If you haven’t been to the Middle East, you’re probably not familiar with the traditional wear of Arab culture. Most of us are only exposed to these individuals on television or through pictures and videos on the internet. A group of students in the Middle Eastern Student Association decided to break away from the negative stereotypes often associated with their culture, to have a celebration of the food and clothing of their native countries.
Ranging from Syria, Assyria, Algeria, Palestine, and numerous other countries, the students styled some of their freshest authentic apparel. Many of the gentleman wore thawbs (also called dishdasha and thobe), a robe-like garment which is ankle-length and typically worn with long sleeves. Sami Shabeeb (in the picture below) decided to match his with a kaffiyeh, a traditional headdress usually worn by Arab men.
The ladies wear thawbs as well, theirs are a bit more elegant however. The embroidered fabric gives it a majestic appearance that is reminiscent of royalty. Many of the women who worship Islam style their thawbs to beautifully supplement their hijab, which is a literal translation of “veil” in english. It is a religious garment that has special and unique significance to each woman wearing it.
The event served chicken shawarma, sautéed squash, and fresh vegetables, with a side of mouthwatering pita bread, specialty hummus, and falafel. Needless to say, the authentic catering left our eyes wide and our stomachs full.
Interested in attending events similar to this? Follow us on Twitter at @CulturallYours for the latest updates of events on campus!
French Translation
L’art de la Mode : Une Célébration du Moyen Orient
Si vous n’êtes pas allé au Moyen-Orient, vous n’êtes probablement pas familier avec l’habillement traditionnelle de la culture arabe. La plupart d’entre nous connaissent ces personnes à travers la télévision ou des images et des vidéos prises sur Internet. Un groupe d’étudiants, membres de l’Association des étudiants du Moyen-Orient a décidé de rompre avec les stéréotypes négatifs souvent associés à leur culture, d’avoir une célébration qui met en exergue les plats alimentaires et les vêtements que l’on retrouve dans leur pays d’origine.
Allant de la Syrie, l’Assyrie, l’Algérie, la Palestine, et de nombreux autres pays, les étudiants disaient que leurs vêtements étaient authentiques. Certains hommes ont porté le thawbs (également appelés dishdasha et thobe), un vêtement sous forme de robe qui descent jusqu’à la cheville et généralement avec des manches longues. Sami Shabeeb (image ci-dessous) a décidé combiné sa tenue avec un keffieh, une coiffe traditionnelle habituellement porté par les hommes arabes.
Les dames portent aussi le thawbs, toutefois les leur sont un peu plus élégant. Le tissu brodé leur donne un aspect majestueux et cela rappelle la royauté. Beaucoup de femmes musulmanes assortissent leurs thawbs avec le hijab, qui est une traduction littérale de « voile » en anglais. C’est un vêtement religieux qui a une signification particulière et unique pour chaque femme qui le porte.
Au cours de cet événement, du shawarma de poulet, des courges sautées et des légumes frais, avec du pain savoureux pita comme complément, ainsi qu’une spécialité d’hummus et de falafel. Inutile de dire que, cette authentique cuisine nous a laissé ébahis avec des estomacs bien remplis.
Intéressé par une participation à des événements pareils ? Suivez-nous sur Twitter à @CulturallYours pour les dernières mises à jour des événements qui ont lieu sur le campus !
Spanish Translation
Organizacion Estudiantil Presenta el Fashion Show Celebrando la Cultura del Medio Oriente
Where can I purchase all of the items of clothing listed here? Looking to expand my wardrobe ASAP.
Interesting piece!
Thanks Dev! Maybe you can attend next year.
The pieces in this article can be found in just about any modern authentic Arab apparel shop, from thrift shops to the internet! If you’d like specifics, feel free to reach out and we can connect you to some of the individuals in the show!
Wonderful article displaying the authentic beauty of the Middle East! The pictures and description composed by the author were an accurate representation of the cultural garments. Hope I can make it to MESA’s fashion show next year 🙂
Thanks Mohammedi! It truly was a great event. You should look into other events MESA hosts before the end of the year if you get the chance!
These pieces were gorgeous. It was great to hear about the religious and historical ties to them as well. Seeing the different cultural influences of each region shine through the different garments and headpieces was cool.
I’m glad you liked the piece Keesha! It was amazing to learn about the various styles and forms of expression displayed through their clothing.
I was linked to this blog thanks to the instagram account, I really liked this blog post, never been to the Middle East and sincerely I wasn’t very interested in going before reading the article, this has cultivated a huge interest in me.
Thanks for visiting and following our Instagram account, Mario! We are super excited about this post and getting to share more information about Middle Eastern culture! If you have any questions, feel free to hit us up on our other social media websites!