Revealing Modesty: A Tznius Stylist on Fashion’s Higher Purpose
When Aviva Bamberger shares the name of her styling business with people, panic often ensues. ‘Revealing Modesty’? What can you possibly reveal while dressing modestly?! they challenge. Ms. Bamberger, self-assured as usual, smiles and reveals the secret of the paradox. When you dress modestly, she says, what you reveal is your true self.
With her chunky gold jewelry, avocado-green sweater and chicly layered auburn shaitel, Ms. Bamberger’s modest styling savoir-faire is evident. The surprise, however, is from where her sense of fashion springs. With an effusive sense of Chassidic spirituality, Aviva views clothing as a means of personal - and G-dly - expression. In fact, Aviva named her styling service Revealing Modesty due in part to inspiration from the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s injunction to reveal G-d’s goodness in the world. “Modesty means using your self-expression for a holy purpose,” says Aviva. “We are all unique, even while following the same halachot of modesty. Finding your own best elements and personal style will lead you to reveal your own uniquely beautiful self.”
Ms. Bamberger advises women from all backgrounds how to dress and offers complete styling services assisting with everything from shaitels to shoes. Having worked in boutiques for years (“like boot camp for fashion,” she laughs), Aviva learned that image consulting is not just about choosing fashionable clothes, rather it is about making sure the whole picture fits her client’s individual personality and sends the right message. “If a woman is standing in a dressing room and I can see that she is not 100% comfortable, I don’t care how good it looks. The clothes have to reflect her own vision. Not mine.”
Stylist Aviva Bamberger (on right) helps Mattie discover her beautifully individual style [All photo credits: Devorah Goldstein Images]
After Aviva had dispensed fashion advice informally for years she decided to take it to the next level by taking courses in image consulting at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology. She thrives on the creative atmosphere of the school and loves being a student. Her overarching persona, though, is that of a teacher. She has twenty years of experience as a special education teacher and brings a studied sensibility to a craft that can often seem arbitrary. When working with a client, Aviva divides her styling system into a three-part plan: Silhouette, Style and Substance. “Silhouette” involves figuring out her client’s body type and skin tone and choosing flattering cuts and colors that work best; “Style” is figuring out the message that the client wants to get across, and tailoring it to her particular circumstances (such age, profession and personality); “Substance” involves evaluating the actual clothes in a client’s closet or in a retail setting and figuring out the best fabrics, styles and investment to make when building a wardrobe. She culls pieces from both traditional stores, such as department stores, as well as unique places like consignment shops, to find the best product mix for her client.
Mattie before her transformation.
When working with a woman, Aviva makes it a point to educate her instead of dictating exactly what she should wear. Like a teacher, her role is to mentor her clients and guide them to a place of independence. “My hope is that they learn enough so that they ultimately become comfortable choosing pieces for themselves” This learning process begins with discovering a client’s body type and discussing how it can be balanced out with the right kind of clothing. For instance, if a woman has a heavy midsection, Aviva advises a monochromatic look throughout the torso to even out the disproportion and distract the eye, as well as a belt at the smallest part of her waist to bring focus away from the stomach. Another big factor is dressing right is knowing your colors. Color draping, or framing a person’s face with scarves of different colors, is Aviva’s favorite way to work with clients to figure out their their best shades. “A flattering color will light up your face, and a wrong one will make it look as if there are circles under your eyes and shadows in your cheeks.” Once a woman understands how to dress her body type and what her best colors are, it’s a cinch to find clothes that will make her shine. In fact, Aviva says, “When you know how to dress your body, 95% of the stuff in any given store is not for you.” The remaining 5% is there to play with and discover what will make you feel your best.
Mattie after her transformation. Discover how Aviva made this happen on her website, www.revealingmodesty.com. [Skirt from More Than Just Figleaves.]
A new wardrobe is often necessary when a woman goes through a major life transformation. A new baby, a career shift or aging can all require a woman to reconstruct herself, and modify her style to fit her new persona. Aviva innately understands how to navigate a major life change since she experienced one herself. Fifteen years ago, she went through a considerable transition - she lost over 60 pounds and started a style journey that led her to find her uniquely beautiful way of presenting herself to the world. “Finding my own style gave me incredible confidence,” she says. “Tzniut is not about being flashy nor is it about being erased,” she says. “The true nature of modesty means stepping into your own light.”
The Science of Artful Accessorizing
As a stylist, Aviva Bamberger has an instinctive knack for fashion. And as a teacher, she has concrete ways of explaining the art of dressing well so anyone can grasp it. A key goal is the use of accessories to balance and accentuate one’s features for a synchronized style
Be conscious of your features. If you have small features or are petite, do not overwhelm your look with overly chunky pieces
Flatter your chin. If you have a rounded chin, go with round shapes and soft scarves. With a sharper curved chin, experiment with v-necked scarves and accessories.
Try something new. Have fun exploring different textures and materials in jewelry. One interesting trend to try for summer 2015 is wooden jewelry, natural stones and beaded accessories.
Know how to choose shoes. A good basic shoe for most women is a low heeled closed-toe pump. This style works well with most skirt styles. Brightly contrasting colors or highly embellished shoes create a focal point low on the body and can make you look shorter and stockier. If you choose these shoes, you should repeat the same color higher up (like in a skirt or belt) which will create a longer line. Nude shoes paired with nude hose will create a long look for your legs.
Take advantage of trends.This is an exceptional year for modest dressers. Two trends that are available this summer are midi skirts and ¾ sleeves. Aviva advises women to stock up on these trends while they can find them and think about storing these modest-dressing basics for the future.
Get in touch with Aviva of Revealing Modesty at www.revealingmodesty.com, or email her at [email protected]
All photo credits courtesy of Devorah Goldstein Images
{This article originally appeared in The Jewish Press}
