I might be beanplating this
November 6, 2011 12:35 PM Subscribe
I've found some clothes I really like on some Islamic clothing sites. Some of them are long skirts, some are kurtis and tunics. I want to get them for daily wear, but I don't want to be doing clothes-related cultural appropriation. I'm a white atheist.
This is the kind of thing I'm talking about kurti/tunic-wise, this is one of the skirt styles I'm looking at; I also like some of the pants styles.
I don't think I'd be mistaken for someone "dressing up" as a Muslim any more than women wearing cheongsam are seen as "dressing up" as Chinese, but I don't want to step on any cultural toes. (It's also possible that the cheongsam is totally not OK too and I just don't know about it. So if that is the case please tell me.) Thanks!
(Note: I'm totally not planning on wearing any kind of shawl/head covering.)
This is the kind of thing I'm talking about kurti/tunic-wise, this is one of the skirt styles I'm looking at; I also like some of the pants styles.
I don't think I'd be mistaken for someone "dressing up" as a Muslim any more than women wearing cheongsam are seen as "dressing up" as Chinese, but I don't want to step on any cultural toes. (It's also possible that the cheongsam is totally not OK too and I just don't know about it. So if that is the case please tell me.) Thanks!
(Note: I'm totally not planning on wearing any kind of shawl/head covering.)
I honestly wouldn't give you a second look wearing any of those things on the street. I knew a lot of Muslim and non-Muslim girls in college who wore Islamic-specific clothes for personal modesty reasons, and no one got any flak from anyone else for dressing as they did.
posted by phunniemee at 12:46 PM on November 6, 2011
posted by phunniemee at 12:46 PM on November 6, 2011
If this would be wrong, then my mom is a flaming racist.
I'm not Islamic or middle eastern, but I wouldn't think anything at all of seeing someone wearing the kinds of things you linked to.
The cheongsam is a little trickier to me, though. I've seen (white) women wearing them that skewed both ways. I will say that I have a couple of Chinese shirts kinda like this that I've never worn because of the same concerns you express.
posted by cmoj at 12:48 PM on November 6, 2011
I'm not Islamic or middle eastern, but I wouldn't think anything at all of seeing someone wearing the kinds of things you linked to.
The cheongsam is a little trickier to me, though. I've seen (white) women wearing them that skewed both ways. I will say that I have a couple of Chinese shirts kinda like this that I've never worn because of the same concerns you express.
posted by cmoj at 12:48 PM on November 6, 2011
There are several women who regularly have coffee in the same shop as I do--They are Muslim, wear a hijab and seem to be perfectly comfortable wearing Levis and heels. Take it from there
posted by rmhsinc at 12:49 PM on November 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by rmhsinc at 12:49 PM on November 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I think, especially if you're going to pair those with more "western" items -- like, wearing the tunic with jeans, or that skirt with a tank top or a sweater or whatever -- no one will even know you got them on a website devoted to Islamic clothing. They'll just think you have a slightly quirky personal style. I actually think that skirt is totally cute and I've seen one very similar to it at Anthropologie (albeit not that long).
I think the cheongsam IS more problematic. I have a top very similar to cmoj's that I really only wear with jeans, and NOT buttoned up to the top, which seems to make it look like...well, less cheongsam-y.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 12:50 PM on November 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think the cheongsam IS more problematic. I have a top very similar to cmoj's that I really only wear with jeans, and NOT buttoned up to the top, which seems to make it look like...well, less cheongsam-y.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 12:50 PM on November 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
I would wear them - and I would celebrate the fact that they don't come from western culture. How will we ever get past the cultural imperialism of the West if we don't allow Western people to adopt non-Western culture?
posted by jb at 12:54 PM on November 6, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by jb at 12:54 PM on November 6, 2011 [4 favorites]
Best answer: The tunic is a fairly common pattern and shape in a lot of stores now, so I don't see how that would be a problem. And the pants look like something I'm going to buy right now, so you won't be the only other non-Muslim out there wearing them.
posted by defreckled at 12:57 PM on November 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by defreckled at 12:57 PM on November 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Pretty much all my skirts are tea-length to ankle-length (J Peterman always sells a few differnt ones), and nobody has looked sideways at me. I don't see how the skirt you linked to is much different. And tunics are pretty mainstream Western at this point, and have been since the 60s if not earlier, right?
Although, I have a super-plain djellaba for a post-swimming cover-up because the hood makes it perfect, so maybe I'm off.
posted by Houstonian at 1:00 PM on November 6, 2011
Although, I have a super-plain djellaba for a post-swimming cover-up because the hood makes it perfect, so maybe I'm off.
posted by Houstonian at 1:00 PM on November 6, 2011
I guess I would lose the game "did these come from macy's or a islamic fashion store" but I wouldn't even bat an eye at any of the things you linked to. (Full disclosure: guy living in san francisco)
posted by bottlebrushtree at 1:02 PM on November 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by bottlebrushtree at 1:02 PM on November 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: IANAMuslim, but I would never think of those as specifically Muslim clothes if you hadn't defined them that way. I think that site is selling them because they're appropriate for Muslims, because they're modest, but similarly cut clothes from any store would be modest as well. They do look vaguely "Eastern" in terms of the patterns, but the cut/shape of them is just a normal long skirt and tunic. Actually they remind me of the clothes they used to sell at Pier 1, which were like pseudo-ethnic-hippy style. The pants look like what's in every fancy-yoga-clothes catalog I get. I also think white people in saris, etc, often look silly, but I wouldn't put this in that category at all.
posted by DestinationUnknown at 1:16 PM on November 6, 2011
posted by DestinationUnknown at 1:16 PM on November 6, 2011
I am not a Muslim either, but I think those are just fashiony modest clothes - they may be designed for a Muslim market and they may be designed to meet Muslim modest clothing requirements, but they're not Muslim-specific and they're not traditional Islamic dress.
I personally would not wear a qipao/cheongsam because there's a lot of cultural history about white women, asian women and exoticizing/objectification around that. Mandarin collars are pretty culturally universal, though.
posted by Frowner at 1:52 PM on November 6, 2011
I personally would not wear a qipao/cheongsam because there's a lot of cultural history about white women, asian women and exoticizing/objectification around that. Mandarin collars are pretty culturally universal, though.
posted by Frowner at 1:52 PM on November 6, 2011
I think as long as you pair the clothes with western items you're good. That skirt would look adorable with a fitted top, those pants would look adorable with just about anything. That tunic is gorgeous and I've seen tons of similar styles on all kinds of different women. I totally want one too!
I think if you paired the tunic with the skirt it might seem odd but I think any long flowing tunic should be balanced with something a little more slim on bottom, or at least with flowing pants.
(I'm a white, Christian American FWIW)
posted by TooFewShoes at 2:10 PM on November 6, 2011
I think if you paired the tunic with the skirt it might seem odd but I think any long flowing tunic should be balanced with something a little more slim on bottom, or at least with flowing pants.
(I'm a white, Christian American FWIW)
posted by TooFewShoes at 2:10 PM on November 6, 2011
The tunic looks a lot like the various tunics my hippie mom wore in the 1970s, and does not say "Islam" to me at all.
posted by rtha at 2:21 PM on November 6, 2011
posted by rtha at 2:21 PM on November 6, 2011
The skirt you've linked to would also be worn by an orthodox Jewish woman; in fact I've seen many like the ones listed on that website in my neighborhood. The style of the shirts is also fairly similar to ones I've seen - albeit without the embroidery.
That said, I think you're over thinking this. Choose one of these items, get it, wear it and stop worrying about it.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:56 PM on November 6, 2011 [2 favorites]
That said, I think you're over thinking this. Choose one of these items, get it, wear it and stop worrying about it.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:56 PM on November 6, 2011 [2 favorites]
The colour of your skin is irrelevant. There are tens of millions of white Muslims. If you feel guilty for some reason then don't wear these clothes but don't use the reason that "white" persons shouldn't dress this way, because they do.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 3:36 PM on November 6, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by ethnomethodologist at 3:36 PM on November 6, 2011 [3 favorites]
To me, the websites seem to be marketing to folks at-large and not just Muslims, with titles like "clothing from the East" and no mention of religion at all (that I saw). To me the websites seemed to be marketing clothing in a Middle-Eastern style and were not even necessarily connected to Islam. (I mean, I know they are probably connected in some way but the connection was not obvious upon casual perusal and therefore I think a lot of their clientele probably just likes the clothing, like you).
posted by bearette at 6:34 PM on November 6, 2011
posted by bearette at 6:34 PM on November 6, 2011
Best answer: I would just think you're kind of a hippie
posted by imalaowai at 6:37 PM on November 6, 2011
posted by imalaowai at 6:37 PM on November 6, 2011
Best answer: I think there should be a distinction made for street clothes.
I.e. it's one thing if you're wearing the culturally (in-)appropriate clothes normally for a wedding, a religious ceremony, or other ceremonial occasions, and therefore taking something out of context and not respecting the origins of it, yes, that would be disrespecting the culture. (Wearing the culturally appropriate attire at the culturally appropriate time, tends to actually go down REALLY well! It's about paying enough attention to use things appropriately).
However, if something it genuinely the equivalent of street clothes - to bar yourself from wearing them, is a kind of, West is best thing, and one sided cultural interchange, as jb said. Go for it!
posted by Elysum at 9:56 PM on November 6, 2011
I.e. it's one thing if you're wearing the culturally (in-)appropriate clothes normally for a wedding, a religious ceremony, or other ceremonial occasions, and therefore taking something out of context and not respecting the origins of it, yes, that would be disrespecting the culture. (Wearing the culturally appropriate attire at the culturally appropriate time, tends to actually go down REALLY well! It's about paying enough attention to use things appropriately).
However, if something it genuinely the equivalent of street clothes - to bar yourself from wearing them, is a kind of, West is best thing, and one sided cultural interchange, as jb said. Go for it!
posted by Elysum at 9:56 PM on November 6, 2011
I agree that if paired with other, more Western-style things, it won't come off as costume-y and no one would bat an eye. The skirt and pants don't even seem especially culture-specific.
I have a cheongsam that I bought in China, and I've gotten to a point where I don't really feel comfortable wearing it anymore, fwiw.
posted by naoko at 10:53 PM on November 6, 2011
I have a cheongsam that I bought in China, and I've gotten to a point where I don't really feel comfortable wearing it anymore, fwiw.
posted by naoko at 10:53 PM on November 6, 2011
Yeah, I wouldn't think twice if I saw you wearing these clothes. I'm not Muslim, but I don't think there's anything about them that pegs them as belonging to any particular culture.
FWIW, though, I'm not entirely comfortable with white people wearing cheongsam as street wear. (I'm Chinese American, don't wear them myself, and I wouldn't think you were a bad person or anything, but I would roll my eyes at you.)
posted by kiripin at 2:07 AM on November 7, 2011
FWIW, though, I'm not entirely comfortable with white people wearing cheongsam as street wear. (I'm Chinese American, don't wear them myself, and I wouldn't think you were a bad person or anything, but I would roll my eyes at you.)
posted by kiripin at 2:07 AM on November 7, 2011
Aw, you're being really considerate but don't worry. I'm a Muslim. I wouldn't bat an eyelid at someone wearing this sort of outfit. Other than to think it was cute.
posted by Ziggy500 at 3:57 AM on November 7, 2011
posted by Ziggy500 at 3:57 AM on November 7, 2011
Yeah, I might be getting those pants too. Perfect for belly dance classes, which is culturally/geographically to be expected. In fact, the Turkish jewelry is pretty perfect too.
And I, for one, would be grateful if we could all agree to wear these swimsuits instead of bikinis. Less need to worry about sunburn too.
posted by Jaie at 4:00 PM on November 7, 2011
And I, for one, would be grateful if we could all agree to wear these swimsuits instead of bikinis. Less need to worry about sunburn too.
posted by Jaie at 4:00 PM on November 7, 2011
I often wear Thai Fisherman Pants that look a lot like the pants that you linked to. I am not a Thai Fisherman, and I actually started a bit of a trend with them.
posted by kamikazegopher at 9:09 PM on November 7, 2011
posted by kamikazegopher at 9:09 PM on November 7, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by HopperFan at 12:46 PM on November 6, 2011