Find out what the Prophet and other scholars have said about suitable dress. See online catalogs of modern Islamic clothing. In what ways are these garments similar/different to the images of Early Medieval Western dress you see above on this page? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of wearing one of the many types of modern Islamic dress compared to what you wear now?

Mohammad wanted not men to wear clothes not of 100% silk (only woman) and also wanted them to wear beards. We see this today in people who live in the Middle East, look at the Taliban. Women were supposed to wear shapeless clothes so that their bodies would not be ‘glamorous’. They were told to wear pantaloons or skirts/dresses that were to be between the length of the shin and ankles. Also, when women went into prayer, they were supposed to cover their heads.


Women wearing meshed burqas, full head covering with mesh in front of eyes.

Men were not allowed to use gold in dress, but women were allowed. The idea of devout Islamic dress is to not use clothing to display wealth. This was something that the Persians did, a group of people that the Prophet had contempt for.

“It should not be a dress of fame, pride and vanity. Such fame may be sought by wearing excessively fancy dress as a status symbol, or an excessively ragged dress to gain others' admiration of one's selflessness. Both motives are improper by Islamic standards. “ (taken from http://www.themuslimwoman.com/HerDress/DressRequirements.htm)

In early medieval times, Europeans were wearing tunics about ankle length. They also started to wear linen, the more transparent the sexier people were. Also, in women’s wardrobe, the tops became fitted. Like the Muslims, European women covered their heads at religious part-takings. Muslim men wore turbans whereas the European Christian doffed his cap to enter church. For the Europeans, the more fabric used at this time was a symbol of the wealth you had. The more gold you wore, also a symbol of wealth.

From what I could tell of the modern selections of Islamic male dress, wearing such clothing would only have one major disadvantage: the imports I found were all from Middle Eastern countries that have warmer climates. Of course some additional layers of clothing can be worn to combat cold, but clothing of thick cotton or camel hair would not offer the protection needed for this climate. In the summer months, though the pakastani salwar kameez (pictured)might seem an interesting fashion statement for Alaska, it would offer cool summerwear that fit the season. Fourtunately, the male wardrobe would not be as confining and claustrophobic as the female's burqa. I would probably find such attire cumbersome to participate in the outdoor activities that we Alaskans pride ourselves in.

Pakastani salwar kameez, from http://www.alhannah.com