Why Designer Clothing Favors Modesty
It is common for designers who produce lines with each piece selling for several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars to include more elements of modesty within their collections than lower-priced labels targeted just to teenage or young adult female customers. One reason is that extra fabric for coverage simply costs more. Designer fashion accommodates a generous budget for fabric, making the addition of extra yardage for modest coverage an easy task. Skimpy styles require less fabric and are therefore cheaper to produce. Thick fabrics and styles with linings are also expensive. Department store labels can offer styles at low prices when the cuts are skimpy and the fabrics thin because that translates to lower material costs, the largest percentage of production outlay. Also, more expensive styles are more generally affordable to a mature customer, who has learned that covering up frequently presents a prettier effect in real life than that of a bare silhouette. High-end designers keep this in mind as they create collections for marketability to that customer group.
If you can afford to purchase couture, then the clothing will be custom made for you with any extra length or lining you request, and you will enjoy the authentic handmade details exclusive to the designer. For those of us who sew, fashion from designer lines usually serves as better inspiration for modest clothing than fashion from an average department store. Adding a lining or raising a neckline on a designer style is often all that may be needed to turn a look into something with enough style to be beautiful and enough modesty to be comfortable. Of course, patternmaking and sewing skills are essential to creating your own versions of designer fashion. If you are not already skilled in sewing, think about picking up sewing as your next hobby. The satisfaction of making your own clothes exactly as you wish rewards your effort. Becoming fast at sewing is like any other skill; it can be learned, and it takes practice.
Despite what fashion media may lead us to assume, many women appreciate modesty in clothing paired with classic, elegant looks. The most famous celebrities in the world are often photographed in modest clothing in their daily lives, showing us that bare, trendy fashions do not have to be the only styles appreciated by the public in general. Modesty in classic styling is strong enough to stand on its own.