionals, Religion and Society Programme here: community activists, consumers, and members http://www.religionandsociety.org.uk of different faith groups based in Britain, the United States and Canada. We also learned We will be publishing a book of essays relating a great deal from all the contributors to the to the Modest Dressing conference in 2012. many blogs, digital and print magazines, and If you would like to be notiied when this comes discussion fora that we studied. out and to be informed about other project related events and publications you can join the We would like to take this opportunity to thank project mailing list by writing to us here: everyone who responded so kindly and with such [email protected] enthusiasm to this project. Press enquiries: contact Rebbeca Munro: [email protected]

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