Egyptian "Fashion"

We're back from our honeymoon in Egypt which was great!! There are several things that we want to post about and share - and Paul is going to write a recap of the whole thing, but I'm going to start with what is one of the most noticeable aspects of Egyptian culture (because I would do that instead of write about the camels and the pyramids!)

One of the most striking aspects of Egyptian culture was the fashion. I’m not talking about New York or Milan runway fashion, I’m talking burkas and hijabs – the various Muslim head-coverings for women. This post really needs photos, but my camera battery is dead so I can’t get at mine and I’m not sure I took that many anyway because I thought it might be rude. So you’ll have to just imagine…

From what I gathered there were 5 different levels of women’s coverings. We’ll give them completely arbitrary names because I really have no clue what they would be called. The first is the most liberal, modern and “Western” of them all: the simple scarf covering the head, possibly pinned around the face to keep it in place. (There is no hair showing with any of these.) The women in this group wear what we would call normal clothes; jeans, long-sleeves (arms are covered), and cute shoes. There is some fashion in this as the scarf usually matches the shirt, can be many fabrics including cotton or silk, may have a pattern or design, and the outfit is completed with a cute purse. This outfit was not new to us as we had seen it a few times at universities in the States – although then we thought that it meant they were VERY conservative…quite the opposite. In fact – this head covering is really quite practical when you are in the dessert as it keeps the wind and sand out of your hair and keeps your head out of the sun. Imagine Mary riding the donkey, head covered, this might have been at least in part because of the weather. It is brutal! (PS – she rode the donkey to Cairo…that is a really long way! And it is all dessert and mountains!)

The second level is the hijab. This scarf is more tightly wrapped and pinned in place, almost always a solid color, but it can be a more lively color. The woman has her arms and legs covered like the first more modern dress; but the distinction is that she is wearing a long skirt. (This is strikingly similar to orthodox jews or Amish women, but with a head covering all the time.) These women also had purses and noticeable shoes – meaning they seemed “normal” and didn’t stand out in a good or bad way (although we did see at least 2 younger women in this category sporting some Converse shoes!).

The third level is a woman with a hijab, long sleeves and a “dress.” The hijab is one solid (usually more dull) color and wrapped tightly, resting on her shoulders like a scarf. This time the dress is one solid color and very loose fitting. In the first and second levels the clothes still take some shape. You might get a glimpse of pants as she walks or sits down, but she is fully covered up and the only skin you are going to see is her hands and her face. You might see a purse, but you won’t notice the shoes.

The fourth level is very close to the third, but a little bit more conservative. The hijab is longer and draped down the back, almost to the elbows and down to the stomach. The woman has no shape as everything is very loose and flowing (this also helps with air flow underneath as it is SOOOO hot!). These are outfits are solid colors, usually dull or dark with the most frequent color being black. You won’t notice her shoes and she doesn’t have a purse.

The fifth and final category is completely covered in black cotton/polyester cloth, with a burqa or niqab that has only the eyes showing. According to Islamic law these women can only go out with a male escort – either their husband or brother or cousin (note: I am note an expert…this is what I’ve heard). They don’t have a purse or if they do it is black like their clothes. We saw one woman in the airport who even had on black gloves! And we saw another in the market with a black purse…on top of her head. I really wanted the picture but we were in a car and the battery was dead.

Now I consider myself to be a pretty conservative dresser 90% of the time - but even I couldn't wear the cute clothes I'd brought along because they were too scandalous! Black shorts, a sundress, heels, and tank tops were out of the question unless we were on the cruise ship. So imagine me in my skinny jeans (this means they are tight) with a blouse and a scarf walking through the market in 100 degree weather. Hot! I felt like the princess from Aladin covering up my head as I bumped into the sword-swallower in the market...except he was trying to sell me a lamp and not swallow a sword.

It was really interesting! I can definitely say that we do not live in the Middle East – but we went to the Middle East for our honeymoon. But that isn’t really true. We technically live in the Middle East but it is much more like New York or Miami, and we technically went to Africa, but it was the North Africa and the capital of the “Muslim world,” so much more Middle Eastern. More stories to come...