Modest Fashion: The One Size Fits All Epidemic

Modest fashion is hitting the world by storm. Popular retailers like Zara and H&M are hopping on the bandwagon. Cities like London and Dubai have started their own modest fashion weeks which enable modest fashion brands to showcase their lines in front of a large audience.

While it is great to see so many retailers focus on accommodating modest dressers, there are so many people who do not have seats at the table. As a tall (178cm height) woman who wears a size US 12/14, I can rarely find clothes that fit my height and my body type that allow me to still dress modestly and keep current with fashion trends. 

It is not just a problem with women like me who are not petite but it affects women who are petite as well.  

Trisha Sales, a Muslim-identifying woman who happens to be petite feel "that many modest fashion industries do not have many options. I have encountered so many women my size, including my mother that find it difficult to find dresses (in particular for Eid) that fit...Most of the time we have to get it altered to fit us"

The problem is so bad for some of us that we end up wasting money (especially if we buy online and follow the size charts). I just so happened to buy a modest swimsuit last week from a popular online store. According to the size chart, a L would have fit me length wise so I decided to be safe and order an XL. When it came, the top piece barely covered me in the right places and the pants were too short.  

Women are different so why do we treat them as they are one-size-fits-all?

We often see bloggers endorsing modest brands because they happen to fit into that particular brand of clothing but rarely do we see influencers constructively criticize and/or provide feedback to brands. Sure it may cost more money to appeal to a wider audience but I guarantee you, the investment is a great one to make impacting so many lives. I am tired of having to resort to (sometimes) wearing frumpy or overly-large clothing just as I am sure smaller-sized women are tired of having to alter every piece of clothing they buy just to get a proper fit.

When will brands start to realize that one size doesn't fit all?