| One
Girl's Mission for Modesty
 |
| LDS teen Jessica
Wilcox gets her makeup done for a stake fashion show featuring
modest formal wear. Special to Mormonchic.com |
When high school sophomore
Jessica Wilcox (Penasquitos 1st Ward, Penasquitos, California
Stake, USA) surfed the Internet one day for formals and prom
dresses, she was disappointed at how immodest the selection
was,
"I realized that as
much as I loved the unique styles, I wouldn't be able to wear
any of them for my own prom when the time came," Jessica
said.
But modesty and keeping with
Church standards has always been important to this LDS teen.
"I think [modesty] enables
others to get to know you for who you are, not what you look
like," Jessica said. "...it also enables me to be
myself because I'm not uncomfortably tugging at pant-tops or
sleeves, and I can relax and be comfortable."
So Jessica made it her mission
to "plead her case" to fashion designers for more
modest choices.
"I got a lot of positive
responses and even a special no-shipping costs offer from Sydney's
Closet."
Modesty on the Runway
 |
| Tammy, another LDS
teen from the San Diego, California, area takes a walk down
the runway during the modest fashion show. Special to
Mormonchic.com |
Jessica even went a step
further. Along with other young women in her stake, she helped
put together a fashion show that featured modest designs.
"[We] got our hair and
make up done and modeled our semiformal to formal gowns for
our stake. It was a lot of fun and I think the girls got a lot
out of it. I got to tell the young women about the project I
was working on with modesty and I got a lot of support from
them."
In her search on the web,
Jessica did find some modest formals. She even took part in
a contest to design the perfect modest prom dress, sponsored
by Modest
by Design. Although only the grand prize winner will have
her dress created by the company, Jessica was thrilled to be
a finalist.
 |
| The stake fashion
show was held Saturday, October 12, 2002. Special to
Mormonchic.com |
"I was really surprised
to find out I was a runner up...there were entries from 48 of
the 50 states and even a couple from out of the country, It
was a lot of fun to find out I had won something and have my
picture on their website and everything."
Modest Prom Dresses
a Click Away
Modest by Design isn't the
only modest formal wear designer on the Internet. Holly Beck
is owner/designer of Dreszing
and a member of the Vicksburg Ward, Jackson, Mississippi Stake,
USA. Her website offers modest gowns that she has designed and
some gowns she has purchased and added sleeves. She has a large
stock of dresses available to order through her website.
 |
| Courtesy Dreszing.com |
“I went into fashion
design because of the great need for the girls in our Church,
and others, for better choices. I think I can design dresses
with sleeves that the girls will think are stylish first and
modest second.”
This designer, that studied
fashion at Kendell College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, attributes
her daughter with the inspiration for the business.
"I visited my daughter
at Ricks (now BYU Idaho) while she was studying fashion design.
My daughter and I sewed together and did numerous dresses before
she went to Ricks."
Dreszing
offers 10 different dress designs, each come in at least two
different color choices and range in size between four to 14.
You can check out and order Holly's designs at her website,
www.dreszing,com,
or call her 800 number, 1-866-285-0721. Dresses are shipped
priority and can arrive in four to seven days.
Sabrina Pykles, a member
of the 18th Ward, San Diego, California East Stake, USA, is
the owner/designer of Sabrina
Nicole Designs. Sabrina also focuses on modest formal wear
This BYU-Idaho-trained fashion designer says she saw a lack
of modest dresses available for LDS girls.
“I pondered and
talked with a lot of other people about the needs in the fashion
industry and we came up with modest formal wear to be the biggest
need."
 |
| Courtesy Sabrinanicole.com |
Sabrina says her design inspiration
comes from the latest trends.
"My designs are inspired
by what is hot in the market and with a Sabrina Nicole twist.
I look through lots of magazines. I like to be original though.
But the girls that are looking for modest formal gowns are looking
for something that is just like the strapless and spaghetti
strap dresses but with sleeves and necklines. They want to fit
in but be covered. No one said you have to be out of style to
be modest; I'm trying to give the girls what they want.”
Sabrina
Nicole Designs offers six styles ranging in sizes four to
18 in most dresses. The dresses are available to order from
Sabrina's website, www.sabrinanicole.com,
and are shipped the same day they are ordered.
Sabrina looks to better supplying
the needs of LDS girls in the future. Nordstrom’s department
store has heeded the call for appropriate prom wear. They will
be featuring Sabrina’s designs at their Southern California
prom fashion shows later this month.(See
a list of times/places of the fashion shows.)
“The future looks very
bright. There are great girls out there that want modesty. I
hope that our next season Winter/Holiday will be even a bigger
production. My goal is to be in as many places as I can to give
these girls the dresses they want.”
Mission Accomplished
Jessica Wilcox found the
dress that she wanted. She got her prom dress at a modest fashion
show in San Diego sponsored by another modest dress designer,
Beautifully
Modest (or Allyce Designs).
"I am very excited to
go to Prom! My friend and I are planning on going with two guy-friends
of ours to their high school prom... Prom is in two months,
so we've still got a while to see if we're going!" |
