Clothing and Society

"clothing articulates social relations"

(The Fashion of Architecture, p. 184)


To relate this quote to clothing to Islam, as many of us already know, the veil and the hijab was used to protect the members of high society when they ventured outside of their family quarters. The wearing of a scarf or head covering signified members of high society.

I won't say that this is true for all cultures in the Islamic world but as the East is becoming more exposed to the West and western fashion and influence is becoming more prominent in eastern society, the scarf is sometimes considered a signifier for members of a lower class.

This thought, I believe, is due to the relationship the hijab has to tradition. Often times, especially in the West, people consider adherence to tradition and a lack of adaption is common among lower class societies who either, are not exposed to the advancement of the rest of the world or who do not have the fiscal ability to keep up with the changing times.

What do you think? Is adherence to tradition (with respect to clothing and the hijab) a symbol of lower class societies?

The Circle Scarf

About a year ago, when Lady Gaga's first album was released, she was seen making appearances while wearing a scarf around her head:

I was hoping that it would become more popular for the general public but I haven't seen much of it yet. It looks like Rihanna was supporting the look as well:

I would prefer not to promote American Apparel's clothing but, in the interest of this post, they are selling a version of "The Circle Scarf" in their stores and online...so maybe this headcovering is being recognized as fashionable in the west...again.

American Apparel's Circle Scarf Online

The Realm of the Unspeakable

"[There is] a radical difference between interior and exterior, which relfects the split between the intimate and the social life of the metropolitan being: outside, the realm of exhange, money, and masks; inside, the realm of the inalienable, the nonexchangeable, and the unspeakable."

(The Architecture of Fashion, p.210)

This is another beautiful quote that is used to describe architecture but can unquestionably be applied to fashion and modesty in Islam.

I especially enjoy the way the quote describes the "inside", "the realm of the inalienable, the nonexhangeable, and the unspeakable". I wonder what thoughts this invokes in you because for me, the inalienable, the nonexhangeable, and the unspeakable in realtion to our private lives is a beautiful thought for me. The unspeakable is not a negative thing; something which is so beautiful, one would not dare to articulate its beauty in fear that words could not do it justice.

Protecting Sexuality in Design

"a cauldron of sexuality behind apparently innocent surfaces"

(The Architecture of Fashion p.198)

Personally, when I read this quote, I automatically thought of the designs of many courtyards in the United Arab Emirates. The exterior facades or "innocent surfaces" hide and protect the beautifully decorated interior designs.
















The arabesque designs and flowing tile work can be associated with the "cauldron of sexuality" that the quote suggests.

Similarly to architecture, the concept of the hijab can also be related to this quote. A "innocent surface" of basic cloth behind the "cauldron of sexuality" which, to me, is a beautiful description of women. Describing sexuality as powerful and beautiful thing that is protected by an "innocent surface".

I also want to note that I took this quote from the book, The Architecture of Fashion, and this book does not talk about fashion and architecture of the Middle East. It focuses more on design in the West. This is important to note because I want to emphasis the fact that our concepts of sexuality, and protecting it is not unique to any part of the world. It is a shared view, different cultures have evolved to express this in different ways.

The Aesthetic Qualities of Fabric

It is interesting to look at the many types of fabrics that are now available for designers to manipulate and play with in order to create interesting new designs.

Here are a few pictures of fabrics and their interesting and unique qualities they might embody. I removed any color from the photos as to avoid an emotional response to color as opposed to the more basic form of the cloth.

The reason I think this is important to this blog is due to the fact that fabric itself can express so many things and allow such a variety of manipulation. Do we really need extra ornamentation added to our clothing in order to stand out. The pure beauty of fabric should not go unnoticed. It is can be modest yet so intriguing.











The sequins connected by a thing string allows for a certain degree of transparency and layering.

















The gauze-like quality gives more structure to the crinkling fabric. There is still a level of transparency allowing on to play with the different levels of light or fabrics when layered.














This fabric is obviously thick enough for pleating. The tension of the pulling on the fabric is more apparent and makes us want to see what
is causing that stress (conceptually).
















The lace is so feminine and so light.

Dressing for your Surroundings

"woe to the lady who would enter such a room in a dress that was not artistically suitable."


-Karl Ernst Osthaus

As Karl Ernst Osthaus implies, it is important to consider the venue when choosing what to wear to an event. You must be dressed appropriately for your surroundings.

This brings up the issue of women who usually wear a niqab/abaya/hijab in their own country but when they leave on vacation they remove their modest clothing in order to fit in more in their, usually Western destination.

Wearing the hijab or niqab in the Western world does draw attention to them and attract stares by men and women so, to some extend, the intention of being modest is compromised. Some women prefer to not be starred at like an alien and feel that it defeats the purpose of wearing the hijab.

How do you feel about being starred at when traveling to non-Islamic countries? Do you feel your privacy is compromised?

Hijab in Christianity

I have studied traditional clothing from around the world but I was particularly interested in the use of head scarves worn by the women in many European countries. I bring this topic up because, living in America, I find it important to look at the similarities between the East and West and between Islam and Christianity in order for us to better coexist.


After researching this topic more, I discovered that there is a passage in the Bible which suggests that women cover their heads.


Here is the passage from the Bible:

I Corinthians 11:2-16.
2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as if her head were haven. 6 For if a woman will not be covered, then let her be shorn! But since it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. 7 For indeed a man ought not to cover his head, being the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 For this reason the woman should have authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 In any case, woman is not independent of man, nor man of woman, in the Lord; 12 for as woman is [created] from man, so man is now [born] through woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

Putting the obvious sexism aside, it is interesting to think about what happen to this tradition. Many Christians cast this passage aside saying that the practice of covering your head is an ancient custom which has "gone out of style" and is no longer applicable. It is also hard for many modern women in Christianity to accept this passage since it implies that the head covering is a symbol of man's power over women (see verse 10 in the passage above).



What I am wondering about is why the Jewish and Christian traditions of head covering went "out of style" where as in Islam, tradition and adherence to the Koran has been able to last this long. Is it possible that it could be due to the Middle East's isolation from the developed world for so long?



I hope no one take offense to this post, it is not a reflection of my beliefs, I am just proposing a topic of discussion and I would like to hear what others feel about this.

Here is an interesting website which discusses many Christian women's modern interpretation of the above passage: Head Covering Today

Here is another interesting website which analysis each verse in the above passage: Women's Headcovering in the Bible

Movie-Fashioning Faith

I wanted to share a beautiful video which was posted by HijabStyle on December 17th.

The title of the movie is "Fashioning Faith" by Yasmin Moll.

here is the link to the movie (first posted by HijabStyle).

"Fashioning Faith" by Yasmin Moll from Sabrina Enayatulla on Vimeo.

Book Recommendation: Architecture in Fashion

Architecture in Fashion by Deborah Fausch

This book is very inspiring to my whole intention for this blog. Although the essays in this book speak mostly about western architecture and its relationship to western fashion, the theories are still applicable.

There are numerous quotes from this book which continue to inspire me and will be the premise for many of my future posts.

Book Recommendation: The Fashion of Architecture

The Fashion of Architecture by Bradley Quinn



This is the book which was referenced in yesterday's posting:

"Architecture is making its presence felt in cutting-edge fashion. The pliable metals, membrane structures, lightweight glasses and plastics used in building construction are creeping onto the catwalk. As they do so, their impact on recent textile developments has produced fabrics that enable clothing to act as individual climate-controlled environments that can exchange information with embedded sensors, resulting in wearable ‘dwellings’ that act as both shelter and clothing. At the same time, architects are borrowing the techniques of pleating, stapling, cutting and draping from traditional tailoring to design buildings that are flexible, interactive, inflatable and even portable."

Experiments with Fashion and Modesty

WARNING: This post may offend some people. The intention is only to inspire thought and provoke comments regarding the theory of the veil.

In the book The Fashion of Architecture by Bradley Quinn, the work of Hussein Chalayan was featured discussing the concept of sensuality and its association with revealing and concealing the body.

Here is a segment from the book (p. 22-23):

"Exploring the sensuality associated with revealing and concealing the body, fashion innovator Huseein Chalayan has even placed his catwalk audience under surveillance. In 1997 he sent models onto the catwalk wearing black chadors of varying lengths and nothing else, exploring the capacity of traditional Islamic dress to define and de-individuate the body by concealing the wearer's identity. The shortest chador exposed the model's body from the navel downward, while another model roamed the catwalk in only a yashmak. Both enabled the wearers to gauge the audience's reactions while remaining anonymous to the onlookers.



An expert on the social significance of veiling, Fadwa El Guindi points out that, 'dress form and behavior...are not accompanied by withdrawal, seclusion, or segregation'. With vision and mobility among the essential concerns of Islamic dress, the sense of privacy afforded by veiling is comparable to the refuge of a building, yet allows the wearer to wander freely.

Chalayan's inversion connects contemporary modes of visuality with this long tradition, demonstrating this power that masking can provide for a wearer who wishes to see and yet remain unseen."




***the picture was edited in order to avoid posting inappropriate nudity on this site.

Conservative Yet Chic Garb Gaining Ground

Article from gulfnews.com



Dubai: Farashati aims to provide "conservative chic" clothing options for women who want to be stylish without compromising their values.

Gulf News sat down with Farashati creative director Farhana Farooq about her views on the 'modesty clothing' industry.

What are the key selling points of this product?

I'd say the key selling point remains the design philosophy behind Farashati. Customers who dress conservatively do not have to layer their clothes any more to cover up. Our designs are in line with the latest trends and come with longer sleeves and longer length. It's a one-stop shopping experience where customers also experience the choice of a matching head scarf.



How confident are you that this concept will pick up?

There is clearly a 'gap' that exists. Our target audience has a distinct set of needs that is not being met by the current fashion retailers. Currently, the only option conservative women have is to layer their clothes - which isn't just uncomfortable but also offers them minimal fashion options even if they are ready to pay the price for it. So the gap we're discussing has always existed - whether in the Middle East or otherwise - and is market-induced since fashion houses tend to concentrate only on liberal styles. I am confident that coupled with good quality, the concept of Farashati is bound to gain popularity in the retail industry.

How many women in Dubai and in the GCC do you think actively use/prefer modesty clothing?

Research figures strongly support the need for conservative fashion options. The UAE is a diverse country with a large population of expatriates belonging to Islamic countries - 15 per cent from GCC countries and eight per cent Iranians in addition to 19 per cent Emiratis. The survey also revealed that over 96 per cent of UAE residents follow and practise Islam - a possible indication of the expected demand for conservative clothing. Farashati also conducted a dipstick research on shopping patterns among UAE residents, 30 per cent of those surveyed answered in the affirmative about the regular use of head scarves, 54 per cent wanted 3/4ths if not full-length sleeves and 68 per cent preferred tops that would cover their hips.




You can check out Farashati designs at:
http://www.farashati.com/

Introduction to Modesty In Vogue

This blog is intended to discuss issues about Modesty and Design, particularly in fashion and architecture in relation to Islam and Islamic culture.

Some people may ask how I can discuss these four things in one blog (modesty, fashion, architecture, and Islam) and that is a reasonable question.

For one, Fashion and Architecture are both intimately related through design. Fashion is the design of clothing to protect the body and Architecture is the design of a structure to shelter and protect space. These two types of design are both used as a basic part of life but are also representative of an idea, culture, personal image, and function.

Secondly, Modesty, or Haya in Islam is a basic part of life in Islamic culture and can be exhibited in many different ways but most notably in behavior and even dress. The hijab is a primary example of how women in Islam represent their modesty. Modesty can also be exhibited through other forms of dress but also architecture. When talking about modesty in architecture, especially in Islamic societies, one can image the traditional courtyard houses of the Arabian Gulf where the walls and exterior facades of buildings are minimal and purely functional while the interior of the buildings are decorated in ornate tile work.

Throughout this blog, I don't always plan on discussing all four things at once in every post, but my main focus is on how we represent our Modesty or Haya in relation to design and our aesthetic world.