Depending on where you are in the world modesty, is defined completely differently. It changes across cultures disciplines geography and especially religions. In Some cultures wearing certain types of clothes is totally normal but if you go somewhere else the same outfits might be frowned upon or even considered unacceptable.
Everyone has their own perspective on what modesty means, for some showing more skin like wearing a bikini at a beach is normal and socially accepted but in other communities the same choice might be seen as inappropriate and disrespectful. Also in a society a fully covered person might be seen as modest or pious yet in another society they might be seen as oppressed, out of touch or even lacking confidence. Well I personally believe that modesty is greatly influenced by religion and culture which often sets the standard for what is considered "proper" in a society.
I remember one time seeing a lady walking by and what some would call modest clothing as she passed a group of guys one of them started mocking her and calling her an "ashawo" meaning prostitute. This happened in a community with strong religious values. I couldn't help but feel that it was the wrong approach . That lady might have been dressed according to what she believes is modest or her values and in her view she was being respectful and modest. Ridiculing her wasn't just disrespectful, it ignored her right to express her beliefs freely. After all this is real life and not a movie where people can be judged without consequence.
Personally I think modesty is more about presenting yourself in a way that looks good and feels respectful and not necessarily about how much skin you show. Sometimes people misunderstand modesty as just covering up but even covered up outfits can be inappropriate if they are too tight or revealing in other ways. On the flip side someone wearing a short dress can still look modest depending on how they carry themselves.
And here's the funny thing about modesty it often depends on your body type if a curvy lady wears a fitted outfit she might be labeled immodest because her shape is visible but if someone with a less curvy figure wears the exact same outfit she might not get the same reaction. It's like modesty is sometimes judged less by the clothes and more by the body inside them and that's a problem
At the end of the day modesty is subjective. It is shaped by culture religion and personal values. What matters most is respecting each person's choice without imposing our own standards and them.
Thanks for stopping by 😊.