OGDEN, Utah — "OK ladies, you need to be dressed in 10 minutes!"
The many high school-age girls chatting excitedly about the modest dress designs on the backstage table sprang into action, rushing to finish last-minute touches on their hair and makeup and help one another into their dresses.
And these aren't your run-of-the-mill prom, wedding and casual dresses. These are modest dresses. And the clothing company that makes them is Modest by Design. Each year for the past seven, owners Eddie and Heather Gist have hosted a modest-fashion show, held usually at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. For the first time the show this year was at Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden. More than 40 teenage girls participated in the Modesty in Motion 2009
fashion show Saturday afternoon, showcasing semiformal gowns,
bridesmaid
gowns, church dresses and even ball dresses.
"I really like the Modest by Design dresses because they make you pretty without showing anything else," explained Sammi VanFleet, one of the models.
"We just wish there were more modest clothing lines. It's hard to find hot modest dresses," another model complained before hurrying off, "but these are hot modest dresses."
Heather Gist explained one of the reasons they hold the modest show: "I love to watch the girls do their fittings. They wouldn't have done this, but we asked them to volunteer. And when they walk out onto that stage, they just shine."
Amid the glittering lights, the girls took turns dancing, twirling, posing and obviously having fun as they strode around the stage smiling. Some dresses touched the floor, others went over the knee. Some dresses were fancy prom outfits, while others were subdued enough for church. The dresses came in a rainbow of colors, including bright yellow, gold, metallic pink, bright red, blues, greens, white and more.
The fashion show culminated in announcing the winners of the modest-fashion design contest. Each year, girls are invited to submit drawn dress designs and essays explaining why modesty is important.
Gist explains, "It not only lets us know what the girls want, it gets them thinking about what modest means to them."
Eddie Gist added, "It's a great way for the girls who believe in modesty to see some really great designs and now that you don't have to give up fashion to be modest."
The contest winner's dress design is made for the winner, and she gets a photo shoot in her new dress. Last year's co-winners, Leslie Gerber of Centerville, Utah, and Tomoko Goddard of Orlando, Fla., were at the show, modeling their new prom dresses. Goddard's is bright yellow, with twirling tulle falling to the floor. Gerber modeled her pink creation that includes an intricate bodice.
This year's winner is Krista Purser from Murray, Utah. Her dress design will be made for next year's show. Purse explained in her essay: "There is power in confidence. Immodesty is no part of confidence. It is, instead, the mask of confidence, an outward appearance that hides insecurities. ... Modesty is courageous."
And on Saturday as the teenage girls modeled across the theater stage, they looked fashionably confident in their modesty.
E-mail: ejensen@desnews.com