Pity Jennifer Lopez. As far as memorable red-carpet moments go, she set such a high bar at the 2000 Grammys with her now-legendary plunging green Versace dress that she seemed destined to never top it.
But many fashion insiders — and followers — have been buzzing about the actress-singer’s Golden Globes gown earlier this month. That’s not because of how much of her body she showed off, but precisely the opposite: The caped, marigold-colored Giambattista Valli dress covered her shoulders, most of her arms and even much of her legs.
And J.Lo was hardly the only celeb on the red carpet taking a (relatively) modest turn. Cate Blanchett rocked in an elbow- and knee-covering flapper-inspired fringe dress from Givenchy, while Julianne Moore wore a long-sleeved blue sequin Tom Ford gown that would have been appropriately gorgeous attire for a black-tie synagogue event. All three women landed on many a best-dressed list.
“Modesty has very much found its niche within the fashion world, and not just for religious women,” says Adi Heyman, founder of the Jewish fashion blog Fabologie. “There’s an empowerment to owning your look and not having to put everything out there.”
Granted, only a few of these gowns actually adhere to Orthodox rules of modesty — which typically involve covering necklines, backs, elbows and knees, though specifics vary among communities. But compared with the typical trajectory of evermore-revealing designs — after all, 2015 showcased the super-bare “naked dress” favored by Lopez herself — this year’s red carpet represented a shift toward a more covered-up kind of chic.
“You’re not seeing that same in-your-face sex appeal you saw in the late 1990s and early 2000s,” Heyman says. “Even when a dress is sleeveless, you’re often getting a cape or a higher neckline. Modern fashion is taking a modest spin.”
Many fashion insiders are predicting that the chaste leanings on display at the Globes are just a taste of what’s to come at the upcoming Academy Awards on Feb. 28 and eventually, in true trickle-down “fashionomics,” to a shop near you.
Esti Burton, owner of Esti’s, a boutique specializing in modest couture with locations on Long Island and in Brooklyn, New York, says she wouldn’t be surprised to see more modesty at the Oscars. While her team is often asked to build sleeves and higher necklines onto more revealing dresses, she says her stores also carry dresses from couture designers like Lanvin, Valentino and Carolina Herrera that meet religious clients’ needs.
“The red carpet fashions tend to come in cycles,” Burton says. Now there’s a “been there, done that” feel when it comes to the completely bare look, she says.
Mimi Hecht, a Hassidic designer who runs Mimu Maxi with sister-in-law Mushky Notik, echoed that sentiment.
“The red carpet will always reflect what’s happening in fashion, and over the past two years or so we’ve seen a definite increase in looks that feature more material and more draping,” says Hecht, whose designs have been featured in Vogue. The line specializes in oversized casual clothing, but Hecht says they have plans to roll out some eveningwear in response to requests from religious Jews and Muslims.
“Fashion is always about rebelling, and younger women are now rebelling against the idea that they have to show their skin to be sexy,” Hecht says.
Plus, at the biggest-ticket events on the celebrity circuit, it makes sense that women would want to wear more material, says Heyman — after all, the gowns are works of art.
Heyman credits actresses like sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Michelle Williams and Emma Stone — as well as fashionistas like Olivia Palermo and Alexa Chung — for giving a fresher, cutting-edge feel to a more traditional style of dress, both on and off the red carpet.
Mayim Bialik, an Emmy nominee for “The Big Bang Theory” and an observant Jew, says her self-imposed red carpet dress code (nothing too short, nothing sleeveless) is a mix of social and religious modesty — and a way to demonstrate her “second-wave feminist side.” The thinking, according to Bialik, is that keeping parts of your body private is empowering.
“There’s a resurgence of younger women who are rebelling against the idea that they have to show skin to be sexy,” she says. “In fact, the more you’re covered up, the more you can show your attitude. It used to be just older women or larger-sized women who dressed modestly, but even the most petite actresses are doing it.”
Bialik has perfected the art of covered-up chic, such as the green Oliver Tolentino dress she wore on Jan. 17 to accept her Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She’s learned some tricks over the years, too.
“When you dress modestly, you need to keep jewelry, makeup and hair sleek, modern and sexy, or risk looking matronly,” Bialik says.
It’s a lesson that some stars will likely put into practice at the upcoming Oscars.
And while there will undoubtedly be lots of “strapless and low-cut looks” at the Academy Awards, Hecht, like Heyman, expects to see a good showing of modest dresses, too.
“Modesty isn’t considered a matronly, archaic, biblical way of dressing anymore,” Hecht says. “And that creates an opening for a lot of designers.”