Middle Eastern Islamic Clothing Fashion Abaya Is Changing

By Christi Larsen


Middle Eastern Islamic clothing fashion abaya is changing with young influences. Traditional and unadorned black is no longer the only alternative available. When people see this distinctive garment they know its wearer belongs to the conservative Muslim Salafi movement. Salafism is often identified interchangeably with Wahhabism.

A German intelligence report released in 2010 has identified this movement as the quickest spreading religious ideology among Muslims. Petrodollar rich followers are fueling its spread throughout Muslim world. These followers want others to share their beliefs that reflect a harsh culture. Petrodollars have supported a rise in women wearing this garment.

This attire is not the same as the Burqa, which another long garment worn by Muslim women. The Burqa is a South Asian garment which is a large piece of clothing covering the entire body, from head to toe. It has a mesh panel allowing the wearer partial vision. The Middle Eastern attire covers everything except the hair and face. It is worn with a headscarf and a face veil that as a whole conceals all but the eyes of a woman. A Jilbab coat also covers the entire body, but does not cover hands and head of its wearer.

Other types of Islamic garments provide more limited covering. These include Hijabs. These are headscarves. Another type of headscarf is the Khimar. This has a triangular or round shape. Facial features are covered by a Niqab. Women who wear garments with more extensive coverage are more sedentary. Interaction with others is more restrictive for them than it is for females who chose other types of religious clothing. These wearers will not work in a mixed gender settings outside their residences.

Abayas were originally worn by Bedouin tribes to protect them from harsh desert weather conditions and by wealthy women in urban centers. But today, the association is with religion as a covering to protect Muslim women from male eyes. Its new association symbolizes a culture where uncivilized males still abound. Civilized men will not disrespect women who are covered modestly but not as extensively. It hearkens to a lawless time in an era when there is no shortage of a police presence. It is a symbol of a people who want to identify with their past and its cultural identifiers.

Abayas have traditionally been black and long sleeved robes without any embellishments. Traditional colored examples were also worn in muted earth tones to discourage male interest. During pre-Islamic life in this region, such attire was sole purview of privileged women. They wore it to distinguish themselves from riffraff. It showed them to be above lower class women.

Western observers are surprised by new changes. There is an= clearly evident recent trend of more relaxed ad attractive styles. Willingness of women to these emerging trends depends on local traditions. In South East Asia, white is preferred rather than black. In certain Gulf countries decorative styles, new colors and fabrics have found a willing audience.

Young designer Eman Al Mandeel is a representative of fresh air being infused such fashion today. She is leading a fashion revolution of sorts. Her appeal to women who want to celebrate their femininity while staying within the bounds of prescribed constraints. Her career started in Dubai. Her more fashionable designs found fertile soil in the Emirates. Emirati women live in a less restrictive environment than their fellow women more puritanical Saudi Arabia. But she has also found that today even conservative Riyadh in Saudi Arabia has embraced her designs. Upper class Saudi ladies find her Islamic clothing fashion abaya styling appealing as well.




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