The Beauty Suit: How My Year of Religious Modesty Made Me a Better Feminist

by Lauren Shields

A young feminist finds herself questioning why “hotness” has become necessary for female empowerment—and looks for alternatives.

Looking good feels good. But in a society where looking good is posited as being strong, while negotiating for better pay is statistically proven to damage our careers, is it fair to say that wicked eyeliner, weekly blowouts, and a polished Instagram feed are the keys to our liberation? If so—if “hot” really is a good enough synonym for “empowered”—why do so many of us feel, deep in our bones, that the sexy-as-strong model is a distraction? Is “pretty” still the closest to power women can get? Why is looking fierce an acceptable substitute for living in a world where women are safe?

Inspired in seminary by American Muslimahs who wear the hijab for feminist reasons, Lauren Shields took off what she calls the Beauty Suit—the “done” hair, the tasteful and carefully applied makeup, the tight clothes and foot-binding shoes—for nine months. She’d really only wanted to do an experiment. Instead, her life—especially her views on what constitutes “liberation”—changed forever.

Rooted in feminist theory and religious history, and guided by a snappy personal narrative, The Beauty Suit unpacks modern American a landscape where the female body is still so often the battleground for male ideals, and where we struggle with our rights as human beings to define and exercise our freedom.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Biography Memoir, Adult

192 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2018

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really fascinated by the premise of this book, but very disappointed in the end product. The author begins by questioning the trend in certain branches of feminism that equate "hotness" with empowerment. She then talks a bit about her experience dressing modestly (legs and arms covered, as well as hair covered, and no makeup), as well as her research into modesty in other cultures and in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. It read like part-memoir, part-feminism-101, part-World-Religions-class, part-backhanded-compliment-to-religions. I'll start with the bad and end with the good. (For some perspective, I am a Catholic who believes the teachings of the Church, and I am a feminist, which is why I was so interested in seeing how this panned out.)

I'm not sure who the audience for this book was, to be honest. The author frequently repeats/overexplains common feminist talking points, which seems redundant if she's talking to other feminists. At the same time, she spends a lot of time talking about how the three major monotheistic religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) are sexist... but not as sexist as you, the reader, definitely think they are. And still, she's explaining pretty surface-level stuff, so it's really mostly interesting from the point of learning about different cultures and religions.

I disagree with a lot of her theology and her brand of feminism, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have enjoyed the book. Unfortunately, in some passages she seemed to be getting to a point, and then never arrived at it - or, she began building an argument that began to sound too un-feminist, so she backtracked without any logical explanation. I didn't mind the tangents, the personal stories, or even the feminist rhetoric buzzwords that sounded forced and repetitive - but I found her arguments and her logic to be very unconvincing. Overall, I thought she entered with a sound principle (if a woman shows a lot of skin, that doesn't necessarily mean she's empowered, especially in the West). But, as far as I could see, she wasn't open to any possibilities or conclusions that didn't support her initial thesis and her personal interpretation of feminism.

From personal experience, I can only argue directly with the section on Christian modesty/sexism - which I found rather offensive. The author works as a Christian pastor, but her theology seems very unorthodox from what most practicing Christians believe (not to say she can't write about it, but she isn't coming from the same perspective that many Christians are, so it seems disingenuous to compare our experiences). As a Catholic Christian feminist who has struggled with, researched, and believes the teachings of the Church, I found the author's arguments about sexism in the Church pretty unimpressive. (Yes, there are Christians who do sexist, and horrifying things, but that's not what she was talking about.)

She claims that certain Christian teachings or beliefs are inherently sexist, and that some Biblical passages are simply misinterpreted. I would take issue with her former claim (although there's room for debate, certainly), and the latter is... not really news. Her tone was intended to be encouraging and friendly, but it came off condescending as she tried to explain Christianity... and barely scratched the surface. She spent a lot of time trying to explain Biblical passages that are hard to wrestle with, and how she came to accept Christianity after she decided that she didn't need to accept everything in the Bible. When she did discuss modesty, she only focused on Western (mainly U.S.) Christianity, and still came away with misconceptions. (Granted, the interpretation of what constitutes modest clothing varies from denomination to denomination, and even person to person, but it still felt incomplete.)

Now the good:
It was definitely interesting to read, and I especially enjoyed learning about different cultural and religious expectations of modesty. The author certainly did quite a bit of research, and cited sources in each chapter. I do believe the author intended to be respectful of each culture and religion that she discussed, with at least some success. It's a fairly easy read, but it's also engaging and thought-provoking, at times - especially when she discussed the role of social media in what she calls women's "self-objectification". As a whole the narrative flows pretty well.

She also admits that she couldn't cover every sect of every religion, obviously, so there are of course things she wasn't able to cover, which doesn't make the book incomplete, as long as the reader knows it's not the whole picture.

All in all, it was an interesting read, but not one I'll pick up again. The logical inconsistencies were confusing and made me doubt that the author was as unbiased as I hoped she was, and it was clear that, when it comes to reconciling faith and feminism, she and I are just asking different questions entirely.

[Amy Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a bit of a mess, but it needs to be. Lauren is attempting to pick at a thread that intersects with a thousand others, and inevitably things fray and others unravel and you are left with an unwound skein of difficult thoughts and few answers.

What drove me to this book is the important work of intersectional feminism. That is, that white feminists need to examine carefully how our vision of empowerment may leave out, or even unintentionally oppress other women from different cultures, religions, and ethnicities. One of my favorite moments in the book - and a good example of this - is how Lauren points out the concept of "hotness as power" has inherent racial implications - because in America, hotness is often defined so narrowly - mainly as white and skinny. So anyone within that definition will fight hard to maintain it, but those outside of that defition of "hotness" are now disempowered.

There are SO MANY good moments in this book, to the point where I really think it is worth reading. There are other moments that make me really cringe, and it feels like the author's subjectivity runs away with the point. I also strongly disagree with her on a number of points she makes that come close to what feel like an answer. But overall, I recommend it as a challenging book that has a lot of important things to say.

[Karla Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting but it wasn't exactly easy to read. It is written in a scholarly tone which I found hard to follow. I had to slow down and figure out what (I thought) she was saying before I could move on to the next section. It didn't help that I don't agree with her philosophy or theology. Her experiment was intriguing but I'm not sure what it accomplished. From what I've read or heard about other similar experiments, just donning the role of someone you aren't doesn't actually mean you have walked in that person's shoes. For example, I grew up in a culture that did have distinctively different attire and rules for women than for men. It's very clear to me that the author doesn't "get" what that means at all.

[Sara McBride · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhh. I usually love books about "I did a thing for a year!" but this one really kind of left me cold. I wanted more about her actual experience, and less Remedial Feminism 099. There's actually very little in here about it!

I'm also a little befuddled by her own experience that almost all women wear a Beauty Suit. I sure as hell don't; I can't think of the last time I wore makeup and I stopped shaving my legs the day Trump got elected because ain't nobody got time for that. Kind of happy that I'm aging into invisibility.

[Kenneth Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a bit directionless and tangential at times, I enjoyed this book immensely. It includes a lot of great discussion points relating to feminism, religion, and global culture(s). The subtitle is a bit misleading, as only about 25 pages actually detail her Modesty Experiment, but I didn’t mind because there was a lot of good information and examination. With the exception of the author’s excursion into dreadlocks (which she does attempt to amend), I found this book very informative and enjoyable.

4.5 out of 5 stars

[Katie K · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star for the interesting premise. But only one, because the author spends 90% of the book going on bizarre rants against capitalism, orthodox Christianity, and even Amish people. She also compares wearing high heels to foot-binding. Presumably she wore a size too small once and they broke the arch of her foot and caused her toes to rot.

[Calia Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somehow the author seemed to miss her own point? Loved the concept of the experiment, but the book itself seems to stray off topic and there was shockingly little true self reflection

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Closer to 1.5 stars. My two main complaints with this book are that (1) it felt very disjointed and all over the place to me, and (2) I so badly wanted her to tell us about her modesty experiment (after all I thought that was what the book was going to detail). Shields referenced her blog a few times throughout the book, and states that she detailed her year long experiment there, but the book is mainly her breaking down and showing her understanding of various clothing and modesty practices in certain cultures and religious groups. This is fine and interesting, but not what the title and blurb suggested the book would focus on. I think Shields just tried to tackle too much all at once. She discusses SO MUCH from a brief history of feminism, to our online identities, the clothing practices and beliefs of the Amish, to various breakdowns of religious texts, and the list goes on and on. Each of these topics can, on their own, make up an entire book. I kept hoping she would connect these heavy academic information dumps with her year of religious modesty experiences. I appreciate Shields honesty and vulnerability in writing this book, I just wish it would have been more connected to her year long experience, and that both her experiment and the many topics discussed in this book would have been more fleshed out and cohesive.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was enough here for a long-form magazine article, but it definitely felt like there was a ton of filler to make it book-length. Anyway, it was an interesting experiment that the author did, but as someone who does tend to dress modestly for religious reasons, not for a social experiment, I didn't gain any big insights.
Meh.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant reexamination of beauty, feminism, choice, consumption, religiosity, and the complexity of dismantling the patriarchy when the patriarchy keeps stealing the tools we are using to dismantle. Shields lifts out a variety of modesty practices in the three Abrahamic traditions, being authentic to her own journey and biases while gently exploring and dismantling stereotypes of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. All this is wrapped in her own experience trying to "take off" the Beauty Suit--the clothes, accessories, and products women wear in order to feel good and, increasingly, in order to be taken seriously. If it's true that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did only backwards and in high heels, Shields is testing the water barefooted--not mandating that we all take the heels off, but inviting us to consider what would happen if we did, at the very least, take a proper inventory of the blisters they've given us.

This book pulls together many new threads and is full of little explosions to your worldview, but at the same time, is readable, non-combative, and encourages the reader to develop the practices that will best liberate them.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a really important topic but it could have been handled much better. It was a bit scattered and didn’t actually deal all that much with her “year” (actually 3/4 of a year) of experimenting with religiously modest dress. There are just a few brief reports on how the experiment went for her. I also had a few other gripes about the book:

For one, Shields interjected her own religious beliefs unnecessarily. She states that she is glad she’d moved past her “spiritual but not religious phase” and that she would not have made it through her brother’s death without religion. That’s fine for her, but not the only or superior way to be. I made it through my brother’s untimely death without theism and didn’t descend into nihilism (which she suggests is the route for the nonreligious).

Secondly, she talks at length about the damage done by toxic masculinity and women as sexual objects, but seems unwilling to take a firm stand against institutions like pornography which by their very nature oppress women.

Additionally, if you really want to experiment with not caving to societal pressure to don the “beauty suit,” why veil? If the goal is to be able to live with the same freedoms as men, it is not only unnecessary but also counterproductive in some ways. Why not, instead, go about your life the way men (at least in this culture) do -not shaving legs, not dying or straightening or curling hair, not wearing excessively revealing clothes, not using makeup, and most of all, not funneling lots of money and time and effort into male-oriented standards of beauty?

Overall, the book felt a little self-indulgent. Particularly since she wasn’t even able to give a talk during that time without putting concealer (a loaded beauty product if there ever was one) on her face. It was telling, I thought, that she was quick to get extensions in her hair and wear a revealing dress the minute the experiment was up. What did she learn, really?

But I gave the book three stars because I think it is such an important topic. Particularly since we seem to be in this wave of young women claiming empowerment by being even more overtly sexualized. “Slut walks” meant as demonstrations of female power in a rape culture serve to reinforce the stereotypes that women are there for men’s viewing pleasure. Ditto women going with men to strip clubs or working at restaurants that use women as eye candy. It’s time - past time - for us to start seriously challenging the idea that we need to dress provocatively as a means of gaining men’s attention or garnering power. Rejecting that notion is the way we assert our strength, not wearing a veil for nine months.

[Amanda (Books, Life and Everything Nice) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. As always, an honest review.

My actual rating is 3.5 stars, but since Goodreads doesn't allow half stars I always round up.

Lauren Shields’ year of religious modesty, for herself, prompted her to write this book to share her thoughts about the journey. Overall the book reads as a bit disjointed, but that’s fairly in keeping with such a complex multi dimensional experiment. Throughout she’s figuring out for herself how to define her religion, other religions, modesty, feminism, the modern culture, and more. The author has a background in religious studies, so she’s very well versed in these topics. The book reads as an educational text combined with a memoir.

I enjoyed all the new information that I gained, especially the alternate interpretations of modest dress within a religious context. I also enjoyed the in depth discussions about feminism, both relating to religion and culture in general.

However, there were some topics in which I disagreed with the author including women’s empowerment versus self objectification. Also it came across to me that Lauren believes being spiritual is less than being religious. I’m not sure this was what she was trying to convey, or maybe it’s what’s true for her personally. But that aspect bothered me. Also, I wish there were more written bout the actual modesty experiment. Much of the book was a lesson about religion, modesty, feminism, and cultural norms.

In general, I enjoyed The Beauty Suit and learned more about religion, especially in a modern cultural context. I think this would be a good book for young women who are religious but struggle to connect feminism, choice and strength with some traditional religious teachings.

[Leah Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read and posted an excerpt from this book onto my Facebook page and my parents asked me to take it down for its language and disrespect of the apostle Paul. They loved a different quote from this same book so much that they both "liked" it and praised it. It's not written in an organized fashion. It has numerous contradictions. I loved it because it is yet one more piece of writing that explores the feminine experience with the inclusion of some kind of faith, albeit an imperfect one. Though she took off the suit of beauty, I think her argument was weakened with the "suit" of foul language. Much like revealing clothing gives women the illusion of power, using such words also give women the illusion of power. She fails to be modest in her use of language. It is a powerful and important book, but unfortunately, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating experiment that forces critical thinking. Lauren Shields spends the better part of a year covering her hair (hats and scarves) as well as wearing long sleeves and non-revealing clothing. She spends more time talking about some of the major religions and cultures that practice modesty, myths and misconceptions about them, and what she learns by applying all this to her experiment. She doesn't want to dress in another culture's wardrobe because she (rightly) doesn't want to appropriate their dress. She spends more time talking about feminism and other cultures then she does on her own experiment, but I was okay with that. It was informative, exciting, and she did a good job being respectful of other religions and cultures while exploring how badass and feministic they can be.

[Peter Parris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Shields has written a good exploration of what women have to go through in terms of their appearance. She looks at the various ways our culture and our religious institutions tell women how to dress and what it means whatever they choose.

This book is well researched and written in an easy to read fashion. I especially liked how she went through the three Abrahamic traditions to show their attitudes and where they come from.

This is a book for men, women, and anyone interested in feminism.

[Julianne Bancroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Shields effectively tied together religious history, social media, and the sociology of today's American men and women. Her observations and conclusions caused me to rethink many of my own assumptions about women who dress modestly, and those who do not. I don’t agree with all of her conclusions, but I will be passing on my copy of the book to my college and high school age daughters. The topics raised here need to be fully considered and addressed.

[pianogal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a "feminist" but I really enjoyed this book. Usually people who call themselves feminists are too militant for me. Sometimes it feels like they want to fight, just to fight. I did not feel that way with this author. I'm not sure her theology and mine 100% align, but she made some very well-reasoned arguments. She was also willing to embrace concepts she was unfamiliar with and learn from them, which I respected. Good read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Thanks to Goodreads giveaways and first reads program for a copy of this book.

While I didn't agree with everything the author said I still felt like the book was well written, interesting and a worthwhile analysis of the expectations put on appearance for the modern American woman.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better writing would have helped a lot, and a lot of this could have been done in one long magazine article. Yes, being a woman sucks, valid points, but this sorta felt like reading an undergrad Intro To Gender Studies student essay.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75

[Emma Andje · Rating 2 out of 5]

*actual rating is 2.5 stars*

[kaylasbookishlife · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been changing up my style and wardrobe recently. Letting go of pieces I loved in my early-mid twenties and trying to create a wardrobe that is more me (late twenties-early thirties). Clothes I couldn’t wait to put on are ones I no longer feel comfortable in, and I am more attracted to different colours.

So I’m reading lots of fashion books! This one was particularly interesting and it spoke to me because I prefer clothes that cover most of my legs and shoulders. That’s my version of modesty anyway. The author begins a journey of forgoing the socially acceptable ‘beauty suit’ for clothing that covers her body (neck down) and her hair.

She explores different religious interpretations of modesty, looking in the Quran, Torah, Bible and the Book of Mormon. I loved seeing the similarities and differences!

She made a note that while she admired different cultural outfits that would fit into her modesty wardrobe (I.e. an abaya, shalwar kameez) she didn’t want it to look like cultural appropriation and so she stuck to a more ‘American’ style.

I did take issue with one part. She was talking about the issue of FGM and she mentioned it within the context of discussing Islam. I wanted her to clarify that it is not an Islamic practice. FGM is not connected to Islam or any religion. It’s a cultural practice and it occurs in Christian and other tribal communities as well, mostly in African countries. I felt like the author sort of insinuated that it was an Islamic practice.

I really enjoyed reading about her experiment and appreciated the research she mentioned within the context of modern fashion.