A review by kaylasbookishlife
The Beauty Suit: How My Year of Religious Modesty Made Me a Better Feminist by Lauren Shields
5.0
I’ve been changing up my style and wardrobe recently. Letting go of pieces I loved in my early-mid twenties and trying to create a wardrobe that is more me (late twenties-early thirties). Clothes I couldn’t wait to put on are ones I no longer feel comfortable in, and I am more attracted to different colours.
So I’m reading lots of fashion books! This one was particularly interesting and it spoke to me because I prefer clothes that cover most of my legs and shoulders. That’s my version of modesty anyway. The author begins a journey of forgoing the socially acceptable ‘beauty suit’ for clothing that covers her body (neck down) and her hair.
She explores different religious interpretations of modesty, looking in the Quran, Torah, Bible and the Book of Mormon. I loved seeing the similarities and differences!
She made a note that while she admired different cultural outfits that would fit into her modesty wardrobe (I.e. an abaya, shalwar kameez) she didn’t want it to look like cultural appropriation and so she stuck to a more ‘American’ style.
I did take issue with one part. She was talking about the issue of FGM and she mentioned it within the context of discussing Islam. I wanted her to clarify that it is not an Islamic practice. FGM is not connected to Islam or any religion. It’s a cultural practice and it occurs in Christian and other tribal communities as well, mostly in African countries. I felt like the author sort of insinuated that it was an Islamic practice.
I really enjoyed reading about her experiment and appreciated the research she mentioned within the context of modern fashion.
So I’m reading lots of fashion books! This one was particularly interesting and it spoke to me because I prefer clothes that cover most of my legs and shoulders. That’s my version of modesty anyway. The author begins a journey of forgoing the socially acceptable ‘beauty suit’ for clothing that covers her body (neck down) and her hair.
She explores different religious interpretations of modesty, looking in the Quran, Torah, Bible and the Book of Mormon. I loved seeing the similarities and differences!
She made a note that while she admired different cultural outfits that would fit into her modesty wardrobe (I.e. an abaya, shalwar kameez) she didn’t want it to look like cultural appropriation and so she stuck to a more ‘American’ style.
I did take issue with one part. She was talking about the issue of FGM and she mentioned it within the context of discussing Islam. I wanted her to clarify that it is not an Islamic practice. FGM is not connected to Islam or any religion. It’s a cultural practice and it occurs in Christian and other tribal communities as well, mostly in African countries. I felt like the author sort of insinuated that it was an Islamic practice.
I really enjoyed reading about her experiment and appreciated the research she mentioned within the context of modern fashion.