Dearborn-based fashion brand makes modest clothing stylish

Tia Graham

A Dearborn-based company is proving that modesty and style don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Studious Monday is a clothing company that produces sustainable, contemporary, ready-to-wear clothing for women. Nawal Alsaeed founded the company and focuses on elevating modest wear for women. The fashion brand’s first full collection is out now. 

‘Modest Mod’ is the theme, paying homage to the British mod scene of the 60s and 70s. The garments incorporate corduroy, recycled polyester and wool to design edgy, bold silhouettes indicative of the transformative era.

Alsaeed has been working on the concept of modest wear for over a decade. With Studious Monday, she uses luxurious colors to create everyday pieces that can upgrade any wardrobe.

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For the fashion industry, modest wear is everyday wear, yet it’s often left out of high fashion conversations. Alsaeed says the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement helped move the conversation forward for many people of color.

“I see some changes, I definitely see some shifts, [but] we still have a long way to go,” she says. “I feel like I’m personally feeling a lot more confident entering and creating that space for myself, whereas years ago, I didn’t even think I had the opportunity to do so.”

Now, in 2022, Studious Monday’s F/W collection is available online and offers understated items without the flash but with all the swag.

And for Alsaeed, the clothing line focuses on everyday women, allowing her Muslim faith to inspire the designs.