BAHRAIN: Once a formless black gown, 'abayas' turning into fashion statements

'Abayas' or the plain robe intended to shield the female form from prying eyes has become a fashion statement in the Gulf, with some bejewelled, gold-embroidered new designs outdoing the flashiest rappers. "Quick, fetch me my abaya!" is a call that reverberates around many Gulf households on the arrival of an unexpected male guest, as the women scramble for the formless black gown that confers instant anonymity. 'Abayas' or the plain robe intended to shield the female form from prying eyes and comply with Islam's requirement that women dress modestly, has become a fashion statement, with some bejewelled, gold-embroidered new designs out-blinging the flashiest rappers. Originally a baggy black cloth that covered a woman from head to toe, an increasing number of tight-fitting abayas in an array of eye-catching designs now fill the shops. Sales of abayas that do not cover the head, and are only worn from the shoulders down, now outstrip those that do, abaya sellers said, with the latter mostly bought by older women. Most abaya adornments are concentrated at the garment's hem, highlighting the hands and feet with a swathe of crystals, or gold or silver embroidery. Bahraini designer Mariam Wadi'i has a number of shops in Bahrain's capital selling abayas. While some of her designs are plain and simple, she has become known for her 'trendier' look, which she says, was not popular at first. "It wasn't actually very popular at the beginning. When I started, there was a lots of criticism and a lot of 'why you do this' and all of that, but now (it is) becoming more popular because I think the whole world is getting closer together, people go outside and they see other fashion, trends and colours," she said. "The world (of) fashion is getting much closer together. It is like another body language, it's like a silent language, people want to be understood by the way they look, this sort of thing. So, of course it's been more fashionable among the youngest now. It's become popular as well. I think it's because the way it looks now, it's more..it comes out of the very very old way, it comes now a little bit in a way that it is more...you can wear it in any place and you still look good and everybody will notice you," Wadi'i added. And women no longer buy just one garment to comply with Islamic mores, but purchase abayas for weddings, parties, shopping, work and different seasons. "We follow the latest fashion and we like (the style of) our 'abayas' to be (constantly) changing. Some people like simplicity and other like more complex ones," said one customer. Fashion or not, abayas are still required dress for women in more conservative parts of the Middle East, and the more revealing and eye-catching designs have been met with resistance. In more conservative countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the country's religious police, or "mutawwa" ensure that women are abiding by the law. But if the mutawwa's aim is to ensure abayas protect against the wandering male gaze, they may be disappointed. A glance around any Gulf poolside shows many women sweltering in all-enveloping veils or even taking a dip in their abayas while the men splash around in Speedos. This, says abaya sellers, has encouraged younger women to become more daring with their look. Usually made of crepe, the different grades of cloth, and the crystals and embroidery used to adorn it, influence price. Some 'abayas' can cost as much as 650 Bahraini dinars ($1,728), one saleswoman said. But Wadi'i explained that pricey abayas may not always be a practical purchase. "There is no necessity to put jewels. Ok, I use a lot of Swarovski stones just to give it a glamourous, a little bit of waves, shines to what you do. (It) brings out the whole prospect of design but (it is) not necessary to make it very much valuable because at the end after two or three years, what are you going to do? You will need to change it," she said.

ITN Source | August 5, 2007

Tags:. .wasnt. .encouraged. .silver. .complex. .closer