Style Blabber: Are mainstream fashion publications a modest woman's nightmare or her best friends?

Fashion Magazines and publications, should we run away from them or learn how to love them?

I don't know about you, but when I decided to adopt a modest lifestyle, I first thought: "Ok that is it, there won't be many things in mainstream fashion that will fit or talk to my modest style". Fashion publications fell into that category as well. I used to flip through the pages of magazines, with a reluctant attitude. I felt like I was looking at things that weren't aimed at me at all...Or so I thought.

Most people flip through fashion magazines looking at the model or the piece of clothing she is wearing, I sure did that before. The reality of things is that when done in that way, someone like the average modest woman wouldn't really relate to the spreads, editorials or articles in any of the magazines, simply because they feel foreign and orientated to a different target.

Back in the day, when I used to think that, I was in business school and my interest in fashion was too shallow for me to understand how things worked. I am glad to say I have, since then, come a long way. I started to study fashion and made it one of my life's priorities. Starting to understand how EVERYTHING worked behind the scenes of everything fashion related, helped me see the depth and bottom of what I normally saw, especially what I saw in mainstream fashion publications. I learnt that fashion publications actually aim to show and develop a concept rather than just photographing a model with clothes.

I realized that there actually was a better way to look at a fashion publication and be able to appreciate, like, understand and even wear what was shown in them. The key is to look at what the publication is trying to show us, not at what we are seeing at first.

It sounds complicated, so allow me to elaborate on this. For example, lets assume we open a Vogue magazine and see an editorial with a model in a red dress. When we look at it, we normally SEE a dress, maybe a very tight, short dress. Now, when we look deeper, we see that what we are actually BEING SHOWN is probably a trend, a look or an over all concept, which for the propose of the example let's say it was "Red the color of the season". When we look at that (the concept not the dress) it becomes easier to relate to the editorial, because we can now take that into our wardrobe by looking for pieces with that trend or concept that are modest and appealing to us.

I took it upon myself to go through a couple of issues of the fashion publications I normally read, and see how relatable they were for everyone with a love for modesty. I will also share with you how I "look" at these publications and what I take from them:

One of the ways to look through these publications, is "scouting" modesty in them. It's about finding those pieces of clothing or those looks that are incredibly appropriate and that you love and would eventually wear.

Finding what I would wear and taking mental notes!

Another way is by spotting elements we like, or are interested in and trying to see if they can eventually be worn in a modest way and making mental notes of possible alternatives, this one seems to be the most versatile way to relate to these publications, there is always things we like but sometimes we say "Ugh, not modest enough". Well it is a matter of figuring out how to turn regular things into modest things.

Spot for accessories and beauty reports, they are aimed at EVERYONE, it is a good way to feel like these publications relate to you!

And there is yet another way, and for this I took a look at a Vogue summer issue (because we know summer fashion is not exactly modesty friendly) to illustrate how there is a way for this issues to be modesty friendly. Take the concept or idea and instead of thinking of pieces like shorts and swimsuits, think of dresses or maxis, and be inspired by it and then translate it into something you would actually wear. Even in cases where one would normally just flip the page (because it's an article about something like bathing suits) there is something to pay attention too and there is a way to do it. 

Translaitng concepts and making it work!

I love the idea of taking mainstream fashion and making it fit into my modest style, it is probably the best way not to feel dated and/or boring when it comes to what we wear and how we look. With the appropriated perspective, mainstream publications can be relatable and fun to look at for the average modes lady. 

Hope you enjoyed this post!

xo and style your life modest!

Love, 

Kiki G.

Ps: Yes the hand writing is mine and not a 4 year old's! x