VERDADERO O FALSO // Las Europeas Se Visten Con Pudor

It's a popular image to believe that European women cover themselves modestly, like ladies in a Victorian painting. The image evokes timeless elegance, but is it true that women in Europe, from Belgrade to Bilbao, always dress modestly? Let's sew the truth together with our admiration for style. The myth imagines European women wrapped in modest fabrics, with high collars and long skirts. A Bulgarian woman at a market or a Dutch woman on a canal is said to avoid low-cut or sheer clothing, a contrast to the glittering fashion of the Latin character, where color and shape celebrate the body. This stereotype paints Europe as a bastion of decorum. The origin of the myth may be due to the fact that in Western Europe, Christian influence and the aristocracy promoted modesty, reflected in 19th-century fashion. In Eastern Europe, communism imposed uniformity, and the Orthodox or Catholic faith reinforced modesty. On the other hand, series like The Crown show the sobriety of European women's dress, while Latin Americans associate fashion with freedom. Perhaps the reappearance of girdles in some countries like Colombia or Venezuela is an exception to this rule. If we ask ourselves why the myth persists, it's abundantly clear. In X, for example, the hashtag EuropeanStyle highlights classic outfits, and brands like Prada promote understated elegance. For a conservative audience, this evokes traditional values, but it ignores the modern variety seen on the streets of Europe. In reality, European fashion is a spectrum. In Western Europe, Spain and Italy embrace low necklines and short skirts, even among women over 50. In the United Kingdom, streetwear challenges norms. In Eastern Europe, such as Serbia, formal fashion (long dresses) coexists with modern looks among young women. Muslim communities (more than 6% of the EU) wear hijabs, but on Croatian beaches, bikinis are the norm. The European fashion market, worth €400 billion a year, reflects this diversity. In X, women in Sofia wear elegant coats, while those in Valencia show off summer dresses. For example, a 60-year-old Polish woman wears a modest dress to church, but her daughter in Warsaw shines in a daring top, both reflecting Europe. In conclusion, the myth of European modesty is a loose thread. In the East, faith guides style; in the West, freedom redefines it. For us who dress with pride, Europe shows us that fashion is a mirror of the soul, as diverse as our lands.