During my one week trip to Israel, I had the opportunity to scope out the styles in the Arab Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem. Their sense of style and creativity has been seriously overlooked. All this time we (somewhat elitist fashionistas) have been thinking that our concepts of Western trends are the epitome of fashion and style. We have overlooked an entire population of women who do not necessarily sport high waisted mini shorts or knit tunics. In a culture where modesty is considered an esteemed feminine quality, these women are still capable of expressing themselves through style and fashion. Whether it is the intricately sewn designs found on a dress or the various styles of the hejib (headcovering), these women are showing the world that fashion does not always have to involve the showing of skin.
These dresses are all hand made and require hours of skill to create these extremely detailed adorning patterns.
Here we see some creative ways to wear headscarfs which are made out of a variety of different types of fabric.
As a former Women's Studies major who has particular fascination in women in the Middle East, this analysis of style lead me to conduct a google search on Muslim fashionistas. The results were astounding. I found articles on topics ranging from wealthy Saudi Arabian women's love of designer purses and shoes, to surveys of the clothing certain women wear behind closed doors and under their jilbabs (full body covering.) Additionally, several websites presented contemporary styles for the "trendy Muslim girl." To find out more about various women's viewpoints on this topic, read the article in the link below.
http://www.nysun.com/national/conservative-muslim-women-hide-knack-for-fashion/70250/
