The Westernization of Middle Eastern Women’s Fashion

When people think of a Middle Eastern woman, the most common image that comes to mind is a lady wearing a long black dress, known as an ibaya or jilbab, and a hijab. That is, if a niqab isn’t pictured along with it. And although that might have been a pretty accurate depiction a few decades ago, the fact if the matter is: Middle Eastern women’s modern fashion is as westernized as it’s ever been.

Although I’m focusing mainly on Islamic dress, a lot of this applies to non-Islamic Arab women as well. The Arab dress is influenced a lot by Islam so it’s conservative and modest by nature.

The process of westernization of anything is a gradual process; and fashion isn’t any different. It started with the ibaya turning into a blouse and skirt. Which didn’t see too much criticism from the older generation because it was just as modest. Colors and patterns were introduced which drew in a few thoughts from really religious folk saying that a woman “should not draw any attention to herself” and a bright orange skirt might just do that. But ultimately, the younger generation seemed to get away with it.

I’d have to say the article of clothing that drew in the most criticism were pants. A lot of people rejected and frowned upon the thought of women wearing pants at first—saying it wasn’t modest enough. They also made the argument that “a woman shouldn’t resemble a man in any way” and pants are a “man thing.” The thing these people don’t understand is that it’s all about intention. More often than not, a woman isn’t wearing pants to resemble a man; she’s wearing them out of practicality. The younger population seemed to really enjoy the introduction of pants into their wardrobe and a lot of them made the point that even the Prophet Mohammed ...

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... Eastern woman.

Just like how some women in the past set the standard for the modern Middle Eastern woman, the modern Middle Eastern woman is setting the standard for future generations.

Works Cited

Moghadam, Valentine M. Modernizing Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East. Boulder, CO: L. Rienner, 1993. Print.

Redclift, Nanneke, and M. Thea. Sinclair. Working Women: International Perspectives on Labour and Gender Ideology. London: Routledge, 1991. Print.

"Style Battle: Middle East v. Western World." All Women Stalk. All Women Stalk, n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.

Treister, Negar R. "Globalized Fashion a Political Statement in the Middle East." Globalized Fashion a Political Statement in the Middle East. Policy Innovations, n.d. Web. 05 May 2014.

"Westernization of Dress in the Middle East." HTS 2041 The Modern Middle East. Wordpress, n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.