Published February 8, 2011
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Have you ever wondered why women in Oman and in the GCC wear the black abaya? I certainly have. We started off pretty well. Take a look at photos from Oman in the 1960s and 1970s. Women wore modest, traditional and colorful clothing. I’m not quite sure when the black crept its way into Oman, but many people blame Iran and Saudi. Today, the concept of the black abaya has become so engrained in our society that we can’t imagine our lives without it. Most girls in are told by their families to start wearing it when they turn thirteen or fourteen and are stuck with it for life. Once you start, there’s no going back.
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I started wearing an abaya in grade eight because all the girls in my class wore it, and I didn’t want to stand out. Now, ten years later I can’t even drive to my sister’s house down the street without putting it on. Why? Because I’m afraid of what will happen if I don’t wear it. I feel as if I’d be committing a crime against society by not wearing it. In fact, I’m pretty sure society here in Salalah would also feel I’m doing something wrong, and someone would surely feel the need to report my scandalous behavior to someone from my tribe!
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I asked my male colleagues (regular victims of my random feminist outbursts) why they think women should wear the black abaya. Most said girls must start wearing the abaya when they reach puberty to protect their 'reputation'. I asked them to explain what they meant by that but they just went around in circles repeating the argument about reputation. A couple of others believe society looks down upon girls who don’t wear it. My favorite answer was from a guy who said men wouldn't be able to concentrate at work if their female colleagues wore colors. Really?!
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Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not against the abaya at all. In fact, I love wearing it. It’s practical and comfortable and I can wear whatever I want underneath it. Furthermore, it’s extremely fashionable. Black happens to be very elegant especially when studded with jewelry or adorned with silver or gold linings and other designs. The cost of abayas can range from twenty to two or three hundred rials depending on the detailed hand embroidery, designer brand, and crystals. Wearing the abaya is also an easier way to cover up without having to worry about coordinating an entire outfit. On the other hand, it gets dirty easily, gets stuck in the wheels of my office chair at least twice a day, and is a constant tripping hazard. Furthermore, during the summer the abaya becomes your own personal heating pad. Black absorbs heat like a sponge absorbs liquid.
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So, why do we wear it? Because we’ve gotten used to it and are afraid of what people will say if we don’t? Why the obsession with conformity? Society in Oman has always had a problem with anyone different, more so here in Dhofar where it’s almost taboo to stand out of the crowd, especially for females. As a young woman who practically worships individuality, I find this very hard at times. I'm sure many young women out there share my sentiments.
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From a religious point of view, wearing black isn’t strictly required by Islam. Muslim women should wear loose fitting and modest clothing that covers the body. Can that not be achieved with green or purple? I knew a woman here in Salalah who made beautiful colored abayas and tried to market them to the local women a few years ago but most claimed their husbands would never let them. The word ‘let’ is what gets on my nerves. Abayas are beautiful, but every woman should have the right to choose whether she wants to wear it or not. What concerns me is that girls all over Oman are being forced to wear black from a young age by their families. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a little color. In Muscat, things have changed and it’s not uncommon to see women in color but as for the rest of us, black rules. I don’t predict any changes in the near future in Dhofar because we haven’t even started tackling the issue of the black face veil, let alone the abaya! Goodness knows how long it’ll be before women here can start choosing what they want to wear. Food for thought…
I fight this in my husband's region by buying those stretch jersey abayas with coloured sleeves and coloured hijab. Slowly, slowly, people get used to it, and one can move to whatever colour they want.
ReplyDeleteIn the West I wore undecorated but nicely shaped coloured abayas all the time and they were more modest than black abayas covere din crystals and tight I've seen here in oman so I JUST DON'T GET IT.
Women need to take back their Islamic rights to do what is halal or they lose them and have no one to blame but themselves. You can't pin it on society and family for forever. Some of it is simply this: all it takes for the world to go wrong, is for a good person to do nothing.
In Islam, all it takes from a Muslim woman to lose her Islamic rights, is allow society rather than her religion, to dictate what is sinful (forbidden) and what is good (halal).
enough of my ranting!
I love this article, thank you for writing it. I am an American who studies other countries and cultures. Researching Omani women's clothing, I was surprised to learn than many wear the black abaya because it is considered the most fashionable and sophisticated style of dress. As a Christian American, I had never considered the abaya as a fashion choice. It's not that they aren't flattering, I've seen many women in beautiful black abayas. They simply seem so hot, I thought of it as a purely religious decision. I love the traditional Omani clothing, it's so beautiful and I hope it comes back into fashion one day. I like to wear the long tunic, trousers and scarf style of dress and I don't understand why women all over the world don't wear some version of it. It is so comfortable, practical, modest and flattering. You get dressed in the morning and you look nice all day without need to adjust your clothing or worry that you are exposing yourself. I traveled all over India in a similar salwar kameez and found it so very liberating. You buy the top, bottom and scarf together so there's no struggle to put together an outfit in the morning. Western clothing with its tight waistbands can't compare for comfort, practicality or elegance. But we also tend towards the all-black looks that can be considerably less comfortable...so I guess women all over the world are choosing to be uncomfortable for fashion....and to fit in to social norms.
ReplyDeleteI love this article, thank you for writing it. I am an American who studies other countries and cultures. Researching Omani women's clothing, I was surprised to learn than many wear the black abaya because it is considered the most fashionable and sophisticated style of dress. As a Christian American, I had never considered the abaya as a fashion choice. It's not that they aren't flattering, I've seen many women in beautiful black abayas. They simply seem so hot, I thought of it as a purely religious decision. I love the traditional Omani clothing, it's so beautiful and I hope it comes back into fashion one day. I like to wear the long tunic, trousers and scarf style of dress and I don't understand why women all over the world don't wear some version of it. It is so comfortable, practical, modest and flattering. You get dressed in the morning and you look nice all day without need to adjust your clothing or worry that you are exposing yourself. I traveled all over India in a similar salwar kameez and found it so very liberating. You buy the top, bottom and scarf together so there's no struggle to put together an outfit in the morning. Western clothing with its tight waistbands can't compare for comfort, practicality or elegance. But we also tend towards the all-black looks that can be considerably less comfortable...so I guess women all over the world are choosing to be uncomfortable for fashion....and to fit in to social norms.
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