The anatomy of elegance

While looking for images for a cultural activity in August, I found a LOT of links on modest fashion. Even Google's autocomplete on my search was "modest fashion". To me it means only one thing: that there are people out there who are looking for ways to be updated and trendy without baring all.

I don't know much about fashion--in fact most days I vacillate between "frumpy" and "ridiculous"--and I don't exactly have the body type that comes to mind when discussing the anatomy of elegance. But I think that even if I were as skinny and beautiful as Audrey Hepburn, I still wouldn't want to walk around in the extremely short shorts that are so common in the La Salle area. I know that my friends think that I would dress in a nun's habit if I could, but it isn't about covering yourself up. I think it's about being considerate so that you don't distract the man (or woman) on the street. People are inevitably drawn to the sight of a bare leg or an exposed chest. If you don't want to attract that attention, then don't. (I certainly don't want to.) If you do want to attract that kind of attention, then maybe you should be thinking about why those are the things you want people to notice about you.

There are probably better ways of explaining why I love modesty so much, and I might think of a better paragraph than this sooner or later, but right now I just want to give some helpful links to anyone who might be dropping by. It's so hard to find clothes that are elegant but still keep that high standard. (Personally I love the tops from Marks and Spencer, which you can pair with simple skirts and well-cut chinos and trousers, and the dresses and skirts from Dorothy Perkins. But then again, I really have never been all that trendy, so the links below will probably be of more help.)

- ELIZA - a very pretty-looking magazine with an online blog
- Momomod.com
- Just Like Molly - which has some really exquisite photos
- Modest Fashion and Style on livejournal - which has some helpful shopping suggestions and discussions

Here are two draft posters that I'm still tweaking for our activity. (The image on the left is from justlikemolly.com; it isn't being used for profit.)