So classy, so nice, so polite!
Beauty influencer Jules Lebrun, who has single-handedly made the word “polite” soar across social media over the past week or so, posted a candid update about how “TikTok has changed my life.”
The creator, who identifies as a transgender woman, encouraged her followers to post videos of their own on TikTok, saying in a post on Wednesday: “Once upon a time, I was playing cashier and making videos during my break, now I travel across countries hosting events, and I’ll be able to fund the rest of my transition.”
The “modest” trend has been spreading across TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms this week, with many attributing its viral spread to a video LeBron posted on Aug. 5 about applying makeup for the workplace in a “modest, humble and respectful” way.
“I don’t go to work with green hair,” LeBron says in the video that sparked the trend. “I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I don’t do much, I do work. Did you see how I look? The way I come to the interview is the way I go to work. A lot of you go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and you go to work looking like Patty and Selma.”
After the video went viral, LeBron went on to create content for her fellow Davis about how to be “modest” in other random life scenarios, like getting on a plane, thanking hotel staff, or getting her hair done. LeBron has gained popularity with the term, and now has 1.5 million followers on TikTok and nearly 100 million likes across her videos on the platform. Other creators have joined the trend, calling anything you can think of “modest” or “immodest.”
Being “shy” — more of a vibe than a literal interpretation of the word — has now become more of a lifestyle, with some netizens already calling it “shy autumn” (a notable departure from the party vibe of “Summer of the Rowdies,” inspired by Charli XCX’s “Brat” album, which supposedly ended Summer of the Rowdies and continued Autumn of the Rowdies).
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what “modesty” means, but as long as a person is attentive, neat, and presentable—and doesn't wear cut-and-dried makeup to a job interview or at work—they're likely on their way to achieving “modest” status.
