Overdress for women

2000

This overgarment (Arabic: abaya) has a matching veil. It is worn both indoors and outdoors over ordinary clothing. Wide abayas are a symbol of female modesty and morality, and are meant to disguise feminine shapes. They should reach down to the ground. Underneath, women wear whatever they like, ranging from a skirt to jeans or other pants; on festive occasions, Saudi women often choose a dress or jalabiya. Traditionally, girls wear their first abayas from the age of ten or twelve, and certainly from the time girls menstruate. Before that, it is a choice. \In Saudi Arabia's Djedda, which has traditionally allowed more progressive influences from outside, partly because of its location by the sea, the fashion for women's abayas has been changing since 2012. A wider range of colorful rather than black abayas is being offered, and different designs or (fake) stones are being added, as is the case with this abaya that closes with snaps. Both the wide sleeves are decorated with crystals of different sizes and the matching veil is decorated with them on one side. There are also abayas for sale with a cord at the waist which can be pulled tight so body shapes are more visible. \This abaya was purchased in a shopping street in Souq al-Shati clothing market in Jedda, where a number of abaya shops are housed side by side. Each offers a wide range, from traditional black abayas to abayas in a variety of colors (including white), in a wide variety of motifs, in all kinds of fabrics and techniques. Each abaya is sold with a matching veil. In 2015, it is mainly the younger generation that wears colorful abayas, the older ones prefer black ones. Only since 2012 was color for abayas introduced again in Jedda. At first these were restrained colours such as dark blue and brown, but soon bright colours were added. Frivolous elements such as piping with fake gemstones or fake Swarofsky crystals were also added. Soon, this degenerated into a rapidly changing fashion scene for abayas. \This abaya was purchased in a shopping street in Djedda's Souq al-Shati clothing market, where a number of abaya shops are housed side by side. Each offers a wide range, from traditional black abayas to abayas in a variety of colors (including white), in a wide variety of patterns, and in all kinds of fabrics and techniques. Each abaya is sold with a matching veil. In 2015 it is mainly the younger generation who wear colourful abayas, the older ones prefer black ones.