What to Wear

(Now, before someone calls out something like “cultural appropriation!” I want to point out that the times I wear a scarf or a buibui, it is out of respect for culture here.  It is expected that I will wear these things if I go to a wedding or other event, and appreciated otherwise.  I am not parading as a Muslim because while these items are associated with Islam, they are not reserved for Muslim women.  They have become an important part of the culture here and are used by all kinds of women.)

 

I wear a lot of the clothes I like to wear normally here, but I have to make modifications to be modest.  It is expected that I will cover my legs, chest, and shoulders, not just to be respectful but to keep me comfortable.  I already get a ton of attention being an outsider with assumedly bulging pockets, so I don’t want to get any extra attention for flashy shoulders or something.

I usually wear loose flowing pants or a long skirt with a tank top and wrap or a jumpsuit or dress with a wrap.  I learned pretty quickly that some of the clothes I brought are not ideal.  My amazing printed cotton pants all drag on the ground... and here that means they are dragging in dirt, sand, trash, donkey crap... etc.  I still wear them, but a lot less than I intended because they get dirty fast.  Keeping the layers to a minimum is also important because it is 3-showers-a-day hot and humid here.  It is so hot that if the power goes out at night an my fan turns off, I will wake up as fast as if an alarm was going off.  It is so hot that a semi-sheer shirt with a tank top underneath is not as option.  Everything must be capable of making me presentable without base layers.  I like super sheer scarves to cover my shoulders because I can rearrange them to create various air conditioning openings throughout the day (and they are pretty cute).  I always said I would never become one of those “accessorizes-with-scarves” people, yet here I am.  Here I am people.   Enjoy some fashion shots of my fashion and pack your suitcases accordingly.  This blog post is an excuse to put many pictures of myself on the internet.