(upbeat music) - [Narrator] The year was 2016 and the Summer Olympics were in full swing.
All eyes were on Ibtihaj Muhamme as she scored her winning touch.
(crowd cheering) I remember watching this moment, being totally blown away by the history unfolding before me.
This was the first time a US athlete had competed and medaled while wearing a hijab at the Olympics.
Since then, modest fashion has exploded in popularity, with designers and influencers alike embracing the style and covering up their entire bod In fact, this sector of the fashion industry is expected to reach $375 billio But despite the increased intere misconceptions surrounding modes continue to persist.
- Modest wear had this negative connotations that it's cult-like fashion.
- People just believe there's a lot of restrictions when there really isn't.
- Many see modest fashion as oppressive or boring and particularly in sports, the clothes are often deemed haz or restrictive for athletes and that's simply not true.
In this episode, we'll explore what it means to be a modest dresser, why people are choosing it, and ultimately, why modest fashion is more than just the trend of covering up.
(crowd chattering) I've always known about modest f but I never really took the time to dive deeper until I'm met my friend and colleague, Fatima.
She's always slaying and looking put together and she's actually the one to in to this episodes first guest, If a Minnesota fashion designer who recently launched a modest activewear line called Jannah FitWear.
- Jannah is my daughter, my two- and Jannah means heaven in Arabi As Muslims, this is where we strive to be, that's our goal.
This one is my favorite.
I call it the To-Go Mom.
It opens up here so you can just have it here.
The cool thing about this one is you can open the sides.
- Oh, that's cool.
- When I think of fashion, I thi how my culture is part of it.
My beliefs are part of it.
When I show up to spaces, I'm comfortable, I am confident, but I'm not also compromising my - This one is probably my favori just 'cause it's like a hoodie and I love hoodies.
- But when I think of modesty, I think about someone's characte I think about somebody's speech, how they show up to places.
So when people say, "Modesty is I say, "No."
There's something about when you have this scarf and the habiba and you're fully and people are trying to figure out who are you and it's really what you say and how you speak that matters and not how you physically look.
I think there's just power in th - After talking with Ifrah, I wanted to get a better underst of what it means to show up mode Thankfully I found Hafsa Lodi, a Muslim American journalist who covers fashion in the Middle She also penned the book, "Modesty: A Fashion Paradox."
- Modesty is rooted in all three Abrahamic faiths, so Christianity, Judaism and Isl What I like to consider modest, it's clothing that typically covers the shoulders, often up to the wrists, covers t often up to the ankles, has high necklines, is loose fitting, is not transpa and often includes a head covering as well.
- The origin of the modest dress is actually very unclear, as it's been embraced by many societies throughout history.
For example, some of their earliest known wearers are the ancient Greece, the Isla and the Ottomans in the 16th cen People in the Victorian era also valued a modest look and throughout most of America's it was expected for women to dress more conservatively.
(upbeat music) It wasn't until the 1960s, during the sexual revolution, that fashion trends in the West started shifting towards more revealing clothing and while this revolution was liberating for many, it unfortunately marginalized th who preferred a more modest appe - Modesty can be oppressive when it is enforced.
That is certainly oppressive, but also limiting modesty and putting rules and bans in place against modesty is oppressive.
- [Host] Fast forward to today and thanks to the help of social media, dressing modestly is making a comeback.
In fact, the term modest fashion emerged in the early two thousan to describe this rising trend.
- One of the really unique aspects of this modesty movement we're seeing now, is a lot of these women who are choosing to cover up, many of their mothers, grandmothers never did so.
They're making kind of the empowered choice to do so themself, but also many of them have been by modest fashion bloggers on In the whole blogosphere in general really showed that there's a large market and demand for this sort of clot - But despite the growing popula modest dress continues to face various challenges and barriers.
- [Announcer] Amaiya Zafar!
(crowd cheering) This is especially true in sport Here in the States, Minnesota boxer Amaiya Zafar was once disqualified in 2016 for wearing leggings and a hijab.
Officials from US boxing and the or the International Boxing Asso said that she violated the unifo citing safety concerns as the re Thankfully, in 2017, after outpouring from the public, US boxing did allow Amaiya to co making her the first boxer in a US competition to wear hijab.
The IBA lifted their ban of the apparel two years later.
But as it stands, there are currently no explicit state or federal laws protecting who dress modestly.
Uniform codes are actually determined by school districts and athletic associations, which means that these rules als Meet Nasteha Dior Sharif, a 15 year old hijabi boxer who's preparing for a debut match in the fall.
Dior was kind enough to share with me a little glimpse of her world and she even gave me boxing lessons, but more on that later.
The first place that she took me was Karmel Mall, the first and largest Somali shopping center in the United States.
And even before I entered I could see the vibrant colors and beautiful textiles that filled its halls.
- Karmel Mall is the type of pla where, basically, you could come and buy the types of clothing you cannot find online 'cause a lot of the clothing is here is more cultural and it's also more modest towards our religion.
It's just that one place we can all come together and just be near each other.
- So modest fashion, what is tha - I think it's being able to dress the way you like to.
Dressing in a way that is more p to you and towards God at the sa The reason I like the store is because of all the dresses that they have.
- Oh, it has a scarf with it.
- But I would for sure go for th A lot of people think that you have to dress really heavily or wear really big dresses and it's not like that.
Modesty is different for everyon I believe you could style anything in a modest way.
- How do you apply that to boxin - 'Cause when I'm dressed modest I don't really worry about the way people see me.
I'm just more worried about getting the job done and being my best and showing up as my best.
- Before leaving and while I did come to the mall for the clothes I couldn't resist getting a henn and indulging in some delicacies Smells so good.
I can smell the food.
This actually feels really nice.
I really like it.
They're very secure.
A couple days later, we finally entered the ring.
Okay.
You don't see your hijab as a barrier, correct?
- I don't.
But I think currently, I'm not g I don't see too many hijabi athl I hope other people could probably look at me, be like, "Oh, she's like me and she's doi "I wanna do it too."
- [Host] How do you feel wheneve wearing modest clothing?
- I get to control who gets to see certain parts of my body and who doesn't.
It gives me control and regulation over who I am and that's what I'm made of.
(pads banging) (pads banging) - [Coach] That was good.
- Do you wanna go for a round?
But take it easy on me.
(device beeping) (upbeat music) People newer to modest fashion may not realize that modest apparels can be just as fashionable, functional and empowering to all who wear it and ultimately, modesty, especially here in America, is a choice and like any other office we choose to wear, it's an extension of our identit - And I'm good to go.
- Not bad, doing a good job.
- I didn't die, thankfully.
And you did great.
You let me punch you, so I'm tha - Yeah.