You Wear It Well, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise | @MDWorld
April 16, 2016 Victor El-Khouri 0 Comments
With all the problems in the world today, and the increasing tendency to get irate about every little thing, it’s not surprising that women’s fashion can sometimes be a battleground.
Is women’s fashion the most important issue of the day? Not really. But it is somewhat important to those of us who are women and must put on clothes in order to go outside and do things, like work.
The most recent kerfuffle is the reaction to the special collections some high-end designers have created for Muslim women. For the most part, these are very expensive clothes intended for very wealthy women. Most of us couldn’t afford these outfits even if we liked them.
The problem is that many people don’t like them.
Islam as it is understood in many parts of the Arab world insists on certain standards of modesty in women’s dress. There are body parts that must be covered. Western high fashion, which plays with which parts of the female form should be revealed from season to season, is not appropriate almost all the time. However, seeing as some Muslim women have lots of money at their disposal to spend on clothes, it is not surprising that fashion designers would adapt so they can get that cash.
No one is claiming that there is anything illegal about these collections. Rather, the anger is that the designers, by catering to a profitable market, are somehow excusing terrorism.
I find this to be a very convoluted argument. Islamic terrorists are primarily male, and the few that are female do not, as far as I know, purchase designer outfits. If a person believes in capitalism, why object to a capitalist trying to make a buck?
This is not to say that I’m against boycotts, or that I don’t think they can be effective. There are lots of companies that do things I don’t like, and I would prefer to give my money to their competitors (assuming I need those products in the first place). If you think DKNY is terrible for doing a collection like these, buy another brand of jeans. I would no more stop you than I would take a vacation in North Carolina.
France has strict laws about religious expression in public, especially as it is expressed through dress. I think these laws are terrible. For one thing, they are an assault on free speech. For another, they are disproportionally directed at Muslims. I haven’t heard about any Jews being arrested for wearing yarmulkes, nor have I heard of any Christians arrested for wearing crosses. If a woman wants to wear a head scarf, why should that be considered a crime?
Islam is not alone in its desire to regulate how women present themselves in public. Orthodox Jews require women to wear scarves or wigs, cover their arms and legs, and generally do everything possible to sweat to death in the summer. And certain fundamentalist Christian groups would find these so-called Ramadan collections too revealing.
By selectively opposing Muslim women, we create more mistrust between our communities, and inspire more martyrs. We make Muslims defensive, and that makes them easier targets for extremists looking for new recruits. Disliking someone’s outfit is not the same as leaving behind hate literature after a robbery, but it’s still a step in the wrong direction.
As a feminist, I’m disgusted that religious patriarchs of all stripes spend so much time trying to regulate women’s bodies. As long as I don’t scare the horses, I should be able to wear whatever clothing I like, for whatever reasons I may have. The public streets are for the public.
If my devotion to the Giant Spaghetti Monster in the sky requires me to wear thigh high boots and aluminum foil (and the prayers of a grateful nation rise up because it does not), I should be able to work that Reynolds Wrap.