Our Modest Matron for today is Nina, of alltumbledown: A Modest Attempt at Style.

The blog, in fact, is how I “met” Nina, clicking though to her site after reading her comment on another modesty blog.

Nina photographs herself every day (yes, every day!), and posts about her outfits – with little musings about style, modesty, and life thrown in for good measure.

I was very interested in her choices because of her Jewish faith… well, let me get out of the way and let Nina tell you all about herself.

• Religious affiliation: I’m a Modern Orthodox Jew. For those unfamiliar with the many shades of grey within the umbrella of Judaism, this means that I adhere pretty strictly to traditional Jewish law and practice while being fully involved in the positive aspects of the secular world.

I attended a Jewish day school from K-12, spent a year post-high school studying Jewish texts in Jerusalem and then went off to a small secular liberal-arts college.

• Life Situation: I have been married for nearly 2 years to my wonderful husband, a future doctor (since he’s halfway finished with med school, we joke that he is a “doc”). I work for a small museum in Lower Manhattan, where I do research, lead walking tours and manage viral communication. I plan on going back to school relatively soon for a PhD in history and religion. We don’t have kids yet, but are excited to start a family together in the not-too distant future.

• How long have you been dressing modestly? (Were you raised that way?)

I grew up Orthodox, and as such, always had a sense of propriety and modesty even when wearing shorts and bathing suits. My current modesty code, which includes wearing skirts to the knee and to-the-elbow sleeves, was a choice that I took on after my year in Israel. After spending the year studying Jewish law, I dedicated myself to more stringent observance, the most superficially apparent of which was my wardrobe.

Covering my head started after marriage, in accordance with Jewish law. I cover my head, not my hair (basic disagreement in Jewish law about which is the thing to cover – most people side with authorities who hold that hair is the issue, but I follow authorities who believe that the majority of the head, not hair, must be covered.) When I wear a hat or scarf, that is my hair hanging down.

• Can you share a little about your journey to modest dress?

For me, modesty is less about espousing a specific notion of femininity and much more about affiliating myself with a community and lifestyle. In the Jewish world (well, my Jewish world – there are just so many incredibly diverse communities that it is hard to generalize) wearing a skirt and headcovering automatically associates you with those who care about Jewish law. This isn’t to say that those who wear jeans and go bareheaded don’t—in fact, many do—but at first glance, my dress lets people know about my observance level.

I won’t lie: it isn’t easy, especially in summer when everyone walking around is wearing cute little sundresses and shorts. Dressing as I do has become rote but I do remember that it is a choice I anew make each day.

Blogging about my “modest attempt at style” has been the best resource for me. It challenges me to be creative with my wardrobe instead of wearing the same thing every day, and has put me in touch with an inspiring network of women who do the same.

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