SAUDI CLOTHING

SAUDI MEN VISITING GOV'T OFFICES MUST WEAR TRADITIONAL GARB

FIRST YELLOW ABAYA I'VE EVER SEEN!

TRADITIONAL MEN'S CLOTHING

LINKING TO - WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

 

JEDDAH WEDDING - WHAT TO WEAR?

WOMEN'S EVENING WEAR CAN BE FOUND EVERYWHERE

READY TO WEAR OR CUSTOM TAILORED

If a woman cannot find an evening gown to her liking off the rack to wear to that special wedding, fabric shops are plentiful and are staffed with seasoned tailors.  Women can select their fabrics and may be armed with photos of the style dress she wants.  All the trimmings are also selected, such as beading, buttons, lace, feathers, or many more embellishments in all colors.  

The Saudi weddings I've attended are simply jaw dropping - from the decorations, lighting, and floral arrangements, to the gowns, high heels, make-up, and accessories - not to mention the unbelievable feast that is often not served until 3am.  Have a look at a post I did a couple years ago for a rare peek inside a Saudi Wedding. 

LINKING TO - TUESDAY'S TREASURES

MOSAIC MONDAYS 

 

Jeddah"s High End Designers #JDP

Prada. Chanel. Gucci. And many more.  Most world renowned high end designers have outlets in Saudi Arabia.  Many Saudi women - and Saudi men too - are extremely fashion forward.  

 This post links to - SKYWATCH  

Saudi Man's Headdress Styles

The Saudi man's headdress can be worn in many different styles - up, down, flipped back, draped over the head, wrapped around turban style, one sided, two sided  - well, you get the picture.  The red and white patterned cotton scarf is most typically Saudi and is called "Shemagh" or "Keffiyah."  It is a large square shaped scarf with a border around the edges.  Design patterns can vary but they usually appear to be checkered looking - although they are not really a checkered pattern - and are more like a zigzag or chevron design. 

Scarves have been worn for generations by men in the Middle East for protection from the scorching sun's rays, as well as to protect the eyes and mouth from blowing dust and sand.  A small white cap (called taqiyah) is worn underneath the scarf to anchor it and keep it from slipping, and the black halo (called egal) also secures the scarf in place on the head.  Plain white scarves are also worn by Saudi men and they are called "Ghotra" or "Guthra."  To me, the plain white ghotra appears more elegant or formal than the red and white scarves.  Below are just a few of the ways the man's scarves can br worn. 

Linking to:  OUR WORLD TUESDAY   and  My Corner of the World 

Women's Fashions - Shop Windows in Jeddah

Today's post consists of an array of photos of various women's wear shop windows that I liked as I walked by.  The first one is from a maternity shop, and I just really loved the top on the left - isn't it adorable?  So cute and clever!

This colorful purple and goldenrod dress uses floral fabrics that are very typically Saudi, worn at home or in the presence of other women. These festive floral prints are popularly worn for holiday gatherings and events.  

The last photo is just a collection of fall-ish colors and clothing that could be worn for special private events. Modest dress is required when outside the home here in Saudi Arabia, so the three dresses would not be worn without an abaya over them while enroute to the destination. They would also not be suitable for a mixed gender event either.   

The Saudi Man's Headdress

All over the Middle East, headgear is an important component of the traditional man's uniform.  Underneath the scarf is a small white cap called keffiyah which anchors the scarf and keeps it from slipping. Men in Saudi Arabia most commonly wear the red and white checkered scarf (shemagh) or a plain white scarf (ghutra), although there are many other colors and patterns available. They have been a part of the Middle Eastern man's fashion for a long long time, originally worn to protect from sandstorms and the hot sun.

The square scarf is folded in half into a triangle shape.  The scarf is then placed on the head with the two longer points on the left and right and the remaining point to the center back.  The black ring called egal is placed on top to hold the scarf down and keep it in place.

There are so many ways a man can style his scarf! Some wear it hanging straigh down, others like to flip the sides to the back, or maybe flipped up over the top.  There is not just one way of wearing it.

This post is linked to My Corner of the World. Do check out the other posts from bloggers from all over the world.

"Madas" Men's Sandal Shop in Al Balad

The distinctive looking Saudi man's sandals are called "madas." There are many shops that just sell this type of shoe only.  The design of the madas sandals are such that they cover a much larger percentage of the foot than most sandals, while still being open.  This design allows for more protection and support in this harsh climate and sandy desert terrain.

I love how the madas sandals are displayed and organized so neatly in the shops.  This madas shop in Al Balad maximizes a very small space to efficiently display a lot of product. The sandals come in a wide variety of colors, designs, materials, and embellishments.  You can see a wider variety of madas in these prior posts I made by clicking HERE - and HERE.

Saudi Arabia - Women's Outer Fashions Changes

My, how times have changed!  While many women in Saudi Arabia still wear the typical black abaya, many women are opting for colors and prints, and some are even venturing out sans abaya altogether nowadays. 

Of course those women are careful to be properly covered - long sleeves, loose skirt or pants to the ankles, and high neckline with no cleavage.

Madas - Traditional Saudi Men's Sandals

Worn by Saudi men, madas sandals are readily found in shoe shops all over Saudi Arabia.  The styles, colors, and detailing are now endless, quite a change from the past when they mostly came in a choice of brown or black leather. 

Madas are usually made from camel or cow leather and used to be entirely made by hand, which of course makes them quite expensive.  Nowadays more affordable madas are machine made. 

Madas sandals are now also made for women and children as well.  They are available in just about any color and can have different embellishments like beading, contrast stitching, and different leather effects, like ostrich texture.

Jeddah - A Saudi Bee-ing

I saw this cute T-shirt in a shop window at the Red Sea Mall.  The graphic is of a bee wearing sunglasses and the traditional Saudi men's headgear.  I would have bought it for my son but it was quite pricey for a T-shirt...

Laugh

Sometimes I'm still taken aback by the odd things I see here in Saudi Arabia after being here for 10 years already.  I had to do a double take when I saw this black and white striped pre-teen jumpsuit in a big department store - but if you look closely, the pretty red rose patch on the top actually says "Love Kills."  Why on earth would someone make a garment for tweens that says "Love Kills"?  I definitely thought it was a pretty good laugh.

City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers that share images of life in their cities around the world.  The first of every month is Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers.  This month's theme is "Laugh."

Please visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day.

Jeddah - Headless, Armless Mannequins

Jeddah has more fancy ballgown dress shops than any place I've ever seen.  Weddings are a huge social event here and the female attendees go all out, like they are attending the Academy Awards.  I got used to seeing the headless mannequins here, but now there seems to be a trend for mannequins to be armless or have arms that are just mysteriously chopped off at some point.  It's kinda creepy.

I'm sure it makes it easier to dress the mannequins if the arms are removed, but if you ask me, it detracts from the appeal and the beauty of the dresses.

Is it just me, or do you find the chopped off arm look distracting too?  A gorgeous dress, so elegant, being worn by a mannequin with her arms chopped off awkwardly below the elbow.  It's just weird...

And I want to know - what happens to all these heads and arms that have been discarded?  Where do they go?  Is there a market for them?

The beadwork, the colors and the styles are truly works of art - why not display them on something a little more appropriate, instead of a hideous version of a human?  I really don't get it...

Madas - Traditional Saudi Sandals

Originally made of camel or cow leather, the madas sandals are traditionally worn by Saudi men in all walks of life, from royalty to laborers. They are worn for any occasion, from formal events to work to business meetings to hiking in the desert.

In the past madas were all made by hand, a painstaking process which is costly in today's world.  Madas offer more support and protection than simple flip flops.  Nowadays most madas found in the marketplace are mass produced and machine made.  Cheaper knockoffs made of imitation leather are readily available in a variety of colors and embellishments, like beadwork and stitching designs in colorful threads.

This style of sandal has also become popular with women in the last few years and even can be found now with low heels for the ladies.  

Abayas - Not Just Black Any More!

Me in my new abaya

Abaya fashion has really changed since I first arrived in Saudi Arabia back in 2007.  Back then, practically all that was available was in the color black and in heavier suffocating polyester fabrics, unless one could afford to pay through the nose for nicer more practical fabrics.  Nearly all abayas fastened up the center with snaps, which easily came apart when getting into or out of a vehicle or even just walking.  I would go from shop to shop asking for abayas made of cotton or thinner fabrics, looking for abayas with pockets or zippers - but what I wanted back then was non-existent. 

I'm happy to report that today, all that has changed.  It is such a pleasure to find all kinds of practical fabrics being used for abayas, all kinds of colors, styles, and embellishments, with zippers and ties, you name it. It's exciting to see women walking around in not just plain black.

I'd like to bring your attention to a post I just wrote on my other blog, Susie of Arabia, regarding a controversial news item related to wearing the abaya.  It's about a world champion chess player from Ukraine who basically refused to travel to Saudi Arabia, citing her aversion to the abaya as a reason to give up her two world chess championship titles.  CLICK HERE to read my two cents about the matter.

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Saudi Arabia: Fashionable Abayas

They are not just black any more!  Abayas in Saudi Arabia can now be seen in a variety of colors, patterns, prints, and designs.