The Things I Wear....

A lot of people have asked me about what is appropriate for women to wear here, so I thought I'd address that today.

I continue to be surprised by how westernized this country is. There are women who dress traditionally--in abayas and hijabs--but they are most definitely the minority. This sign is not uncommon, especially at the malls:

And the rules are enforced. We saw a woman who was asked to change her clothes on New Year's Eve. She was wearing a long, white lace dress that would have been offensive in Cancun during spring break, to say nothing of the Middle East.

For me, dress depends largely on the neighborhood I'm in. In the Marina, where Rob works, I could walk around in a loin cloth and people wouldn't look twice. In our neighborhood, people would stare if I went out in a moo moo and a snow jacket.

On my first day in Dubai, I was fully covered. That lasted all of about three hours. Now, I follow a general rule. I keep either my legs or my shoulders covered, but rarely both. I made this up and it is based on no precedent but it seems to work for me just fine. For example, if I'm wearing a dress or skirt above my knees, I'll wear a sweater or jean jacket. If I'm wearing jeans, anything goes (within reason--no sports bras or belly tops, and you all know how l love going out in those.) If I feel like I'm not covered enough, I'll find a scantily clad woman (there's always one in the crowd!) and follow her around.

At the pool or the beach, anything goes. I have yet to see the famous "burkini" but Rob saw one, so we know they're more than just legend:

At least she doesn't have to worry about tan lines!

I anticipate that as temperatures climb well past 100 degrees in a couple of months, I'll abandon my rule and pull the loin cloths from the back of my closet.