My trip last month to Qatar introduced me to world that combines fashion and modesty in a very unique way. Coming from the United States, I was nervous about how I would appear to people in Qatar. I didn’t know if my clothing would be culturally appropriate, but I was looking forward to seeing how Middle Eastern fashion compared to fashion in the Western world.
Many of the female students who attend Northwestern University in Qatar are not native Qataris and originate from a variety of places around the globe. However, what connects these female students to some of their peers is their faith and culture. The NU-Q female students explained to me that in the Islamic faith, teenage girls typically start wearing the hijab when they reach puberty. Another form of Islamic dress that many Saudi Arabian women wear is the niqab. During my trip, I saw many Saudi Arabian women wearing the niqab and the abaya, the robe-like dress that Muslim women wear with their headpieces.
While it is a common misconception that all Muslim women are forced to wear the hijab, this is not the case with the students of NU-Q. They informed me that typical Islamic dress, specifically the hijab and abaya, has evolved and become a fashion statement in their culture. I was amazed by the hijabs and abayas that women wore in Qatar. They wore colorful headscarves with gorgeous patterns and designs and abayas with intricate beading and jewels that showcased how stunning and unique Islamic clothing can be.
It was refreshing to see these Muslim women proving that modesty and simplicity can be just as beautiful and fashionable as clothing typically worn in the Western world. This transition toward more modest looks is becoming more and more present in the fashion world today. Religious bloggers like Melanie Elturk, the CEO of Haute Hijab, and Adi Heyman, the founder of the popular fashion website Fabologie, are creating a space for a conservative, classy style in the fashion market. Elturk was recently featured on www.today.com and Heyman was profiled by The New York Times. The New York Times also wrote an article earlier this month about Christian Fashion Week, which occurred around the same time as New York Fashion Week in February. Christian Fashion Week was founded three years ago by two couples and is a representation of feminine modesty, according to the New York Times.
Whether your style is sexier or more conservative, members of the fashion world are proving that fashion caters to all tastes allowing every person to have their own individual style.
Images from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/24118241 and https://instagram.com/hautehijab/