A lot of people nurture tonnes of misconceptions and misunderstanding when it comes to the United Arab Emirates and how they dress up. Apart from the fact that Dubai is a follower of Islam, not much is known to people, especially about the Arabic clothing tradition. The entire UAE, except Dubai, has a conservative mindset and considers attire to be a key part of religion. Dressing restrictions in Dubai aren’t stringent, given how popular it is in terms of a tourist destination and how it is thronged by tourists mostly throughout the year.
Despite western women’s dresses being embraced, women are always expected to cover their skin and dress modestly. Here are some of the various clothes worn by the people of Dubai.
UAE Traditional Dresses Worn by Its Women
Abaya is considered as the UAE’s and Dubai’s national dress. The dress is defined by a floor-length cloak that covers most of the women’s body with hands, feet and her face as the exclusion. Abaya’s is conventionally black. Some women might also turn to Gagauz or Niqab to keep their hands and faces covered.
Modern Abaya Designs
The traditional Abayas were black and plain. However, the recent clothing trends of abayas include intricate embroideries and beautiful artwork on dark coloured fabric. A lot more Abaya colours have been added to the list like beige, brown and grey to give a modern tweak to the conventional attire.
Burqa, also spelt as Burka is characterized by an outer clothing piece that is worn by Islamic women. This is one of that attire that is meant to cover the whole body of a woman. The primary objective of wearing this is to keep your skin covered in public. It is one of those clothing trends which is worn on top of the regular attire as an additional clothing piece. Women open their burqa when they return home.
Gishwar is one of the most traditional women’s dresses which is quite popular in the UAE. Gishwar is characterized by a thin cloth piece that is exclusively designed to keep the woman’s face covered, in a way that is visible but not recognizable.
Hijab is a long veil that women from the Arabian regions prefer wearing. Hijab can cover a woman’s hair, neck, ears and face. Hijab is a colloquial term that is used to describe women’s headgear. However, in reality, Hijab means one type of head wrap. Shayla is one of the most popular hijabs that comprises a rectangular cloth piece that crosses across the shoulder. Hijab is one of the most key components of Muslim women’s clothing.
Kaftans are usually worn by Arab women who are staying inside the households or are living with female relatives. Kaftans are also termed Jalabiyya and feature extremely-embroidered designs. They are available in various colours. Kandura’s female version is Kaftan and rather than wearing white Kandura, women choose more elegant designs and soothing colours. Women also pair their kaftans with loose pants or Sirwal.
Shyla is a black scarf that drapes the hair of a woman. It is a loose-fitting scarf widely used by women in the city.
Additional Attires and Accessories Worn with Traditional Clothing
To cover the eyes and face, you will also come across optional Gishwa. Besides all of this, UAE women also love wearing jewellery like rings, bracelets and earrings. All of this makes up for a fundamental part of their traditional dresses. Though modesty is the prime focus of every Emirati woman, they still embrace makeup like kohl to enhance their physical features. Henna also makes up for their rich culture and is applied intricately on their feet and hands.
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