YOU ASKED!: What I Wore in Muslim-Majority Countries
ABOVE: Petra, Jordan. Wearing pashmina around head, swimwear cover up and long, loose tank top.
Dear Foodie Fam,
I have gotten a lot of requests from travelers - especially lone females - to share what I wore in Muslim-majority areas. Here you go!
WHY I DRESSED MINDFULLY
When I travel, I am adamant on dressing in a way most respectful to local culture (even in countries that are not Muslim-majority). There’s reasons I like to do this:
I have landed in one Islamic state, visited two Muslim-majority states and visited two Muslim secular states. Islamic states adopted Islam as the ideological foundation of state and constitution. Muslim-majority states endorsed Islam as their state religions. Muslim secular states declared separation between civil/government affairs and religion. I wanted to make sure to not assume anything about the differences.
Whenever I visited an Arab country, I was also visiting other countries. To avoid fat fees, I packed strategically to avoid ever checking in luggage.
I am interested in fashion in general and find it fun to learn about international trends.
I like to meld in a little and bring less attention to myself. In all the countries I’ve been to, looking like an obvious tourist made it harder to enjoy my surroundings because of being constantly pitched to.
I feel more welcomed and less intimidating when I practice a little local culture when traveling. I try to wear and say what locals would even in less conservative non-Arab countries. It’s easier for me to naturally socialize with locals if I respect local culture.
THE KEY:
Smooth out the body form to obscure the outline of the chest, bum and pelvic area. This means nothing clingy or revealing a lot of skin.
PLACES OF WORSHIP:
Women must cover and conceal their head/hair in Muslim place of worship. Be sure to bring appropriate garments to act as a veil, whether that be a hijab or a headscarf.
sidenote: All must remove their shoes when entering a Muslim place of worship. (Wear socks and have a way to carry or set aside your shoes).
NOT ALL THE SAME
Not all Muslim-majority countries are so strict on this key rule - especially secular states like Lebanon and Turkey. Women in Lebanon wear tank tops and shorts but I was still catcalled, harassed and gawked at. Women in Istanbul basically wore clothes I’ve seen in other European countries but with less skin showing... and yes, I was still catcalled, harassed and gawked at.
COVERING THE HEAD
Although in heavily toured areas, any act of help (ie: asking someone to take a photo or getting directions) may be turned into a hustle… I would say it would never hurt to ask for help covering one’s head.
I found many women who cover their own heads - if asked humbly - that were happy to help veil mine in a proper way. I feel that the easiest women to approach for this kind of help are women beside the entrance to a mosque who are not busy or who are appointed to help clothe visitors. Another place that would be safe for asking for help wrapping ones’ head is in a bathroom. No matter what country I’ve been to, there’s always groups of women cleaning up at bathroom sinks, taking a break from their activities. These women may already be in the primping mindset. When I figured out I could always ask for help, I had some of the most beautiful “female-recognizes-female” moments in my entire life.
I think it shook some women that a clearly English-speaking tourist cared to know the appropriate way to show respect in local culture. I loved seeing the warmth of appreciation and gleam of curiosity in the eyes of those who helped me when their work was done… because I felt the same. My most precious moments occurred when little girls offered to help me cover my head. Many times, it lead to eager conversations. Maybe our shared experiences shaped how they see other females around the world in a positive light. Maybe they learned just as much about what being a female meant to me as I learned about what it meant to them.
MY GO-TOs
LONG, LOOSE TOPS
Basically, whatever follows the key rule mentioned, above… If “loose and long” isn’t your style but you still want to wear layers like this for your trip, maybe do what I did before I went to Egypt: Grab cheap tops at Goodwill (if you can’t find long and loose, get two sizes up). I snagged tops at a super cheap price and was able to leave them behind in Egypt when I left.
Suggestions:
tunic-style tops
button up shirts/flannels/chambrays to layer over shorter shirts
LONG, LOOSE PANTS
I chose pants that draped straight and weren’t too form fitting. The tops I wore already covered my butt/pelvic areas.
Suggestions:
long loose skirts
trousers
wide-leg pants
relaxed fit pants
loose leg pants
In one country, I was traveling in a highly toured area. I needed to hike a lot one day and didn’t think I’d come across problems wearing running leggings that went down mid-calf. When we stopped at a small store on the drive back to the hotel, I was cornered by one of a few men who had been ogling my calves lustily... Everyone is effected differently by different sexual advances but I will definitely only wear full length pants when I am outside hotels in Muslim-majority states from now on.
At another Muslim-majority state - again in a highly toured area - an American girl we were traveling with was shouted at. I could understand by a little of the Arabic that he was angry she was not covering her head or legs. Because toured areas in Muslim-majority countries are packed with lots of very friendly, hospitable people who respect and love tourists, this older man got a big clap back from locals. So, no one got hurt or anything… but just something to know if you want to keep a low profile.
COVER UPS
My favorite personal hack! Swimwear cover ups are great layered like any regular layer - not just on swimwear! There’s great reasons to layer these on top of other layers:
They are already made specifically to cover the bum and chest areas.
They are usually breathable - great for desert areas.
They are already usually long and loose.
They often have a chic kimono shape.
Some come with little embroidered and fancy bits so they’re still very stylish.
BELOW: ONE COVER UP - 2 wAYS
Cairo, Egypt. I snagged this long blue coverup at a Sears end-of-summer sale! It’s seen so many countries and I still have it, today!
Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey. The cover up is long enough that when styled right, it wrapped around my head nicely!
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PASHMINAS
I do NOT travel through Muslim-majority countries without a pashmina. They’re way too handy! My favorite pashiminas are:
opaque as possible to add extra visual coverage.
still breathable (not heavy) in desert areas.
still cute as a scarf when things get cold.
A tight enough weave to cover my mouth and nose from dust… even men wear long garments over their heads and mouths for this reason.
light enough that I can cover my head from the sun (I get dehydrated fast).
long enough to wrap my head in holy areas (especially to cover the throat and hair).
great for airplane travel because they can become a blankety layer!
BELOW: ONE PASHMINA - 3 WAYS
Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo, Egypt. This photo was taken at a busy mosque where it is crucial that visitors dress accordingly. While I was sweetly dressed by female attendants in this loaner-type abaya, they wrapped me in my own pashmina.
Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey. Same pashmina as a scarf in cold weather.
Airplane. Same pashmina covering my upper body because airplanes are COLD AF!
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HEAVY EYE MAKEUP
ABOVE: Alabaster Workshop, Luxor, Egypt. I had a heavy set of extensions on these lashes as well as a dark, moody eye look (brought to you by Smashbox). Not sure if I’d get extensions that heavy ever again in any context! But… just a photo that illustrates my point.
Eye makeup looks are my fave to play with so I ADORE that wearing heavier eye makeup and falsies is a trend in Arab countries - even in Saudi Arabia (an Islamic state).
According to a 2018 Business of Fashion article: “Even though most women will cover their face and hair in public, makeup sales are one of the biggest spends among Saudi women. This is in part because of the increasing number of Saudi women joining the workforce who now have their own salaries to spend from… Unlike in many Western countries where more natural makeup looks are en vogue, women across Arab Gulf countries often lean toward bright, eye-catching makeup trends and accessories that offset the utilitarianism of black veils and abayas.”
One woman Business of Fashion interviewed said: “We're in an era where women are basically not even leaving the house without fake eyelashes on.”
ABOVE: Air BnB, Beirut, Lebanon. I got so many compliments on this look on Insta - oranges, golds, pinks, heavy falsies and thick eye liner (ABH Modern Renaissance Palette, Juvias The Saharan Palette, Still Stay All Day® Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner, Maybelline Eyestudio ® Lasting Drama® Gel Eyeliner, Ardell Demi Whispies)… Women in Beirut can definitely get away with much more revealing clothes than in other Arab countries but that attention to eye makeup is still something that defines what I observed as a popular Arab trend.
I don’t know everything about fashion and I don’t know more than locals about this topic. I have done hours of research, talked to locals past and present and have spent time in these countries - all of which are very different!
I hope this helps those researching how women tourists caN dress in Muslim-majority countries.
MY RELATED BLOG POSTS
ALL TURKEY (SECULAR MUSLIM STATE)
ALL LEBANON (SECULAR MUSLIM STATE)
ALL EGYPT (MUSLIM-MAJORITY STATE)
ALL JORDAN (MUSLIM-MAJORITY STATE) ***coming soon
