In My Beauty Suit: How My Year of Modesty Made Me a Better Feminist, how does Shields compare and contrast the women she observes around fifth avenue...

In The Beauty Suit,
Lauren Shields describes the women she sees on the subway around Fifth Avenue. They all smell of
expensive perfume and manage to keep their hair exquisitely coiffed despite the weather. They
wear fitted, fashionable clothes, have full faces of make-up, and wear high-heeled
shoes.

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Shields sees Hasidic women in headscarves
and long, flowing skirts. Their clothes are loose, modest, and comfortable. However, Shields
emphasizes, these women still look stylish. They just do not follow fashions, as they appear to
be focused on something more important. The author thought they must have a good reason for
dressing in this way and that she too wanted a reason. She feels that the women on Fifth Avenue
are dressing to impress others, even if only because they regard this as part of their job,
whereas the women in Williamsburg are dressing as they themselves wish.