If you’re the kind of woman who rolls her eyes at short shorts, plunging necklines, and outfits that feel far too revealing, you’re not alone. I’ve always been that way too.
Hello and welcome. I’m Alessia, the writer and found behind Italy with an Italian.
In today’s post, I’d like to discuss the art of modest dressing — mostly as an inspiration for all the ladies who see it as part of a classy, timeless, tasteful personal style.
We’re doing it for ourselves, not for religion or for our partners. We simply have a very clear idea of what feels elegant and what doesn’t, and I am pretty sure the modest summer outfits I am about to share capture that aesthetic perfectly.
So let’s look at them together, and also chat a little about what modest dressing is and what it isn’t.
Table of Contents
Modest Summer Outfits That Celebrate Femininity
Femininity is exactly where I want to start our modest dressing chat. But first, let’s take a step backwards and think about all the reasons one would want to dress modest, other than religion or feeling pressured by a partner.
Quick note: this post is about personal style and choice. If modest dressing comes from personal conviction, culture, or faith, you’re absolutely welcome here. My focus is simply on dressing by choice, not obligation or pressure.
With that note aside, these are the main reasons I can think of:
- you are just a classic classy lady who loves tasteful timeless fashion
- you’re taking a vacation to a country that requires modest dressing, maybe UAE, Iran, or even parts of India and Morocco.
- you’re growing and so is your style, and maybe you’ve realized you want to dress more modestly.
- you’re self conscious about showing too much skin, or certain parts of your body, and modest dressing makes you feel comfortable, especially when Summer comes around.
- or maybe you’re attending a more conservative event, meeting your in laws, or hanging out with people who appreciate a more modest appearance. I would suggest you don’t change yourself too much to please others, as that’s almost never a good idea.
I can put myself fully into group 1, and partly into group 4. What about you?
While you think about that, let me share the first few outfit ideas.
What are your thoughts on this first three looks?
I chose to start with a mix of styles:
- outfit one: chic and feminine, but still modest.
- outfit two: perfect for sightseeing, even in countries requiring more modest dressing.
- outfit three: ideal for everyday wear.
None of these feel outdated, frumpy, or lacking style. Do you agree?
Can you also see how each of them still feels feminine?
It’s these details that give that effect: the cinched waist in outfit one, the lightly figure hugging A line shape of the skirt, the rolled up sleeves and the open neckline. The little skin shown around the ankle and the bottom of the legs is also very impactful.
I also want you to see how each outfit has a lot of personality. The unique shoes in outfit two and three are a great example.
Now, that we’ve identified our reasons, let’s talk about our wants, needs, and fears when it comes to modest dressing.
You can think about yours while I share mine.
I want my outfits to look good and make me feel good. To me, that means choosing outfits that work with my body shape, emphasizing certain areas but in a soft way. I don’t like anything too revealing, or tight-fitting, not because I have something to hide, but because I believe that I don’t have to overexpose myself to feel gorgeous and feminine.
When it comes to my fears around modest dressing, I mainly don’t want to look too covered up (especially in Summer), and neither do I want to overwhelm my petite body with too much fabric, bulky and oversized silhouettes, too much length, etc.
That’s why to me modest dressing is not about covering yourself, but it’s about choosing what you expose and what you don’t. The key word here is choice. It’s our choice, not an obligation.
Of course, that can feel more like an obligation if you’re travelling to Oman (just an example), but it’s also likely you who chose to go there, so it’s partly your choice. Of course, you could argue that we should never be put in a position where traveling requires changing our way of dressing, but that’s unfortunately a battle I don’t think we’ll ever win.
These next outfits I am about to share are ones I would avoid and suggest the petite ladies to do the same. However, if you’re taller, these can be both modest and very chic.
When you’re petite, it’s best to avoid long oversized tops that don’t cinch the waist, and the same holds for very oversized maxi dresses. I believe there’s nothing wrong witch cinching the waist even when dressing modestly. What’s your opinion on this?
Next, I want to ask you a question. Do you think modest outfits should avoid colorful palettes? I don’t.
I do however prefer wearing a more neutral, old money timeless color palette. If you like that too, you can find many more modest outfit ideas here: 20 Chic Old Money Summer Outfits. Most of those are also perfect if you’re here looking for modest church outfits.
With that said, I wanted to share with you more colorful modest summer outfit ideas, in case you like wearing brighter colors.
These are not in your face kind of colors, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but this makes these outfits more suitable for different occasions and environments.
Going monochrome in a darker color is a great way to dip your toes into wearing more colorful outfits, even if modest.
The next option is to pair a darker print with more timeless neutral colors, like in outfit two.
Finally, if you find a pastel color that suits your color season, you’re likely to feel more comfortable wearing that than the wrong color. You can read more about Color Analysis and how do find your own here.
My final tip is to consider adding one or two Summer blazers to your wardrobe, especially if you find it difficult to wear sleeveless clothing — whether that’s camisoles or dresses.
A sleeveless blazer can easily be layered on top and give you more coverage when you feel you need it. It’s also very timeless and tailored, in true Italian style.
Before, we both go, I’d like to take a minute to emphasize how well modest dressing fits with Italian style.
I am not saying Italian women dress all modestly, as that would be a lie.
I wouldn’t describe the famous Sophia Loren or Monica Bellucci’s style as particularly modest, but I also would never classify it as tacky. I think they managed to walk the perfect line in between, especially considering that their ultra feminine aesthetic was at the centre of their entire careers.
However, I am pretty sure most of the Italian street style outfits that catch your eyes in Milan also happen to be fairly modest, and that’s the point I am trying to make.
Italian women style is the perfect example of how you can be very stylish, but also fairly modest. And that’s why I invite you to look for inspiration on my blog, beyond this modest Summer outfits guide.
Ever heard that saying in Italian that goes like this: “lasciare qualcosa all’immaginazione”?
It means that you should dress in a way that’s not too revealing, but that’s actually considered attractive in Italy.
Femininity goes beyond how much skin you’re showing, how plunging your neckline is, how short your skirt is.
Femininity is a collection of details that go beyond your outfit and have a lot to do with your personality, your confidence, and how you carry yourself.
So if you’ve ever feared that modest dressing could make you look less feminine, I hope this chat (a little longer than I envisaged, I know) can reassure you it doesn’t have to be that way.
Let me summarize which details make all of these outfits still very feminine:
- cinching your waist;
- showing a little skin, even if it’s just your neckline, your elbows and your ankles;
- choosing pieces of clothing or accessories that feel feminine to you – it could be your bag or your earrings;
- don’t be afraid to tuck in your tops and shirts;
- finally, remember that the most feminine outfit you can wear is your confidence.
More Modest Outfit Ideas
If you loved this read, and want to get more inspired by Italian style for your modest closet, I suggest these other guides:
Italian Women Style: 20 Pieces To Dress Like An Italian Woman
How To Style A White Shirt Like An Italian Woman
You might also find your favorite modest Summer dress here: The Best Summer Cotton Dresses & How To Style Them
If you enjoyed this chat, come join my Italian newsletter – Buona Settimana. I send one email every Sunday. That’s the best way to chat directly about modest fashion, Italian food, travel, and life. Join through one of the sign up boxes on this page.
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Thank you so much for reading. I truly appreciate you being here.
A presto,
Alessia
