How to Dress Modestly for Special Occasions

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Choosing to dress in a modest way can be an excellent way to communicate your beliefs via your clothing choices. Having your own sense of style that is meaningful to you can help you express yourself, your values, and the way you choose to live your life. 

In most everyday circumstances, dressing modestly can mean that your clothing choices are practical and allow you to get on with your daily tasks without distraction. However, when you have a special occasion to celebrate, it’s natural to want an outfit that perfectly matches the event. Selecting a modest outfit that still looks fitting for the occasion can seem pretty challenging. However, it’s perfectly possible to dress in an outfit that looks stylish, elegant, and glamorous, while still ensuring your over all look is modest. Here are some tips to help you choose the perfect modest, elegant outfit for a special occasion:

Create the Perfect Base for Your Outfit

Choosing the perfect foundation for your outfit is essential when you choose to dress modestly. Selecting an inner slip dress that fits you comfortably is an excellent starting point. Ensuring the inner slip dress provides the level of coverage that you’re looking for in terms of length and fit, and feels comfortable to wear is a must. Modest dresses will provide the perfect foundation of your outfit.

Add Layers

Once you have selected your inner slip dress, it’s time to consider how you can build on this to make your modest dress perfect for a special occasion. Adding layers is an excellent way to transform a simple slip dress into something truly exquisite. 

Layering an abaya or scarf over the top of your slip dress is the ideal way to bring some added sophistication to your outfit. Choosing an open abaya is a perfect choice for this, as it provides added shape to the outfit and also adds extra interest.

Consider Embellishments and Detailing

It’s often the small details that transform an outfit from simply ‘nice’ to ‘extra-special’ so choosing an abaya that features some form of detailing is ideal. This could involve sequins and jewel embellishments, or intricately stitched patterns, these can help make even the simplest modest outfit look impressive.

Choose the Perfect Fabric

Fabric plays a crucial role when ensuring an outfit is both comfortable and suited to the occasion. For special occasions, it’s helpful to consider whether you would like an outfit made from heavier fabric to give a more structured look, or lightweight fabric to give a floatier appearance to your clothing. Materials such as nidha and tulle are ideal for a softer, floatier look.

Finishing Touches

Once you have selected the rest of your outfit, it’s time for the finishing touches. If you want to create a bold look, choosing a hijab in a contrasting colour to the rest of your outfit is an ideal way to do this. Or, for a more subtle look you could choose shoes that bring a pop of colour to your outfit.