A Western Expat Notices Abaya Fashion Trends
Pushing the Form I have now lived in Qatar for three fall seasons. I teach at Qatar University College of Law, so I am perfectly positioned to see youthful fashion expressed in the abaya. Many Westerners, when they see a photo of a group of Arab women wearing abayas, probably assume that the abayas they wear are the same in style, fabric, and embellishment. Not true. As the outward statement for these young women, you see many expressions of their personality and fashion sense in the abayas they choose to wear. Some students, who view the abaya as a utilitarian piece of clothing, may wear the same abaya all semester. Other women, more fashion conscious, may have four or five abayas that they rotate throughout the semester. As a seamstress, I am fascinated at the thousands of interpretations of this basic form. In Qatar, most abayas are cloaks with long sleeves that a woman wraps in front of her and holds with ...