**I need to fix this post a bit, the hip width of the skirt is off, so I will add the right size later this evening and am going to lower the price of the jalabeeya by $10.00, en’shallah**

During my recent shopping expeditions I got these 2 items for the shop…

If anyone is interested you can order on the eCrater store.

1) Beautiful, Saudi-style party jalabeeya- XL

$52.00 + $10 SH&H

Great affordable price and from a jalabeeya boutique shop!

This jalabeeya is two- layers attached at the neckline with machine and hand embroidery and beading on both the front and back of the jalabeeya.

The dress is made of a heavier-weight cotton which feels very soft and delicate and looks like silk-shantung. The over gown is a delicate chiffon. There are nice detailings here and there.

This style of jalabeeya is normally worn for parties!

I can get a long, wide rayon shaylah in a matching color for $5 extra.

The measurements for this one is

bust-46, hip-49 and length of the dress is 57inches.

The chiffon over-dress is 2 inches longer and there is atleast 1 inch of extra fabric on both sides of the jalabeeya dress so it would be easy to alter the gown.

I can get this same jalabeeya in size S, M, L as well and the sizes are pretty similar to US sizes for this jalabeeya.

(front of the jalabeeya)

(full-view of the jalabeeya)

(back view of the jalabeeya)

(close-up of the embroidery on the back)

Some quickie pics using a digital camera…

<To order, go HERE>

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2) Long 2 layer skirt- 40 inch waist

$20 + $10 SH&H

This is a really unique skirt! It’s actually 2 layered which snap together!

Masurements;

waist-40in, hip-42 and length 40in.

The first layer is a full length black skirt with pleats around knee length and it’s 3/4th lined on the inside. There is a zipper in the back and elastic at the waist. The top layer is a shorted, over skirt with funky angular edges. It snaps to the longer skirt and also has some snaps up the left side of the thigh.

Wear together or wear each piece seperately.

The fabric is a heavier-weight black cotton poplin blend with a crisp feel like a mens dress shirt.

<To order, go HERE>

Well sisters, I did the utterly unthinkable. I concocted a really good story and took my husbands good Nikon camera to the big mall nearby and went to a few jalabeeya and abaya shops and asked to take pictures of a variety of designs.

Well…I’ll tell you all how it went…teehee, but first here are the pictures! Of course if you like any and want, just let me know and I can get.

I wanted to take these pictures so I could show you all what the current popular styles and designs here. Now of course these were the mall boutique shops and all except for two places had pretty outrageous prices (I think), but those outrageous prices were counterbalanced by the fact that the fabrics used were phenomenal! More incredible than Ive felt at the abaya shops in the ladies suq and much of the designs are hand embroidered or the designs are really one of a kind!

So without further adieu, first the abayaat…

(p.s. excuse some of the wonky shadows in some of them, I’ll explain below…)

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Shop 1-

Getting pictures in this shop was really difficult! Hence why there are only two! I wanted to take more but the sales guy stopped me, apparently the Saudi guy who was with his wife in the shop was having a fit over my photography of some abayaat on the other side of the store! Heavens forbid I might swing around and take a pic of his all-covered up wife from the back! haha, yah right!

Anyway, this one had a lot of really trendy and unique designs but their decorated abayat were extremely expensive. The plain ones were reasonably priced and they used a lot of really high quality=expensive crepes and I even saw a lot in this new-fangled stretchy crepe!

(abaya with mirror and embroidery work)

This one had really wide, kimono style sleeves and beautiful, multi-colored embroidery and mirror work on the sleeves and collar with emboidery down the front. One of the more expensive abayaat. But, wow…!

Now this one… The fabric used is pretty incredible, it has a bit of stretch to it but is seriously as light as air and of course the pleated sleeves is uber trendy. Price too, wasnt bad at all…about $110. I was seriously contemplating buying it for a few minutes. hehehehee.

Shop 2

Now this shop is pretty expensive as well but the designs are really incredible and they had a lot of UAE-style abayat where they are 3/4th open. Oh my goodness! I loved their stuff. Unfortunately out my price range (most of it)…though their plain abayaat were made in some incredible fabrics and the detailing was awesome! The attitude there was very pretentious and “money, money money”…though I did see some which I adored, but some were just too excessive for my taste.

The sales guy though was extremely nice about my picture taking and suggested abayaat left and right-though it took me 5 minutes of explaining for him to allow me to do so. LOL

Anyway, All these designs will set you back a couple hundred dollars!

(Abaya with puffed sleeves and embroidery)

This abaya is really neat the crepe is light as air and looks almost sheer, the details are totally unique!

This abaya. was my absolute favorite in the shop! If only I had $500 sitting around for an abaya…this would so be mine!

Its one of the trendy 2 layer abayaat but because its boutique it has some unique looks to it. First the inside print is pure silk and feels as light as air, there are swarovsky rhinestones on some of the print inside. Outside is this almost sheer black material which has a funky texture to it and has a bit of bronze/gold shine. When I held it, it felt almost sheer and see-through but on it felt weightless and opaque…i’m drooling!

Ah, the bliss of luxury abayaat…

(Two layer abaya...)

This abaya has funky metallic hardwear and chain detailing.

this abaya is UAE style with the mandarin collar and open 3/4th. The detailing is all hand stitched and colored swarovsky crystals are used. The colors really popped and again, light as air material!

This abaya is plain on the front but has this very ornate design doing down the back.

Shop 3

This shop is actually my favorite abaya shop in the mall. They have a huge selection and everyone who works there was extremely nice and unpretentious. The quality is really, really good and the fabrics used are awesome as well and one major plus is the prices are a lot more affordable. I think the most expensive one I saw was about $200-$250!

This abaya is soooo beautiful and only around $200, The embroidery is all hand pieced and done with swarovsky crystal accents! Uber-Saudi style with the piping down the front. The design is very feminine and a bit “flirty:..sigh, I could totally picture myself in this on a warm, sunny spring day! Couldnt you?

This abaya has 2 layered sleeves. Royal blue satin fabric on the underside and black lace on top. Super wide at the cuffs…cute huh?

this abaya is very cute and understated. Has a floral satin silk trim. Very delicate and feminine…

This abaya REALLY stands out, the sleeves are HUGE and the red satin print sewn with the black crepe really pops!

Two layer sleeves…only the layering is down at the wrist!

This abaya…sigh…the sleeves…drools! I…want…!!!!!!! The sleeves are actually 2 layer! The inside layer is light grey satin layered on top with a sheer crepe with pattern!

This abaya is another two-layered abaya but is definitely much more affordable, I love the geometric pattern and the inside lining is real satin silk! Very art-y, huh?

(two-layer abaya)

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Now, onto the jalabeeya shops…

Shop 1;

This shop was awesome, like the abaya shop 3 the prices here are quite affordable, not-snooty feeling and range from about $50 for a party jalabeeya on sale or a plainer jalabeeya all the way up to about $200 for a very delicate, scrumptious special occasions jalabeeya and they have a good selection of Moroccan djelleba and “western” style abayaah as well. Along with multiple sizes for each! Also the sales guy was really helpful and let me browse around, touch everything and snap pics of some of the items I liked.

(rack of fancy jalabeeya, on the left is Moroccan djelleba, on the right is khaleeji jalabeeya)

This picture is of a rack of fancy, fancy “khaleeji” style jalabeeya and beside it is a rack of fancy Moroccan djelleba. Prices were not bad at all and for under $150 you can get yourself a very fancy, khaleeji jalabeeya for a special occasion!

(Fancy khaleeji-style party jalabeeya, 2 layers)

Perfect for when your “hair dancing” with your friends…hehehee…

The shop also sold…surprise surprise! Abayaat in colors and designs! The selection wasnt huge but they had some, this is one I really liked.  Ive found that a lot of shops do stock a small selection of “western style” abayaat for Saudi women who are going abroad.

(colored abaya, yes I know...its not a jalabeeya!)

Shop 2;

Im gonna put these pics up later this evening. This place was some crazy fancy, insanely expensive designer’s couture shop. Most items were about $1,000 US but the designs are very gorgeous and everything is labourisly hand done…and funnily enough, I had to keep convincing the sales men that I was NOT a designer, there to scope out this guys designs and then copy them for myself. LOL. Really strange!

Meanwhile I just went in because I always liked the jalabeeya they had in the window! Little did I know…

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Ah yes, now the drama that was involved in taking these pictures!

So first off, I guess random people going around asking to snap pics is NOT at all common and two, doing so made people VERY suspicious that I was some “spy” from a rival abaya/jalabeeya business or in the case of the couture shop…a designer looking to steal someone else’s designs! LOL.

In some shops the salesmen were very kind and helpful and let me snap pics of whatever I wanted to snap pics of and even suggested items, in others the salesmen were by my side making sure I didnt take too many pics and making way too many inquiries about what I would do with the pictures…oh and ofcourse in one, some Saudi guy was flipping out by my picture taking! LOL

So seriously, this was NOT for the fainy of heart. But I concocted a really, really good story about why I needed them. teeheee…

In the couture shop, the only thing that made them realize I wasn’t some rogue designer was my dirty, dusty, Nike sneakers which had seen way too many months of use! LOL…paired with a huge batwing abayam black shaylah and chinos…I looked decidedly “un-hip”. But frankly, if I had been a rogue designers or “spy” from some other shop, dangit…it would be easier to just splash out and buy a bunch of designs..right…?

sigh…anyway, hope you all enjoy my hard work. teehee…

(dust storm outside one of our back windows...creepy eh!)

Tonight we have a dust storm, okay so it’s not really horrible or as bad as some of the ones Ive heard about -as far as I can tell. But right now it’s about 11pm at night and it’s incredibly windy outside, I just peeped out my front door and the night sky is white and the air smells funny and gritty. The palm trees are whipping around and basically eveything looks very creepy and eery.

So I guess the spring dust season has started…a Lebanese friend told me back in October…wait until February and March then you’ll REALLY get to see some dust!

gee thanks…

*off to close windows and doors*

Normally I wouldn’t dream of using any sorma (kohl) other than what I purchased from an apothecary in the Esfahan bazaar (it’s real ithmid)…but I’m out of it, so recently I went into a shop here which sells a variety of sorma and asked to see them.

The seller kept recommending this one which had “ZamZam” water in it. Hmm, I was a bit skeptical, like how can ZamZam water be in it and really, if it’s real ithmid, it’s quite good to use regardless. But, the options he had was pretty limited, it was the ZamZam “infused” Kohl and some greasy stuff from Pakistan. Ive used the greasy stuff before but it usually hurts my eyes and Im wary of the Hasmi and other brands.

Hence I bougth the powered sorma with “ZamZam” in it. I asked the guy, does this have lead? He didnt understand me. There was another sorma option there, which was similar but didnt have “ZamZam” in it and wasnt from Mekkah so he told me to buy the ZamZam one, it’s better…according to him.

Ive used it and really, I can tell it’s not real ithmid, first it’s dark black and two when I put it on, it doesnt spread around, cleanse the eyes and then stick to the lashes as well as the real sorma I had from Esfahan. Plus real ithmid is not deep black, it’s like a dark greyish color and it sticks to the lashes and will last quite a long time, it also spreads all around the eyes cleaning out any dust. It burns as all heck when first put on, but it’s worth it because your eyes appear very clean afterwards.

So hmmm, is this one of the ones with lead in it? I might go back and purchase the other one. Or I might just wait until I go to Iran in late summer and have the hubby take me back to the Esfahan bazaar for more.

*Update*

I just answered my own question…I found a picture of the exact sorma I bought which according to the NY Dept of Health it does contain lead. Oh Poo!!!

Can anyone type out something in Arabic stating that this one has lead so I can give it to the shop keeper…?

I thought it would be neat to share a young Saudi womans thoughts on muhajabah fashion, abayaat and other such things. I know her personally and she lived in the US for 3 years for her undergraduate degree.  I don’t have any pictures yet, but en’shallah she’ll send me some soon!

**I put my comments/thoughts in red**

(Esra H during her time in the US)

1) What is your name? Age? Location? Occupation?

Esra H- 22- interior design student

2) How do you dress on the daily basis? Like what styles of clothing do you like for around the house and for when going out? What kind of abaya style do you like?

Hmmm.. well just casual for inside the house..a jeans or pj pants with a shirt.. for school I just put on some skinny jeans and a shirt.. well coz it’s a only-girls university…

The abaya I wear is pretty normal.. colored sleeves covered with a light black fabric.. and snaps down the front .

3) When you were in the US, how did your dress style change? Did you still wear hejab in the US? Did you wear abaya or just western-style modest clothing? If second option, where did you get most of your clothing at?

Jeans and long shirts with colored hijabs.. I never wore an abaya while I was there. I get  most of my clothing from western stores.. like forever 21.. American Eagle.. Mango.. Zara.. u know the usual stores in the mall, lol.

4) What were your ideas of Muslims in the US before you went, did you meet any American Muslims? What did you think of them? Also, did you face any discrimination or racism? Did a fear of standing out impact how you dressed? How did people treat you (both American Muslims and non-Muslim Americans)

Well I didn’t really think of American Muslims before I got there.. I didn’t even think of it.. although I met tons of super nice American Muslims when I got there.. some were nice, some were annoying.. but that’s not coz they r American.. they r just people. I got along with some some and disagreed with some.

I didn’t pay much attention to discrimination, I really don’t think I faced any, maybe it was because I was just a student and I only lived three years there.

The treatment I got from most people was pretty normal. Although the Saudis in the states were unfortunately pretty mean to me. Which is kinda sad, but oh well..

5) Back to the KSA… How many abayaat do you have? How many trendy ones, how manly plain ones? What styles do you like? (i..e shoulder, overhead) How do you choose them and where do you normally purchase them?  When do you buy new overgarments and how much-generally are you willing to spend on one?

Well I currently have one that I use.. my sister has four.. and since we’re the same size I use hers sometimes. I wear the shoulder abayas although I did wear overhead abayas when I was really young. Currently the overhead ones are considered not only old fashioned, but they give the impression that you aren’t very open minded.. SORRY!

**Ofcourse, when I went to the mall with her yesterday I grilled her on this answer because while I know the overheads are the older type of abaya I really didnt know that a lot of Saudi’s consider them pretty old fashioned. Personally I like them, they cover well, flow nicely and I think, look really feminine. She told me that it’s often the more traditional Saudi’s who want their wives and daughters to wear them as they think then guys wont bother them, something like that.

I just go to the store and see what’s there.. or it would be something I saw on someone and I liked it… I usually buy them from a small store here in *city she is from*. he’d make u whatever u want and it’s cheap!

I usually buy one at the beginning of the school year.. u know it’s a sort of a habit.. like school is starting and u get all the new stuff.. new shoes.. new bags.. new jeans.. new abayah lol

For the pay.. I wouldn’t pay more than 400sr for mine and that’s including the matching black hijab (shila).

6) Do you belong to a tribe? (sorry, I dont really know how this works, just shooting in the dark here)…and does this affiliation impact how you dress? Like Ive heard of some Saudi women belonging to very conservative families/tribes and arent really supposed to wear anything but the plain, overhead abayaat. Whats your take on that? OR, what impact does your family and their expectations have on what types of abayaat you wear?

Nop. I wear whatever I like lol.. just not to flashy coz I don’t want some crazy Saudi boys following me around.

**Due to where she is from in KSA, she is not from a tribal area or a family which has ties to a tribe. The perception that all Saudi families are tribal is a misconception!

7) What do you think of niqab? What do you think of the overhead abaya…like your perceptions of the overhead and the women who wear them?

It’s a personal choice.. each person should do whatever they want.. but I wouldn’t like to wear either.. I’m kinda against them.. I just think they hold the woman back and they set a barrier.. I dk.. I really don’t like them for me..  it looks nice on some ppl tho

**Shes not against the overhead and the niqab itself but more against the reasons WHY some Saudi women wear them. Most have familial/societal pressure on them to dress in a certain way so for some, it’s not really a choice they can make.

Are most Saudi women really constricted by their families/general society as regarding to how they dress? Do you feel like you HAVE to dress in a certain manner when going out or else face societal “wrath”?

YES. Man that’s what I mainly HATE about the culture here. That women are controlled! In my family, they don’t control how I dress, but control other things.. OMG imagine them controlling how I dress too!! That would just kill me.

9) How does Saudi society consider pants and women wearing them? Like in some Arab cultures, pants are considered very indecent for women to wear…so women usually wear dresses or skirts. What about in Saudi society?

I think ppl r fine with it here.. maybe some Bedouin or traditional types wouldn’t like it, but other than those everyone else is ok with it.. EVERYONE I know wears jeans!! Lol.. except my grandma.  But even she used to wear pants when she was younger lol..

10) What do you think of some of the current trends in “Khaleeji” fashion…like wearing huge poof clips under the hijab to get the “big head look”, or wearing a LOT of makeup with the shaylah or wearing the really bright, sparkly “UAE-style” abayaat. What do you think of those women who dress like that?

Again I think it’s a personal choice. But I wouldn’t want to wear that.. then what the point of hijab be??

11) What do you think of western Muslim women IN the US and/or in KSA wear the Saudi or khaleeji style abayaat and styling their tarha in the styles worn here?

It’s up to them.. don’t really have an opinion about that.

(Esra and her friends in their Hajj ihram)