Middle Eastern Bedouin Islamic clothing fashion abaya is evolving. It is not just a black robe anymore. It can be of different colors and fabrics. This long garment which covers most of the body is generally worn by women who are conservative Muslims belonging to the Salafiyyah movement. This movement is interchangeably identified with Wahhabism after the 18th century Arabian cleric Ibn Wahab.
According to a German intelligence report, Salafism is the fastest expanding Islamic movement today. This fact should not be surprising as it is supported by its petrodollar rich Middle Eastern and Gulf followers. They follow this puritanical vision of Islam that has long comported with a traditional Bedouin mindset. Petrodollar support has led to more women embracing this attire beyond Middle Eastern territory.
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.
In addition to these garments, there are other types of Islamic modesty protecting clothing. These include, the increasingly popular Hijab, which is a type of headscarf. A Khimar is a triangular or circular headscarf and a Niqab covers facial features. Women wearing garments with maximum coverage are more socially restricted. They do not interact with other people as can women who are so restricted. Such women will not be found working in a mixed gender setting outside homes.
Bedouin tribes have long worn Abayas to protect them from rugged desert climate. Wealthy women wore them exclusively as a sign of status. However, they are associated today as a religious prescription for the purpose of protecting Muslim women from prying males. They symbolize a culture of men who are not civilized. Civilized males would not be expected to show disrespect for women who are not covered extensively. In this light it reflects continuation of a lawless time in the present time despite police protection. It is also a symbol of people wanting to identify with historic cultural practices.
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.
It may seem to westerners that an Abaya only comes in one style, but there are variations. Typically it depends on different countries and their traditions. In Far Eastern countries white is preferred. In Gulf countries colored versions with different fabrics and embellishments are becoming increasingly common.
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.
According to a German intelligence report, Salafism is the fastest expanding Islamic movement today. This fact should not be surprising as it is supported by its petrodollar rich Middle Eastern and Gulf followers. They follow this puritanical vision of Islam that has long comported with a traditional Bedouin mindset. Petrodollar support has led to more women embracing this attire beyond Middle Eastern territory.
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.
In addition to these garments, there are other types of Islamic modesty protecting clothing. These include, the increasingly popular Hijab, which is a type of headscarf. A Khimar is a triangular or circular headscarf and a Niqab covers facial features. Women wearing garments with maximum coverage are more socially restricted. They do not interact with other people as can women who are so restricted. Such women will not be found working in a mixed gender setting outside homes.
Bedouin tribes have long worn Abayas to protect them from rugged desert climate. Wealthy women wore them exclusively as a sign of status. However, they are associated today as a religious prescription for the purpose of protecting Muslim women from prying males. They symbolize a culture of men who are not civilized. Civilized males would not be expected to show disrespect for women who are not covered extensively. In this light it reflects continuation of a lawless time in the present time despite police protection. It is also a symbol of people wanting to identify with historic cultural practices.
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.
It may seem to westerners that an Abaya only comes in one style, but there are variations. Typically it depends on different countries and their traditions. In Far Eastern countries white is preferred. In Gulf countries colored versions with different fabrics and embellishments are becoming increasingly common.
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.
About the Author:
You can visit the website www.abedah.com for more helpful information about Middle Eastern Bedouin Islamic Clothing Fashion Abaya Is Evolving
Comments (0)
Posting Komentar