Many are starting to perk up and take notice of the often under-noticed world of Arab women’s fashion. It has been easy for outsiders to the Arab world to make the assumption that women within it are bystanders to fashion and passive in their choices. However, the rising role of fashionable women like Nawal Al Zogbhi and Myriam Fares, as well as the growing popularity of brand clothes such as Kate Spade amongst Arab women shows that this is far from the case.
Arab women’s fashion has gone through many trends throughout the years and there are plenty of lessons that you online shoppers could learn from those trends, too.
The replacement of the miniskirt
Several Arab world nations, such as Egypt and Iran, took on many aspects of Western women’s fashion as a response to colonialism. However, as many modern Arab countries have started looking back to more traditional routes, Arab women’s fashion has done the same. However, this does not mean that Arab women have lost their sense of fashion.
A growing appreciation for modesty and class has, instead, seen long skirts and flowy dresses become much more popular. Many fancy women’s fashion icons from the Arab world are bringing back a vintage feel with classic looks the west has long since abandoned. The same goes for long and wide-length trousers. Arab women around the world are showing that you don’t have to show a lot of your leg to show a lot of styles.
The implementation of tradition
Arab women’s fashion may have diverged from its past of mirroring western trends involving showing a lot more skin and accentuating sexuality in clothing, like miniskirts (though some touches like high heels are still adored in many areas). However, it’s far from the case the black abayas and burkas are the only way to show modesty.
Instead, traditional clothes like hijabs and abayas are being used to accentuate outfits with more layers and details than you might otherwise see. New fabric materials, patterns, colors, and scarf lengths and shapes all make a big difference.
With such a range of layers and looks, Arab women have shown that they have a lot more range of diversity. Creating your own specialized style while maintaining more modest aspects of fashion, if that’s your wish, is certainly possible.
The impact of the online world
Naturally, the internet changed everything and continues to change everything as it spreads throughout the Arab world. The first is the rise of online shoppers. Not only has it allowed Arab women fashion designers such as Zuhair Murad and Yasmine el Said to gain prominence but it has also allowed Arab women to discover and mix their own fashion tastes with a much wider world.
The ability to find high-quality brand clothes such as Kate Spade and to buy their products more cost-effectively than ever is a major boon to modern Arabian women’s clothing. The influence of social media can’t be denied, either.
Dina Tokio and Farah Emara are just a couple of examples of extremely popular fashionistas taking the platform by storm. Meanwhile, Ruba Zai and Saman Munir are bringing the Arab look to audiences across the globe through Youtube. Regardless of the platform, fashionable Arabian women are becoming hard to miss.
The rise of modest fashion
Nostalgia and tradition seem to be the “in” thing no matter where you look. While western women’s fashion is experiencing a revival of its 90s scene, Arab women are modernizing their own past and bringing together a happy mingling of the two.
The modern fashion style of staying covered without sacrificing style or colour is directly a product of Arab women’s fashion trends. As women worldwide have learned from Arab women’s fashion, you don’t need to show a lot of skin to look great.
As such, modest fashion has spread beyond the context of Arab women’s fashion and is becoming a worldwide trend. It’s not the first, nor the last, Arab fashion trend to become a global phenomenon, either.
Dive into the history of Arab women’s clothing
Of course, there’s simply too much to Arab women’s fashion over the past six decades to look into here alone. Different parts of the Arab world, including the Arab diaspora across the globe, have gone through a wealth of changes.
However, there’s always more to learn about modern fashion and trends from the past. If you take a look into fancy women’s clothing from any one part of the Arab world, you’re certain to find a wealth of inspiration.
