Ramadan is just around the corner so most people have already started evaluating their needs, be it groceries, furniture or even clothes. Ramadan signals the proximity to Eid. Many families traditionally start planning their Eid clothes, but an often-overlooked issue is the kind of traditional clothes many people start planning to wear during the holy month of Ramadan. This is especially true for women - both Saudi and expatriate - who often take great pains to ensure that they are traditionally dressed during Ramadan, particularly at work where such indulgences are rare. Traditional Saudi female clothing involves jalabiyas - ankle-length tunics made from a variety of fabrics, not unlike men's thobes. This leads to a surge in demand for the dress, encouraging shop owners to both hike prices and start bringing in special collections. Jalabiyas are available in a dazzling variety of styles and colors and most will derive their unique form from different regions. Though it is commonly worn as a form of traditional dress in a number of Middle Eastern countries, each country has its own style according to its heritage. Saudi Gazette explored a number of shops selling jalabiyas just before Ramadan and asked shop owners about the latest trends in jalabiya fashion as well the price ranges. One such shop in Jeddah claimed to be offering collections from India and Egypt, as well as traditional, locally-produced versions. “We can divide jalabiyas into two groups: the first includes simple ones that are colorful and made of lighter fabrics; these are available in the range of 200 to 400 Saudi riyals,” explained Mohammed Aziz, a jalabiya salesman at the shop. These kinds of jalabiyas, however, are suitable for the day-to-day attire of working women rather than weddings and other fancy occasions. Another salesman, Tawfik Ramzi added that demand for jalabiyas has seen a dramatic boost this year, something that was completely unexpected for most traders. “Working women are interested in buying a variety of styles, regardless of the jalabiyas' country of origin, brand or even price,” he remarked. “Some of these are extremely expensive with prices reaching 1,000 Saudi riyals, but women are still buying them.” For some traders, Ramadan is the only time they can actually benefit from selling jalabiyas, as women have increasingly taken to wearing Western outfits at work. Another salesman, Al-Saeid Suliman, bemoaned the prevalence of Western - and often branded - clothing as a direct threat to the jalabiya business, calling Saudi women “strange” for combining traditional and modern styles. Promoting local heritage Most jalabiyas that are made locally derive their origins from famous tribes in rural areas like Najran, Abha, Taif and Jizan. “The Jeddah Ghair festival and summer vacations have played a prominent role in boosting demand for jalabiyas from small villages, as they raised awareness about the jalabiya's history and origins,” said Suliman. Another salesman, Abdulqader Hemedi, remarked that his shop now received customers who came looking for particular jalabiyas from specific places like Asir, Abha and Najran. “These women come asking for jalabiyas they have seen at the fashion show put on during the Jeddah Ghair festival,” he added. Crossing barriers Surprisingly, expatriate women have also started noting the appeal of jalabiyas, largely because of the workplace culture where they see their colleagues wear such clothes. Zakia Ahmad works in marketing at a private advertising agency in Makkah, and she confessed to buying jalabiyas because of her colleagues at work. “In the past I wasn't interested in wearing such traditional clothes to work but my Saudi colleagues encouraged me to try them, saying that they would suit me,” she said. For others, wearing jalabiyas is strictly a Ramadan-oriented phenomenon. “I wear jalabiyas during Ramadan as part of having a new ‘look' during the month as everything changes during this period, so I feel the need to change my style as well,” remarked Jihan Al-Youssef, a Syrian woman working as a media representative at a private company in Jeddah. She added that she saw this trend as part of the many Saudi traditions in Ramadan that expatriates are exposed to.
