The Bottom Line about Female Dress in Jordan

True: in parts of the city, it’s not uncommon to see Jordanian women in miniskirts, tank tops, or even summer dresses.

But if you’re not Jordanian, leave the stilettos at home.

There’s a very understood familial culture in Jordan. It’s a tribal country* that

operates with a very protective network of communities. And just because you have a few Jordanian friends doesn’t make you a member.

The reason Jordanian women can wear mini-skirts is because men usually refrain from cat-calling or touching them for fear of repercussions from the family. It doesn’t take long to figure out who anyone is here. If a girl doesn’t know the man who whistled at her in Duwar Abdoun, chances are her uncle has done business with his grandfather–and if grandaddy is too old to do something about it, one of her brothers, or her father, will.

“Done away with,” is how one of my instructors described it.

Bottom line: tribal sensitivity/assimilation does NOT = tribal membership. So ladies: No need to look homely, but cover your shoulders and knees.

*Note on tribes: they’re pretty huge. Having 15 siblings is not uncommon here. (My one brother greatly confuses most people. It’s almost anxiety producing for them.) Multiply that by generations upon generations and you’ve got a familial support network of, oh, a few hundred living relatives?