A Return to Modesty - Wendy Shalit

This was a very interesting look at modesty…the lost virtue. It was also very cerebral quoting many articles, studies, etc. I sort of glossed over that part, honestly.


I enjoyed, agreed with, and appreciated the premise. Modesty is a natural instinct. We have lost modesty in our modern world and, as a result, have lost what makes us uniquely women.

Wendy Shalit does an excellent job of detailing the issue of modesty through her research, personal experience, etc. This is not a religious view of modesty, but a societal one.

One thing I do disagree with is the future as Ms. Shalit saw it when writing the book in 1999. She writes of observing a change back toward modesty in the late 90s and believes that a modesty revolution was beginning. Of course, I have the knowledge and experience in living in the ensuing years and have to say: the modesty revolution fizzled fast if it was at all. And that is saddening to me.