Modesty -- could it really be the hot new trend?

By Kathryn Kemp

December 22, 2005 | The dictionary definition of modesty: "propriety in dress, speech, or conduct." The real definition of modesty: Hot! And it looks like the fashion industry is starting to agree.

Modest fashions, more specifically longer shirts, are popping up all over the place, and it is spreading quickly. Fashion United noticed that "Tight, low-slung jeans and tiny mid-rif tops are a thing of the past. U.S. teens are increasingly turning to modest outfits as a fashion option." Utah is no exception.

Because of the dominant LDS religion, it is no surprise that Utah women have quickly embraced the fashion they had been fighting to get into stores for years. "Any cute way to cover up more is accepted in Utah," Liz Nef, a Public Relations major at Utah State University said.

Although it has gradually trickled in over the last couple of years, this past summer is when everyone seemed to notice. Emily Mueller took notice when she saw them displayed at fairs and in mall kiosks. Nef got excited about the trend when she attended a party for The ModBod , a company devoted to the sale of longer shirts and camisoles. Renee Rice noticed it this summer when she was a counselor at Especially For Youth (EFY), a week-long "camp" for youth that is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She said that the modest shirts are great for a program like that, because Brigham Young University has very strict dress code standards that the youth had to meet. "In the past it has been a problem because if you bend down it's guaranteed your back will show," she said. That problem didn't happen a lot this summer, because the style of longer shirts was in. "It made it a lot easier on me and on the kids," she said.

Rice said that is when she first noticed, and liked, the longer shirt look. "I noticed it a lot more in the high school kids before I saw it in our age group," she said. And it did seem to catch on a little slower for college-age girls. When Hillary Griffin bought a long shirt this summer, she said her sister made fun of it and said it was weird. "Now she wishes she had bought one!" Griffin laughed. But slow as it may have been to catch on (at least compared with the high schoolers), the fashion has definitely caught fire at USU.

A favorite way to wear the fashion is to layer it. Layering has many benefits, according to Nef. First of all, it is just plain cute, and you can wear a variety of colors that way. The fashion is better for winter because the layers can help keep you warm. Griffin emphasized that by pointing out you could wear three shirts at once. For Mueller, the layered look is why she began to like the trend. A popular way of layering is to put a long camisole underneath a shorter shirt, said Nef. "I used to see it on The O.C. [a popular television series]all the time."

The long shirts are good for another purpose too. "It especially goes well with the low pants," said Griffin. Rice said that the longer shirts compensate for what the lower pants don't cover. "They make you feel comfortable because you're never worried about anything showing," she said. "I like how it covers up the midriff when girls are used to low-rise jeans," said Mueller.

So why exactly has this trend caught on? Griffin says it is because, "you can only wear a bare midriff for so long before you need a change." Going right along with that, Fashion United quoted Tara McBratney, fashion editor for CosmoGIRL!,when she said, "Fashion is a cycle. We got to the point where the jeans were as low as they could go, shirts were as cropped as they could go, baby tees were as tight as they could go, so the natural progression is for fashion to go the other way." Mueller agreed that we go through phases, and right now the phase is the modest look. Griffin believes that the trend will stick a little bit longer in Utah.

Kim Cambell, writer for the Christian Science Monitor said that another possible reason is "that it's not just churchgoers who are taking an interest in dressing modestly." She notes that women and mothers are also saying they are interested in seeing "skimpy trends" reverse, and they feel that way, no matter what their religious affiliation may be. Luckily (and maybe a little surprisingly), the fashion runways agree this time.

As we see the trend continue to grow, the availability of not only long shirts, but also longer skirts and shorts, is also growing. You can order the shirts from the websites of companies like Shade Clothing or host a Tupperware-type party through a local distributor and get all of your friends involved in the trend. The websites also offer styling tips for layering your clothes.

Now, with the trend becoming so popular, longer length shirts can also be found at most retail stores too. Mueller has bought shirts from Old Navy and DownEast Outfitters,but says that "every store has them." You can even find them at kiosks in the mall.

The trend of modesty looks like it is going to stick around for a while. "Long shirts are hot!" said Rice, grinning devilishly. And even though the trend may change, like it always does, Utah might be lucky enough to see it stay.

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