Clothing is an essential part of every culture, and it is a part of a culture’s identity and its people. In my country Saudi Arabia Abaya is a cultural identity clothing; it defines the Saudi Arabia woman. Women wear Abaya because of the Islamic religious traditions and as per the Saudi Arabian culture and customs requirements. Abaya has been around for a long time and stands out; it represents good morals, kindness, modesty, pride, and a sense of direction for women who embrace them wholeheartedly.
An Abaya is a long cloak won over other clothes by the Arab and Muslim communities mostly. An Abaya covers one from head to toe, and it is usually buggy. It is the actual definition of modesty because its buggy and long nature are to protect the body well and avoid exposing any curves. It is also moral as only one’s husband can see their angles which shows respect and morality (Marifatulla, 2018). What makes this concept about the Abaya is that many people have criticized it, but the woman have stayed true to their culture and religion for decades.
An Abaya is a standard for Saudi Arabia’s culture, beliefs, and tradition. In Saudi Arabia, a woman wearing an Abaya is seen to signify tradition, culture, and religion, which she must adhere to, and a sign of pride for belonging to Saudi Arabia. Women wearing an Abaya signal benefits being Emirati citizens and respecting the tradition as opposed to those with an ill-defined set of behaviors rooted in the wrong interpretations of Islam and ignorant of the cultural practices (Trainer, 2017). People in Saudi Arabia have opinions about a woman’s appearance, and one is to wear an Abaya because it is the culture that has existed for many decades, and defying that puts one in a wrong place with society. I have had many experiences where I have had the privilege of wearing the Abaya, unlike girls who do not wear one. They are seen as outcasts for defying the odds and living free lives without rules. I have often been advised to avoid people who do not wear one because they might be law-breakers.
Abaya is the epitome of comfort; they are sowed to provide comfort for the wearer. They are big in size, wide and long, covering from head to toe; this makes them unique because few people wear baggy clothes, which increases their uniqueness. The textile industry has shifted, and many creative people are designing Abayas in different designs while maintaining the Abayas’ originality (Goncalves, 2018). No matter how many designs people come up with, an Abaya will always provide comfort, a cover-up for a woman. Some people have altered the meaning of an Abaya. For example, some young girls have overly tight abayas, and those are not Abaya (Qazi &Shah,2019). It is essential to respect people’s concepts when designing clothes, stick to that, and not try to ruin something good for another to fit a different narrative that does not align with the original designer’s ideas.
An Abaya is wealth, luxury, and value. A simple and cheap Abaya costs between 30-50 dollars, and then there are the sophisticated Abayas that are custom-made with decorations that cost more than 100 dollars (Philips, 2013). The decency of wearing an Abaya symbolizes wealth and financial comfort; the whole concept of an Abaya screams luxury (George, 2019). That means there is a luxury in decency because no one has complained about the prices, yet an entire religion believes in wearing such to cover (Ramadan &Mrad, 2017). After giving this concept a more prominent thought, it clicked that decency is a representation of wealth; it might not be material wealth, but covering up well adds value to a person because their body is not accessible visibly by every person. That is why a woman who covers up is more valued and respected than a woman.
An Abaya, a simple cloak in the Saudi Arabian community, is much more than a piece of clothing. Wearing an Abaya shows respect for the Islamic and Saudi Arabian culture and customs; it also demands respect for the lady. An Abaya is a wealth for the woman due to inaccessibility and monetary.
References
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Marifatullah, A. (2018). New Looks On Abaya as National Identity of United Arab Emirates. Insaniyat: Journal of Islam and Humanities, 3(1), 17-27.
Phillips, J. R. (2013). The Abaya: A Balancing Act of Fashion and Modesty in the Arab Gulf Region.
Qazi, M. H., & Shah, S. (2019). Discursive construction of Pakistan’s national identity through curriculum textbook discourses in a Pakistani school in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. British Educational Research Journal, 45(2), 275–297.
Ramadan, Z. B., & Mrad, M. (2017). Fashionable stereotypes and evolving trends in the United Arab Emirates. Customer Needs and Solutions, 4, 28-36.
Trainer, S. (2017). Piety, glamour, and protest: Performing social status and affiliation in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 46(3), 361–386.
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