FOR THE FASHION GIRLIES: INSPO FROM AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST
The style in Southern Africa and the style in the Gulf are completely distinct from one another. But somehow, everywhere we went in both regions, I could find somebody on the street to point to and say “her, you see her there? that's what I want.”
If Africa is all about bold and bright, the Gulf is all about exuding demure.
That’s not to say there isn’t color in the Gulf, there is, but the approach is completely different. When a woman from Zambia walks in the room it feels like this –
GASP, take a full step back, huge smile cracks across my face “wow, you look really nice”
When a woman from Oman walks in the room it feels like this –
“wow, she looks sharp” *beat, beat* “wow, and she smells like heaven” *beat, beat* “OK, I know I should not be staring but please, a moment for how all of these elements are working together. I can’t look away”
The combination of these two reactions is what I’d like to elicit when I walk in a room; take your breath away from the jump, but then also for the look to keep growing on you. Africa 🤝 The Gulf.
****as an aside, an all time favorite interaction I had the absolute pleasure of witnessing was in Zambia on National Day (think like the 4th of July). Everybody arrived to work wearing traditional patterns. As one lady walked into her office (it was the tour desk, which is why I was there), her colleague jumped up, gasped, came out from behind her desk and exclaimed “OH DO IT AGAIN SO I CAN PROPERLY ADMIRE YOU.” Her well dressed colleague smiled knowingly and literally ran it back. Like she walked out of the office, and then walked back in again so she could be properly admired. Quintin knows this feeling well because anytime he walks into a room looking handsome, Anna and I have the same reaction. He acts shy, but he also runs it back every time.
MIDDLE EAST + NORTH AFRICA
I’m going to spend this section providing some education on traditional wear in Oman, the UAE and Morocco!
If you’ll remember from my ON OMAN post, one of my favorite things about the country is how beautifully modernity and tradition are married. One of the many ways this presents itself is fashion. In the Gulf, traditional dress for both men and women reflects the cultural values of modesty, elegance, and respect for tradition. Also, practical considerations for the region's climate (deathly hot) can’t be understated; clothing is designed to keep you cool. In Morocco, traditional dress reflects the cultural values of modesty, respect for tradition and attention to the climate, but there are huge influences from Europe and the rest of Africa giving Morocco a completely different feel than the Gulf.
OMAN
Traditional Dress for Men:
Dishdasha: The dishdasha, also known as a kandura, is a long robe-like garment worn by men. It is typically long sleeved, ankle-length and is loose-fitting to provide comfort in the hot climate. The style and design of the dishdasha can vary slightly from one region to another (dishdasha are worn across the gulf) with differences in collar styles, embroidery, and fabric choices. Omani dishdasha are distinct in that they have a tassel that hangs down the front. For colors, you’ll see people in white, light gray and neutrals.
Kuma: The kuma is a traditional cap worn by Omani men. It is often white (the base of the cap is white) and embroidered with various colors, and usually coordinating with the dishdasha. I love the kumaa cap – sharp.
Accessories: Sandals! The only shoes we saw people in were sandals!
Traditional Dress for Women:
Abaya: The abaya is a long, flowing outer garment worn by women. It is typically black in color and covers the entire body except for the face, hands, and feet.
Lihaf: The lihaf is a headscarf worn by Omani women to cover their hair. It is often matched with the abaya and can be adorned with embroidery or other decorative elements. The sinar is a piece of cloth worn over the head and tied under the chin. It is used to secure the lihaf in place and provide additional coverage.
Accessories: 10/10, no notes. When I mentioned above needing a second to fully recognize the star power of the middle eastern outfit, it’s the accessories I’m talking about. What I observed was women coordinating their abaya and headscarf, duh. Where things go heavenly, though, is the pulling together of small details. There might be a bit of embellishment on the abaya/headscarf. If there is, you can bet your bottom dollar these embellishments will coordinate perfectly with the woman's shoes, handbag and sunglasses (and in some cases, fingernail polish).
Shoes were a mix of athleisure sneakers and textiled backless loafers.
Handbags were exactly that, bags you carry in your hand. There were some bags with shoulder straps but no cross body bags or backpacks. Classic silhouettes ruled and I’ll tell you, a classic silhouettes SCREAMS I am a lady ass lady.
I’ve also never seen so many designer sunglasses in my life. And I’m not talking Ray Bans.
How did we dress in Oman?
No shorts, no shoulders, no chest. People really overthink it…
Oman is the most conservative place I’ve visited and I would definitely not bend the rules (IE cultural norms) here. It is so easily avoidable and would feel unbelievably disrespectful because the Omani government does an excellent job informing tourists preemptively on what they should and should not wear. Also if you’re not dressed appropriately, somebody will politely let you know.
When you’re entering smaller towns, you’ll see signs requesting you dress in accordance with local customs. The signs are enormous, in English and with pictures (IE idiot proof). There is no mistaking the fact that you should be in pants. Every mosque website has the same detailed instructions on what to wear, and tours send specific instructions on what would be considered appropriate. On a tour where we were going hiking and swimming I got a breakdown of when it would be cool to walk around in my swimsuit, when it would be cringe, and where we should swim in clothing rather than a swimsuit.
In a cab on the way to the main mosque in Muscat, the cab driver saw our drop off point and took the time to ensure we dressed accordingly. Like right away he was like “Ah, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Ma’am, do you have a proper head covering?” It wasn’t rude, and took the air of “you won’t be getting out of this cab without your headcovering properly placed because I cannot have you, a visitor, embarrassed at the entrance if I could have helped you avoid that faux pas.” ” Appreciated my guy, greatly appreciated.
UAE
Traditional Dress for Men:
Dishdasha: Same as above!
Ghutra (Headscarf): The ghutra is a square-shaped headdress usually made of cotton or silk. It is worn on the head and held in place by the egal, a black cord, or agal, a black cord with beads, which helps keep it secure. FYI while we certainly did see a few people wearing a ghutra SIGNIFICANTLY more people were wearing trucker hats with their dishdasha. As a firm opponent of trucker hats, the only thing I have to say is this is a cultural exchange that didn’t need to happen.
Accessories: A difference between Oman and the UAE….all the men in the UAE were wearing white sneakers to go with their white dishdasha and white trucker hats, whereas in Oman all the men were wearing sandals.
Traditional Dress for Women:
Abaya: Same as above!
Sheyla (Headscarf): OK so as far as I can tell Sheyla and Lihaf are functionally and aesthetically the same, but Lihaf is associated specifically with the Omani’s so it’s called something else outside of Oman. I have an untrained eye though so take my words with a grain of salt.
Accessories: Stylistically, the same as the Omani women but ratcheted up a notch. This is probably because we were in Dubai where people go to see and be seen but these ladies were stunting. Designer everything. I’ve not ever seen such a higher per capita percentage of ladies carrying Louis Vuitton. It was insane.
So how did we dress in the UAE?
I can’t speak for the Emirates outside of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but quite literally anything goes on the streets of Dubai.
MOROCCO
Traditional Moroccan Dress for Men:
Djellaba: The djellaba is a long, loose-fitting robe with full sleeves worn by Moroccan men. It is typically made of wool or cotton and can vary in color and design depending on the region and occasion, but they tend towards colorful and patterned. We were in Morocco during the winter, and I can tell you, it’s the most practical coat for the weather in Morocco. It won’t be long until Quintin procures one.
Qob: Almost all djellabas feature a hood called a qob, or capuche, which can be worn up to protect against the sun or cold weather. We were also told it can be used as an additional bag/purse if you have too much to carry after a market visit. Love.
Babouches: Traditional Moroccan leather slippers are called babouches. They are often embellished with intricate stitching or decorative elements.
Accessories: I honestly don’t remember too much about accessories on Moroccan men. I will say there weren’t too many men in babouches out and about – mostly sandals or tennis shoes.
Traditional Moroccan Dress for Women:
Kaftan: OK please don’t think of what is sold in overpriced “bohemian” stores in the USA as that is not what I’m referencing here. The kaftan, in Morocco, is a long, flowing robe worn by Moroccan women. It is typically made of fabrics such as silk, satin, or brocade and is adorned with intricate embroidery, beading, or metallic threadwork. Kaftans vary in style from simple everyday wear to elaborate formal attire for special occasions.
Headscarf (Hijab or Shayla): Moroccan women do wear a headscarf known as a hijab or shayla to cover their hair. The style and method of wearing the hijab can vary depending on personal preference, geography, and cultural norms. In the cities, my observation was that IN GENERAL younger women (~40 and under) were not covering their hair while older women were more likely to. In the countryside or smaller towns, the percentage of women covering their hair was higher.
In Morocco, you’ll definitely notice men in djellaba and women in kaftans. No question. You’ll also notice more people, especially in the cities, in western wear. This is due to geography (proximity to Europe) and colonization from the French and Spanish, who forced people to dress in a westernized way in order to be seen as modern and literate (especially concerning working men). While tons of people are in western wear, both men and women are still dressed modestly. My observation was that there were more “exceptions to the rule” in Morocco, but still, the “rule” (modesty) remains. It was also winter so hard to judge.
So how did we dress in Morocco?
It was cold so we were dressed for the cold. This eliminated all “should I wear this?” talk.
MALLS VERSUS MARKETS
Y’all don’t know nothing about a mall until you’ve been to the Gulf. Mall culture is lit. All of the blog posts of “top things to do in Dubai” “what to see in Muscat” etc. ALL mention malls. At first I was like ?!? UHM NO ?!?!?! and then we arrived and I was like “I see.”
For starters, what else are you going to do when it’s 115 degrees but go to this absolutely enormous complex where the AC has never, not once stuttered?! You can walk around endlessly (without heat exhaustion), eat icecream, drink tea, sit, relax and see your friends. The malls are pristine, massive, family friendly, and on every corner.
In the Gulf, malls reign supreme. In Morocco, souks reign supreme.
The souks are bustling, vibrant mazes of cobblestone, spices, ceramics, tea shops and textiles. The souk is a hive of activity, filled with the sounds of vendors calling out to passersby in every language under the sun. Like these men will catch your eye and start in like “Bounjour! Hello! Ni hao! Hola! Saalama! Halo!” and they’ll keep going until your eyes light up. In that instant, they know what language you speak and it’s off to the races. It’s a cacophony of bargaining negotiations, the hustle and bustle of shoppers browsing and people in one place to buy, sell and socialize.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
Moving out of the Gulf and Northern Africa, to Southern Africa. Below are my inspirations, observations and a few anecdotes on the markets!
INSPIRATIONS:
Southern Africa was the land of fashion surprises. I’d see something displayed on the wall and think “tacky” and then not but a few hours later I’d see somebody wearing something similar and think “well I’ll be damned.” The most memorable example of this was an experience in Cape Town, South Africa. We were walking through a little pop up market and there were all of these fully beaded, huge necklaces plastered over every wall. I can’t even lie to you, I was like “ugly, these are so so (!) damn (!) ugly (!). I couldn’t fathom why there were so many ALL over the place. and then I saw her. There was a woman trying on a GINORMOUS beaded necklace as described above and she looked sensational. She would not have been out of place on the Met Gala red carpet. I circled the stall where she was modeling (aka simply minding her own business, trying on a necklace) like three times to admire her in this necklace. The necklace looked SO unbelievably different on a person than it did on the wall. I was shell shocked. These necklaces ended up inspiring me to try on different styles as I was pursuing the markets because you really never know what it might look like on.
I was also inspired by the playful and bright nature of clothes and accessories in South Africa, Zambia and Zanzibar. The way people dress is striking, and the women specifically know how to dress to compliment their features. When I say bright, colorful and playful, perhaps the first image that pops pops to your head is one in which people are adorned in traditional fabrics and patterns. That is of course present and lends to a beautiful ambiance on the streets, but women are dressed brightly outside of traditional fabrics and designs as well. There are endless yellows, pinks, reds, and brilliant blues all over the place.
OBSERVATIONS:
On the topic of traditional fabrics – one thing I loved was noticing modern fashion designs using traditional fabrics. You see jumpsuits, rompers, matching sets, modern purse silhouettes, etc. integrating traditional fabrics and patterns but augmented to reflect what's currently en vogue. We saw this in a handful of places, but it was most noticeable in Johannesburg and Zambia.
Tons of big, intricate gold jewelry, specifically earrings, rings and necklaces. Often the gold was paired with another color (mostly greens and blues) and fashioned into a beautiful design. The necklaces were standout with so many beautiful styles and designs.
Aside from when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see a single pore starting on August 26 when we landed in Antananarivo until we left Ethiopia on November 11. These ladies have perfect and I mean PERFECT skin texture. Many a google search has been conducted to learn how to replicate.
Bucket hats like whoa. There wasn’t a man out and about without a bucket hat on.
ANECDOTES:
Soccer jerseys EVERYWHERE. In each country we visited, there was not a market stall that wasn’t selling soccer jerseys. Literally. The same goes for crocs…to a lesser extent, but hardly. In Zanzibar, I didn’t notice a single knockoff unless it was a soccer jersey or crocs.
In Johannesburg, there are fabrics of every conceivable pattern and color sourced from all over the continent. Business owners from all over the world go to Johannesburg to source fabrics from the continent. The markets selling fabrics are huge, with a mishmash of pop up shops and brick and mortar stores.
