The Arab shines through. Arab women: what are they like, how do they live, what do they do, how do they look without a veil? Clothing and jewelry for Arab women: what is the name, how to buy in the Aliexpress online store? Video: Arab women

The Arab people have a very long and ancient history. People living in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and many other countries have deep convictions, attitudes, beliefs that seem strange to Europeans. In Arab hearts and souls there are firm ideas about the world and religion. Along with this, the Muslim people have their own traditions, and one of these traditions is that women are required to wear black clothes.

All Arab women wear black

This is a deep delusion. By no means all of them dressed and dressed in black attire. Almost all colors are acceptable. But there are some shades that, according to Sharia, Muslim women are forbidden to wear. She can wear clothes of any color, provided that she does not wear the so-called male color. A woman should also wear clothes that do not attract the gaze of the stronger sex. There are many representatives of the Arab Republic, dressed in relatively colorful colors. This clothing is typical for rural and Bedouin women. They wrap their heads very tightly, not worrying too much about their hair. But the city ladies brought black into fashion. They abandoned such bright outfits. Green abayas (clothes of Arab women) were and remain popular. These things look pretty harmonious on them.

Arabic culture

What about Arabic national clothes, then she should hide the female body completely, with the exception of the hands and feet. Such an outfit still has practical applications. In the Arab countries, the climate is very hot, so the role of this clothing was to protect against the scorching sun, as well as protection from dust and sand. That is why we can safely say that the clothes of Arab women have not only a religious bias, but also a practical one. Many years ago, artificially made face masks and scarves were put on the face. Despite the fact that at present headdresses look much simpler, the headscarf for Arab ladies continues to be an integral part of the wardrobe. A Muslim woman is required to wear a veil traditional clothing originating from the time of Assyria. Walking with a covered head has always been considered a custom. In Arab countries, this is regarded as a sign of humility. It is customary for the female gender to wear a black abaya. This type of clothing was considered a virtue.

So, as mentioned above, black women's clothing in the Arab countries - a deep delusion. Women can dress very differently and brightly. It's just that the living conditions in these latitudes made women walk that way.

Undoubtedly, the traditional clothing of the local population in the United Arab Emirates is directly influenced by religion, traditions and climatic features.

Emirati men wear a long white kandura dress. White color for Arabs is the color of a noble person, besides, especially in the heat, this color is very practical. In winter, kandura can be beige, sandy, and even light greenish in color.

On the head of the Arab men there is a knitted lace cap - “gafia”, on top of which there is a “gutra” scarf (white, milky or red checkered), tied in a special way, or simply held by a woolen band-rim “ikal”.

Sometimes on the dress of a local Arab you can see "kerkusha" - a kind of tassel decoration, comparable to a tie. For special occasions such as weddings, big holidays or a visit to the sheikh, men use the bisht cape.

Under the kandura, men wear a "fanila" - an undershirt, a belt - "vuzar" is tied around the waist.

During the day, a man can change clothes 3-4 times, so on the streets you will never see an Emirati in a dirty or badly wrinkled outfit. Men's wardrobe usually consists of more than 50 dresses. Of course, locals usually resort to dry cleaning services and rarely wash their clothes at home, especially since dry cleaning in the UAE is very affordable.

The most popular shoes for men are leather flip flops. In winter, you can see men in shoes and even sweaters over kandura.

Only when traveling abroad can men from the UAE wear a suit or other European clothing.

Women's attire in the UAE is more layered. Traditionally, ladies wear colored dresses with long sleeves - "kandura". Under the dress they put on trousers - "sirval". A black cloak is worn over the dress - “abaya”, often embroidered with gold, silver, decorated with crystals or pearls. Often, the high cost of decoration and fabric can be used to judge the well-being of a woman's husband.

The head of an Emirati woman is covered with a thin black scarf - "shella", covering the head, but not the face. This is the most common headdress in the Emirates.

A headdress called "hijab" is less commonly used in UAE clothing by local women, it is more worn by natives of neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf. The hijab consists of two pieces of fabric and covers the woman's hair.

Women from deeply traditional families (especially of Bedouin origin) may cover their heads with the so-called "burqa". It is of two types. The first is a scarf that covers the entire head and face except for the eyes. The second type of cloak is a special design made of metal plates that cover part of the forehead, nose and lips. But women in a burqa are becoming rarer and rarer in the UAE.

Another common headdress for women is "gishva". This is a thin translucent scarf that covers the entire head and face. It is dense enough to hide the lady from prying eyes, but at the same time transparent enough so that its owner can see the world around her.

Of course, the choice of a headdress for clothes is often determined by what family a woman comes from and how democratic her husband is.

Often under an abaya, instead of a traditional dress, there may be a completely modern outfit from a famous European couturier. In addition, following global trends, women buy expensive bags and shoes from well-known brands.

There are legends that most of the dresses from high fashion shows go to the Emirates, where women show them to each other at weddings and bachelorette parties, proving their spouse's wealth and their status in the family.

In addition, in her clothes, the UAE woman traditionally uses a large amount of jewelry, prices for which are sometimes commensurate with the cost of housing or a car. This is a kind of manifesto of the generosity of a man.

There are several versions of why Arab women wear black. According to one version, a woman is the shadow of a man, which is why the robe is black. Some sources say that black the best way hides the subtleties of a woman's figure, and will not shine through if wet. According to another version, white is a working color, and black is a festive one, and since Emirati women do not work, they always have a holiday. In addition, it is believed that the black color among Eastern people is associated with beauty: black eyes symbolize a beloved woman, black heart - a loving heart. Oddly enough, the color of mourning for Arab women is blue.

Only if you have time!

National clothes are worn with pleasure by the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula. It is practical, original, diverse, sometimes simply luxurious, most adapted to the local climate, is an attempt to preserve its traditions and is a vivid example of counteracting the cosmopolitan depersonalization brought here by total globalization, which has devastatingly won here in all other industries and spheres of life! In addition, clothing corresponds, of course, to the requirements of religion. Initially, Arab clothing was supposed to serve as protection from the sun, sand, and then these practical functions coincided with the tradition of Islam and became a symbol of the lifestyle of a religious person. Traditional clothing hides the body almost completely, leaving only the face, hands and feet open.

Most of the men wear traditional clothing, which is a long shirt, called dishdasha in the UAE, and most often jalabiya (they only call it that in stores, by the way). In its purest form, this is a tunic with long sleeves, without seams, fasteners and a collar, reaching to the ankles. However, it has a tapered shape and emphasizes the figure. Most often it is white, but blue, lavender, "fallen leaves", black and brown jalabia are also increasingly common. In the Emirates, they prefer a long white dishdash with cuffs (often with cufflinks), a breast pocket and a stand-up collar (these details are the result of the influence of European fashion). The traditional cut of the galabea: without cuffs, pocket and collar. Regardless of the style, one thing will remain unchanged - it is always shining with whiteness and cleanliness, ironed, without a single wrinkle, pleasantly smelling even at a long distance, a shirt that testifies to the desire for extraordinary cleanliness and creates the impression of freshness and well-groomed. And just clean, as they say in advertising. Arabs change clothes twice a day. Speaking of "Arabs" I mean exclusively local, about Palestinian, Lebanese, Moroccan and other Mauritanian, I have no information! (I immediately and strictly warn attacks about dirty and so on, just kidding, but seriously!)

In 1914, the English intelligence officer Thomas Edward Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, (in the picture, of course, Peter O * Tool in this role, I can’t resist posting here, too good!) noted that the Arabs living in Hijaz, they sometimes use their headscarves as pillows and bags. And the Bedouin, going into battle, almost completely covered his face with a handkerchief, tying its ends at the top and leaving only his eyes open in order to be unrecognizable.

In our time, this world-famous Arab headdress - a scarf girded with a tourniquet - has actually been preserved in its original form. This is due to its exceptional practicality in relation to the conditions of Arabia. The head and neck are protected from the burning sun, and the folds of the scarf absorb hot air and thus insulate, allowing you to retain moisture and endure heat. This handkerchief, called "gutra", is a large enough piece of cloth that allows you to freely wrap it around your face or wrap it in a turban, once very popular in Arabia. A square piece of gutra is usually folded diagonally to form a triangle, the equal sides of which fall over the shoulders. He is usually white. In winter, it can be made of a denser material with the addition of wool and with a red ornament. The yigal holding it on its head, which looks like a thick cord, according to legend, goes back to the rope with which the Bedouin tied camels at night, and during the day, having rolled it, kept it on his head. Residents of the UAE often have two thin black cords hanging from the needle - for greater beauty. You can cover the lower part of the face with the ends of the gutra, escaping from sand or cold, or you can throw them up or plug them under the needle, constructing something like a turban so that they do not interfere. A lace skullcap is worn under the gutra. Their original purpose was to prevent the handkerchief from getting dirty. In the past, skullcaps were made of cotton and were easy to wash. Sometimes they were decorated with very fancy embroideries in white silk and gold thread.

Looking closer, you can see a “tie” among urban residents - a lace, which can be of various shapes, and is called a tarbusha. So this tarboosha has not only an aesthetic function, but also a purely practical one, it is she who gets a huge portion of perfumes, since the jalabiya fabric will retain stains from aromatization until the washing itself, and if we take into account the oil component of Arabic aromas, then for a long time after washing too. Considering the manic desire of the Arabs for the purity of their clothes and the same manic love for pleasant aromas, such a tie is simply a measure of extreme necessity.

The national "fashion" inside the Arab fashion also, of course, exists and reflects the attempts of the entire Arab world to preserve its traditions, and the ways of the formation of individual national communities - Syrian, Egyptian, Arabian, Libyan, etc. - in the bosom of pan-Arab culture.

(beautiful picture from francessa)

The traditional dress in which a woman is shown in public is a black long dress - abaya. Among women of the coast, abayas are made of light fabric (silk, satin), among Bedouins, the fabric is denser and coarser. Under the abaya there may be traditional Arab clothing, for example, a traditional colored dress (gandura), embroidered (made of gold and silver threads or talli - made of colored and silver threads), and most often expensive models from Paris or Milan. The head of a woman outside the home is covered with a black kerchief or scarf (sheila), and her face may be hidden under a thin black gauze-veil (guishua), which allows you to see you, but does not allow you to see what is under it. Another option is possible, when the lower part of the face is covered with a handkerchief, leaving only the eyes in the wild.
Arab women in European clothes with their heads uncovered most likely came to Dubai from another Arab country. And the widespread opinion about the imposition of this attire on them and the dream of the "enslaved" to throw it off and dress in a European way (which, by the way, they often do in Europe) is nothing more than a fiction or a myth. Arab women love and enjoy wearing their robes, allowing them to personally take part in its design and show all the fantasy and ideas about beauty, as well as combine with designer bags and shoes.

Arab clothing stores are represented in each mall.
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The napkins on the coffee table are disturbing. Are tears bitter to wipe? Husbands, of course!
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At the entrance - a hospitable gesture, which can also mean - bargaining is appropriate, tea parties are very conducive to this.
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Endless choice...
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You can always agree. Would have a calculator handy.
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Mannequins do not suit abayas at all. They don't know how to wear them and they just look awkward.
I have not yet seen a translucent lace abaya as outerwear on any Arab women, at least.
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Huge rhinestones.
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A very expensive model. 18,000 dirhs ($5,000)
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Butterflies.
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Chiffon is also used.
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Lace trim.
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I asked the store which is the most expensive. They pointed to this, the cost of 33,000 dirhs (almost $ 10,000). They explain the demand for Versachev's design and the number of Swarovski straziks.
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Blue on black is always a win!
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White atypical.
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Purple is also untypical, but beautiful.
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Just wealth and luxury! Gold - in one word!
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Hand embroidery.
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And how do you like such luxurious dresses for weddings and other celebrations!
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Here, all the beauty is offered at the foot!
The sparkle of stones and gold soles will amaze the imagination from under the flying hem of the abaya!
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And winter version, certainly. It's fur, boots and suede!
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Let's move on to the male part of the population.
That's what stores offer, of course, men's, not joint.

Huge selection of materials and colors! And with all the simplicity of the style of men's attire, the price may surprise you due to the cost of fabrics. The most expensive one in this store cost a little over $2,000 per meter (sorry, I didn’t document it with a camera, it was a thin woolen suit fabric with small stripes, even for the winter version of jalabiya). And sewing a simple one from an ordinary white fabric can fit into 300-400 dirhams. I think that in the markets or in the shops of which the price will be many times less. But the fabric will be different, of course.
These shades are the most advantageous, in my opinion. When finished they look very nice.
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Well, my favorite part men's wardrobe- these are their amazing self-folding slippers!
And in vain, after all, I approach them so with humor, in the malls separate pavilions are dedicated to them, and the prices ... judge for yourself.
At these stands from 700 dirhams per pair ($200).
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And here is already 3,600 dirhams a pair ($ 1,000).
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I hope that the big picture shows features or outstanding roughness, or maybe the absence of them.
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And now, how this whole attire looks on people. Or rather, just "people people 3" (or 4, I don't remember exactly).
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Everything goes well for slender young people. And even such non-designer clothes can look very dapper.
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Well, fat women look impressive and serious!
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Quite often, a traditional Arab shirt is combined with branded caps. Here's how in this case. Only from the "Formula 1" from Abu Dhabi, I guess.
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A mandatory question from the female part of the population, is there anything under the shirt? I answer yes! Pants are always worn and a T-shirt. Together, they make an awesome set.
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A little offtopic.
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And now girls in abayas and shopping!
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And this is to the question of swinging abayas. As you can see, everything is closed, everything, well, I really want to show a beautiful skirt!
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Favorite blue.
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To be honest, I can’t get used to this form of hiding the body. Somehow uncomfortable from this spectacle, stereotypes ...
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There are also glamorous pink abai finishes.
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I completely forgot to add, the phone (!) As an integral part of the traditional Arab attire! Both male and female. Unisex of a kind!
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And now to the restaurant!
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You can see the embroidery pattern.
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Off again. But it reminds me so much of Wong Kar Wai's "In the Mood for Love"...
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Traditional theme - caring Arab fathers and children (or stroller, or trolley)
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Just kids. Looks like we've seen enough of the Titanic!
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91. Outstanding attitude gesture! I personally see it for the first time!

92. I look far!

93. Expressive looks. All three!

94. Some non-local for sure! She has sneakers, he has moccasins with a back! Is it extreme from the North?

And here are not only beautiful abayas, here is a way of life. Or rather, the favorite habit of Arab women is to entrust someone with their shopping bags, otherwise such a load pulls their hands!
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I could not keep up with these restless Italians, no matter how much I wanted to take a picture at least from the side! That's how to be able to enjoy life, love it today and now, with gratitude for every given minute, and with inexhaustible curiosity and thirst for life, run through the malls far away from home!
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(I promise to post more photos) men's clothing, scarves, ties close, but later, I think you don't mind)

The traditional clothing of Arab men is a long, to the toe, loose cotton shirt.
In Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf countries, it is called dishdash, in the UAE - kandura.
But the cut is the same: a small stand-up collar (less often a turn-down), a slit or three or four buttons on the chest, slash pockets.

Dishdash is usually white, unlike the women's abaya, which is black.
To the question why men are in white and women in black, there is an evasive poetic, typically Arabic answer: a woman is the shadow of a man.
In fact - due to the fact that black is the most impenetrable color, and even the keen eye of an Arab man is not able to see literally nothing under the black abaya.

The shirt almost does not fit the body, it does not have a belt - and therefore it is not as hot in it as in European costume. This clothing is a must long sleeve: It protects against sunburn.
Here it is necessary to make a reservation - if you see an Arab somewhere in a fitted dishdash, which excitingly emphasizes his entire Arab figure - you can bet that this is a resident of Saudi Arabia, and most likely from Riyadh.

Such an outfit with slight variations can be seen in the Arab world everywhere - from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf. The exception is mountainous regions, where the climate is different. Men wear other clothes there too: in Yemen, for example, skirts.

Arabs always cover their heads from the sun.
In Saudi and neighboring countries, a keffiyeh head scarf is worn - white in the countries of the Persian Gulf or colorful in Jordan, Syria and Palestine.
Under it, they put on a knitted openwork taqiyya hat, and fix the keffiyeh on top with a ukal - a horsehair hoop.
The ukal hoop has another funny use - in Bahrain, for example, the Saudis, having drunk in bars, fight each other with these very ukal, using them instead of a whip.
Shoes - light sandals without a heel, reminiscent of the well-known to us "flip flops".
They are, however, usually made of good leather. Socks are not worn even in cold winters.

However, despite the uniform uniform, in each country there is a special manner of wearing a headscarf.
By these small strokes, an experienced eye can easily distinguish from which country this or that Arab came.
For example, the Kuwaitis in a special way fold a scarf in the form of a triangle and throw it over their heads so that its ends hang freely in identical "wings" to the shoulders.
The Saudis fold the ends of the headscarf behind their backs.
The Omanis even construct from it a kind of turban.

P.S. And there are rumors that Arabs don’t wear anything under dishdash ...
But don't believe me - usually a T-shirt with short sleeve and shorts, and in winter even underpants.