How to Dress in Muslim Countries as a Woman: Female Fashion Tips!
- thereseholland
- Apr 15, 2015
- 5 min read
Let me first be clear: I am not a fashionista.
I have a lot of t-shirts, and depending on the season, I'm wearing roughed up combat boots or the pair of flip flops I haven't lost yet. I am however, a female traveller who wears clothes. For the latter reason, and that reason only, I am giving fashion advice today!
The main reason for my change in tone (as I typically avoid commenting on fashion) is because I have realized fashion is an important tip for females travelling to certain countries, such as Muslim ones. As women, sometimes we need to consider our clothing choices more in order to respect the country you are visiting which has a different sense of modesty.
February in Morocco
So what is a Muslim country you ask? Well, that's complicated to answer! I typically try to avoid writing hate speech anywhere, so when it comes to the topic of Muslim countries, I'll have to be careful so I don't say anything hateful... about the media!
Wait, did you think I was about to be racist?!
Nope! I just don't want to make any overarching statements about the media and their portrayal of people who practice Islam or come from cultures are predominantly Muslim. The reason I feel uncomfortable telling you what a Muslim country is because...
Did you know...
There are more Muslims in the UK than there are in Lebanon?
The largest Muslim population in a country is in Indonesia? (1)
Muslim countries are not the only countries with dress codes. I wore a sun dress to Vatican City and was told to cover my shoulders and lower legs with scarves or I would not be allowed in. (2)
I think those are fun facts, and they may even appear obvious to you. However, I bring these things up as interesting perspectives to consider when talking about "Muslim countries" so we keep in mind what a broad perspective of cultures that term covers, and how traditional religious communities typically expect certain styles of dress from women.
That being said, this post contains a couple of generalisations, and I just want to make them perfectly clear before we go on:
When I use "Muslim country" in this post, I am making a conscious generalization about countries whose population predominantly practices Islam. My outfit tips here are for tourists travelling to popular tourist destinations that can be considered "Muslim countries" including, by not limited to: Dubai (UAE), Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, or Turkey (to name a few popular spots), These fashion tips are not for Muslim countries which are more often visited by Westerners for work-related purposes (such as Saudi Arabia, to name the most extreme example). Please use common sense, and obviously do additional research on the place you are travelling to.
I sometimes refer to Westerners or Western women. "Western" as I use it, refers to people from Western Europe, North America, and Oceania who adhere to traditional cultural norms attributed commonly with those countries.
My focus in this post is to advise cis females on how to dress and think about fashion while travelling in these countries. I wish I was a fashion/gender expert to help everyone out there, but I can only speak from my own experience on this topic.
If I have made a mistake or offended anyone, please leave me a comment below and I would be happy to address it.
With so much said early on, I am here to offer fashion tips on how to dress in a Muslim country if you're still with me. As many Western tourists head to popular destinations in the Middle East, it is not uncommmon for the Western female to ask, "But what am I going to wear?!" To that I have some pretty simple answers and ideas, that won't cost you a penny, as many of these items are common pieces in a Western woman's wardrobe.
So, here are a few of my suggestions, from someone who isn't normally complimented on her outfit. So if I can do it, you can probably do it better!
Jeans!
See! I told you this was going to be easy.
Me in a marketplace in Chefschauoen, Morocco. Note: I may look sassy and confident, but actually my arms are crossed because I wanted to cover up a mustard stain on my shirt.
In many Mus
lim countries, jeans are a great way to cover up your legs without fuss. Just be sure to check the weather of where you're going, as places such as Dubai can get very hot and may not be ideal places for thick contricting materials like denim. I wore these jeans in the spring time in Morocco, and was very comfortable.
Something like capri pants might be better suited for the hotter places.
PROTIP! In some Muslim countries, riding a camel is a tourist attraction. In my opinion, jeans are ideal for this kind of activity.
Depending on the activity, jeans may or may not be appropriate. Jeans are ideal for something active like riding a camel or maybe going on a hike. If you are worried about clothes getting dirty on unpaved streets, jeans can also help as they are so durable.
If you plan to visit a mosque, research if jeans are appropriate for that specific mosque or region. In general, it's my understanding that it's okay for women to wear jeans in mosques, but a long skirt may be more appropriate. Which brings me to my next outfit suggestion...
Maxi skirts!
Ideally in more traditional regions, it is best to wear something that goes past your knees. Maxi skirts are the best way to accomplish this in style. They also can be a solution if you're worried about being overheated.
Pair the skirt with a top that covers your shoulders, and you've got a cute outfit to wear anywhere. If you find that your longsleeve tops aren't working with your skirt, feel free to wear one of your strappy or sleeveless tops with something to cover your shoulders, such as a denim shirt as pictured to the right.
A few other shoulder covering options include:
Short-sleeved boleros. Like a short-sleeved jacket or sweater, the bolero is perfect to add to any outfit to simply cover up the parts you need to cover in order to achieve the more "modest" look that is expected of you in some places. Pair it with any spaghetti strap top or sleeveless shirt you have to easily be more conservative in dress.
Cardigans. As mentioned before, check weather first. Do keep in mind you will not always be outside in the heat, though. At night or in places with strong airconditioning, you may be thankful for a bit more warmth.
Leggings!
If you really want to wear a certain dress, but it does not cover your knees, throw on a pair of leggings. I do not personally love this idea of a dress and leggings, but offer it just to give you some options.
Note: I am not suggesting to wear leggings as pants. I am suggesting that leggings are a great option to make dresses more conservative-looking.
Tops!
You can pair any of these options with a relatively conservative top. Most tops are fine, as long as the neckline doesn't plunge enough to show cleavage. Research where you are going (as I've mentioned this post is pretty general). I've been to Morocco, where any shirt covering your shoulders is fine, but some countries ask a bit more of you, and may require long sleeves as well.
Overall, keep in mind you are in someone else's country. More likely than not, no one is making you go there, so out of respect, dress modestly.
But most importantly, use this trip to further develop yourself as the intelligent, sympathetic, powerful, and yeah, well-dressed woman that you are!
Does this help you with planning your trip? Have questions about a specific country? Care to share some fashion tips with me? Please let me know in the comments below!
Footnotes:
(1) Indonesia is a nation home to 12.7% of the world's Muslims, followed by Pakistan (11.0%), India (10.9%), and Bangladesh (9.2%).["Muslim Population by Country". The Future of the Global Muslim Population. Pew Research Center. Accessed 14 April 2015.
(2) I looked ridiculous. Hence, no photos were taken. It was embarassing, and I spent like €15 on the scarves that are sold in the gift shop for this very purpose.
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