Women and Dress: Going For It

Non-Egyptian friends often ask me how Cairene women dress, I suppose because dress can be an obvious expression of the differences between cultures.

When I first landed here, I attempted to surreptitiously photograph women wearing traditional clothing, but that didn't work out so well. Cairenes frequently look at me because I stand out -- tall, blue-eyed, not wearing a headscarf, clearly western -- and they notice me when I try to snap a pic. Once a pair of subjects stood up and moved away from our table at a restaurant, and I felt like a real heel. So, I stopped trying to capture the moment.

Traditional, but with a personal flair.

But then this (see right) happened last weekend at a local Starbuck's, and I realized that I could document it from behind without anyone noticing. Technically, this woman is traditional because she's dressed in dark colors, and has covered her legs, arms, and hair. But notice that her jacket back has splashes of cartoon graphics and color, and its sleeves are covered in flashy, iridescent sequins. Her pants are made of a reflective type of faux leather. So, she's technically traditional, but western in spirit.

Plus, standing behind her in line were three Cairenes with uncovered hair. One of them was dressed in a miniskirt and black tights through which occasional flashes of flesh could be seen. All of them, including the "traditional" woman pictured at right, had adorned their faces with impeccable makeup.

Just yesterday, in Old Cairo, I saw a young woman covered head-to-toe in a black headscarf and an ankle-length abaya (gown) with "Go for it" printed in large white letters on the front.