As fashion designer Ayşe Yıldırım bustles around her shop in Istanbul, she slides past bold, colorful tops; long, shimmery party dresses and a sleek white pantsuit. Each design features collars that fully cover the chest, sleeves that graze the wrist and breathable materials that are comfortable to wear — even in the heat.
It’s a range of styles with a particular consumer in mind: women who dress modestly, often for religious reasons. Yıldırım points to a black-and-white tunic from the racks that is popular with her customers. She said this design, with a little embroidery on it, has sold consistently for three seasons.
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Turkey is quickly becoming a global center of modest fashion — a retail sector defined by looser and longer cuts. Its popularity is driven by a growing appetite for high-end clothes in predominantly Muslim countries, where women who wear