"Modesty Is The Highest Elegance"

Spring Summer 2024 Trend Report

“Modesty Is The Highest Elegance” is a quote from Coco Chanel. I can hardly contain myself during the Fashion Weeks, the big reveal of the Pantone Colors and the numerous fashion magazine trend reports. I scratch my head though when viewing the images from the 2024 Academy Awards Red Carpet.

I grew up in a time where strapless gowns were not permitted at senior prom. In order to pick up your ticket to the prom, you had to collect it at the church hall where the nuns viewed your dress! Rigid, the students thought so, but looking back, I am grateful.

I wore uniforms the majority of the time spent in school. Enhancing school spirit and community are the main objectives. Uniforms take out the competitiveness of trendy labels, Guess, OP, Izod, to name a few. But more importantly, uniforms gave me a sense of dressing properly and with modesty.

Was all this great, no. I will never, never, wear plaid. When the school switched uniform companies and the girls went from wearing a fabulous gabardine to a scratchy wool, cotton, synthetic fiber, I disliked the feel of the texture. Today I believe I began to understand the textures, fibers and wearability of fabric. Who knew so many years later, I would become an image consultant and color analyst.

I believe that modesty needs to be taught and demonstrated. The Academy Awards Red Carpet has a reputation as a vehicle for elegant, over-the-top and even political fashion. The elegance was displayed from the fashion houses with the best reputations, Gucci, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Vera Wang, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli and Dior. The men’s apparel was dominated by Armani, Vuitton and as always, Tom Ford. For the other choices of side boobs, bottom boobs, floppy straps, sheer and naked, as well as dresses so short one can barely sit down, Hollywood gets a “F”.

I appreciate your comments. If you have any questions, please let me know.