The Dress Code

The Jellabiaya (what we all were buying for our Ramadan Tent Party Sunday night)

The Jellabiya or Jelabiya, pronounced Gellabiya in Egypt, is a traditional Arab garment native to the Gulf region worn by women as a casual dress or as evening wear depending on the amount of work, complication of design beadwork. It dates back to early days of civilization in the Arabic countries of the Gulf. Jellabiyas are also created for men; however, these include a minimal amount of design and are usually just striped or plain in a variety of colors and are worn exclusively as night-wear or house clothes.

The Abaya (a store for Abayas in the souq)

The abaya is an overgarment worn by some women in Muslim-majority countries. It is the traditional form of hijab / Jilbab, or Islamic dress, for many countries of the Arabian peninsula. It is sometimes adopted in other parts of Islamic world. Traditional abayas are black, and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head, or a long black caftan. The abaya should cover the whole body save face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqab, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to also wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered underneath the abaya.The abaya is an overgarment worn by some women in Muslim-majority countries. It is the traditional form of hijab / Jilbab, or Islamic dress, for many countries of the Arabian peninsula. It is sometimes adopted in other parts of Islamic world. Traditional abayas are black, and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head, or a long black caftan. The abaya should cover the whole body save face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqab, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to also wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered underneath the abaya.

Behind the four of us you can see the men's robes, called Thawbs (pronounced thobe, like robe with a lisp)

A thawb (Arabic: ثوب, ṯawb), dishdasha ( دشداشة, dišdāšä), kandura ( كندورة, kandūrä) or khameez ( قميص, qamīṣ) is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe. It is typically worn by men in the Arabian Peninsula and some surrounding countries. It is normally made of cotton, but heavier materials such as sheep's wool can also be used, especially in colder climates.