To think that we don't need a London Modest Fashion week??

[Cherrysoup]

Given that we're not living in the Victorian era?

BBCNewsRave A lot of Muslim women, including me, are really fed up of being told that we do not wear hijab out of our own choice, that we are forced to wear it and opressed by ''the patriarchy''. It's offensive.

You may find it offensive but there are women forced, co-oerced or who just feel obliged to wear it, here in the UK, that's just an unpleasant appalling fact. I don't think anyone's told you that you are being forced here have they. If not wearing it wouldn't cause you a problem, then that's great, you're not who people are referring to

Yes I would BBCNewsRave. I wear it for God and because I believe we are told to cover ourselves in the Quran. God isn't a man, or a woman.

As I said in another post I don't think that is the implication in this situation, I think they are calling it modest fashion week so they don't alienate potential customers who are not Muslim.

you're not who people are referring to

But women like me are the majority and we all get lumped together.

Don't pretend that every woman in the world who wears a hijab/veil/burqa does so out of choice. You know that's not true. Take a look at some pictures of Afghanistan and Iran in the 70s. Then today. Spot the difference.

I didn't say that, I said the majority aren't forced.

They make a totally free choice do they?

Good job there's no religious police enforcing religious dress.

Oh wait...

Are you the majority ? What data are you using to back that up ? Or is it just a feeling amongst your contemporaries ?

venusinscorpio why do you have a problem with hijab? What do you think is so terrible about it that millions of women couldn't possibly choose to wear it?

You have absolutely no basis for saying whether or not they "choose" to, or whether that choice is a free choice. It's not about what I think about it. As I'm sure you'll point out to me, that's irrelevant.

It's not a problem with it. It's a problem if people are forced, co-coerced or obliged to wear it, which they are. Do you not agree some are ? If so, you can't fail to see the point.

NiceMustache Only about half of all Muslim women wear it at all, some estimate even less. I don't know anyone who is forced to wear it, I know lots of women in lots of different countries, not just the U.K. Obviously there is no data that can prove your point, or mine.

The choice to cover up your hair or skin as a woman isn't made in a vacuum. It is subject to socialisation and social pressure. As are many things of course.

Muslim Fashion Week, fine, whatever floats your boat. Or another name if you want to draw on a wider customer base.

Modest Fashion Week? Oh please. As many other posters have said, 'modest' is a hideously loaded term. Whatever some might say, it implies to me, and clearly to many others, that our clothes are 'immodest' and that we are judged accordingly.

Women should be able to wear what they like without either feeling pressured or feeling judged.

Actually, there is data to back up my point that women are forced.

NiceMustache Yes I do agree that some women are forced. I just think it's a lot less women than most non Muslims do. And for what it's worth I dont agree with it, I think people should be able to wear what they want. I just object to the assumption some people make that we are all forced.

I can't believe people think this is Muslim-bashing. It's patriarchy-bashing. Stop crying racism whenever people try to stand up for women's rights.

This ^^. I'm objecting to the word 'modest'. My OP has sod all to do with religion.

Precisely no one here has said that every single woman in the world who wears hijab is forced to do so.

People should wear what they want, I dont care what they wear.

I dislike the term "modest", it implies that those who don't wear" modest wear", are immodest. I think it is a loaded word and reminds me of Victorian times.

You can't stand up for women being forced to wear one type of clothing by forcing them to wear a different type of clothing. That's just swapping one type of oppression for another. That applies equally to women who wish to wear Islamic dress as it does to women who wish to wear western clothing without being made to feel they are immodest, immoral, unchaste or transgressing.

These are two sides of the same coin.

If there's an event promoting sensible pockets, I'm there, yesterday! I'm so tired of my phone falling on the floor when I move or my keys disappearing down the sofa because the pockets on my trousers are about 2" deep.

I recently sent a load of perfectly decent stuff to the charity shop because I never wear it due to the lack of pockets.

The women in the picture aren't Muslim.

Not are they dressed "modestly".

I spent the day in the Trafford Centre just before summer and if the garment was mid length, it had strange splits/gaps

Oasis has knee length and midi dresses on its website and as model are always taller than average the dresses will be longer on most customers.

Off the top of my head any of Hobbs, Laura Ashley, Kath Kidston, Mint Velvet, Pepperberry, Coast, all House of Fraser own brand Linea, M&S , Brora, Cos, Whistles, any shop that stocks Masai Mara do dresses to knee length or longer. It is nonsense to say high Street stores only sell dresses to mid thigh.

As for the lack of events for menswear during modest fashion week, it's not like you routinely walk into a menswear shop and see deep V necks, tops so short they barely cover the belly or tubes of fabric a foot long designed to be worn as a skirt.

Similarly, on the red carpet of your typical glitzy award ceremony, it's not the men you routinely see flashing tit, thigh or both.

I've managed to get maxi dresses-eBay-and discovered jumpsuits last year. What we need is somewhere that doesn't charge a fortune for longer length trousers, I'm not a freak of nature, I'd say 5'10, 33" leg. I need very wide trousers, my legs swell up massively on a normal day. The combination of these two requirements is surprisingly hard to find.