|
National Dress |
On the whole, the national population always wear their traditional dress in public. For men this is the dishdash(a) or khandura - a white full length shirt dress, which is worn with a white or red checked headdress, known as a gutra. This is secured with a black cord (agal).
Sheikhs and important businessmen may also wear a thin black or brown robe (known as a bisht or mishlah), over their dishdasha at important events, which is equivalent to the dinner jacket in Western culture.
In public, women wear the black abaya - a long, loose black robe that covers their normal clothes - plus a headscarf called the sheyla. The abaya is often of very sheer, flowing fabric and may be open at the front. Some women also wear a thin black veil hiding their face and/or gloves, and older women sometimes still wear a leather mask, known as a burkha, which covers the nose, brow and cheekbones.
Underneath the abaya, women traditionally wear a long tunic over loose, flowing trousers (sirwall), which are often heavily embroidered and fitted at the wrists and ankles. However, these are used more by the older generation and modern women will often wear the latest fashions from international stores underneath.