The Abaya and the Women Beneath it
CBS- Cand.Ling.Merc.
Fashion and Design Industries
Teacher Lise Skov
Student: Diana de Souza Leão Jensen
Cpr.nr. 170588-3218
Characters: 22. 050

Introduction

Dubai is claimed by many to be the centre of the Middle East, and by some, of the world. Connecting many countries, continents, cultures and people Dubai is a very cosmopolitan place that combines old tradition and religion with modernity, innovation, pioneering and extravagance. From the old traditional souks to the new modern malls we see people from all over the world, dressed in many different ways. It is sometimes easy to spot where people come from, especially if they are wearing a traditional costume for their culture.

The locals of Dubai and the surrounding Emirates are called Emirati and the official religion of the United Arab Emirates is Islam. The traditional dress of the Muslim woman from the UAE is the Abaya, a kind of maxi dress or robe, it is long, has long sleeves, it is loose fitting and in the UAE it is generally black and simple, it is made of very thin fabric to make it cool in the scorching summers of Dubai and the surrounding Emirates. Muslim women in different parts of the world wear different garments, but all with the same purpose, to cover the body and not show the shape of the body, but in Dubai there is a large number of women in the black Abayas. There is a great contrast between the tourists, wearing tank tops and shorts revealing a lot of skin, and the Muslim women covering up their entire body, and some even their faces. There are many misconceptions, assumptions and prejudice about the Abayas and the women beneath them. For the western woman the Abaya is often seen as a way for men to oppress and undermine women. The media has often made it out to be this way, but the truth is, like with any other piece of clothing, people