Saudi Fashion Loosens Amid Tight Cultural Restrictions

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 30, 2007 — -- The black traditional abbaya that covers Saudi women from head to toe is getting a touch of color and a touch of femininity -- bold moves in this conservative culture.

At one of Riyadh's lavish malls a wide range of abbaya styles can be seen, with women now straying, if only slightly, from the traditional all-black style. One Saudi woman had her abbaya's sleeves and veil trimmed with leopard print, and another's had a colorful flower print lining. The most common abbayas among younger women had colored beaded drawings on the back.

The robes no longer fasten all the way to the ground, and they get tighter around the waistline, revealing slightly the shape of the women's figures.

A few years ago, religious police would raid abbaya shops to seize and burn any that were not plain black. This practice changed when King Abdullah came to power in 2005, but few other societal changes followed.

Fashion Progresses but Society Remains Strict

Strict segregation between men and women in Saudi circles continues. Saudi Arabia remains the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive, despite some support behind making the case for driving rights.

Khalil Al Khalil, a member of the Saudi Consultative Council, blames the lack of social progress on religious hardliners.

"Religious extremists have been an obstacle to any progress in the kingdom," he said. "They are trying to block the reform as much as they can. But the mood is really ready to accept change and to accept women participating effectively in the kingdom."

Hatoon Al Fassi, a female university professor and women's activist, said politicians should share the blame, saying they have not done enough and have avoided controversial issues.

A few months ago, Al Fassi and a fellow feminist were able to block a proposal by the administration of the two holy mosques in Mecca and Madinah that would have restricted women from praying close to the Kaaba, a structure located in Mecca that is considered the holiest place in Islam.

A petition by Muslim women in the United States helped to abort the plan.

"They wanted to prevent us from having this closeness to God. We were more optimistic when King Abdullah came to power -- we thought he will give us full citizenship. In the first year, there were a few changes, but now we are going backward," said Al Fassi.

"The Saudi woman is treated as a minor -- even if she was 80 years old, she must have someone to guard her, to speak on her behalf and to permit her to travel, work and study," she said. "My friend who is a widowed associate professor at the university has to get a written permission signed by her 16-year-old son, who is studying abroad, to allow her to travel to attend a conference."

Shedding the Abbaya in Private

Public outings for Saudi women are limited to shopping malls, women-only sections of restaurants and women-only gatherings where they often get rid of their abbayas and belly dance.

Some privileged upper-class youngsters are trying to find other avenues to fight boredom.

"There are no cinemas, no theater. I try to search for any interesting activities, so I go to the only mixed bowling in Riyadh, where I have to play with my abbaya on. I play soccer at the American school and go to dancing classes, where I learn hip-hop," said 17-year-old Nora Omar.

But for older women the problems are more acute.

Nawal Ibrahim, a 36-year-old banker, said she is willing to risk being an old maid rather than marrying someone who will dominate her life.

"Most of the Saudi men like to dominate and control," she said. "Even my sister's husband, who studied in the U.S., is now forcing her not to wear short clothes in female-only gatherings. He even attempted to stop her from working. I don't want this to happen to me. I ignored all family pressure to marry. I insist I will only marry someone who is open-minded."

But even women who do marry can face obstacles. Last year one Saudi couple, Fatimah and Mansour Al Timani, were forced to divorce against their will because Fatimah's half brother petitioned the court for a separation on the grounds that she comes from a superior tribe.

"Such precedent will open the door for more cases. There are two similar cases in courts now," said the couple's lawyer, Abdul-Rahman Al-Lahem.

Fatimah was forced to move back into her parents' home because Saudi tradition dictates that women cannot live alone. But she did not want to return to her parents' home and asked the government to find her an alternative, a secure shelter to live in with her infant son, Suliman.

But her parents lobbied the government to not allow her alternative housing, so she was forced to move into a prison, where she and Suliman have now lived for nine months.

Her case is the first to gain widespread media attention, but there have been reports of many similar cases and at least two that are still in the Saudi courts, according to Al-Lahem.