The abaya is one of the most interesting issues among expatriate women in the Kingdom as most of them are not used to wearing it in their homeland. But many find advantages in wearing it. “Wearing Abaya makes me more comfortable when I go outside to meet my friends in an open area,” said Koloud Baraka, a Syrian housewife in Riyadh. “Another advantage of wearing abaya,” she said, “is that I can wear short dresses with short sleeves while going outside and just cover my clothes with the abaya. Because I don't wear abaya in Syria, I usually wear long dresses with long sleeves for most of the occasions there.” Asiah Mounshi, an Indian nurse working at the Al-Namothji Private Hospital in Riyadh, said wearing abaya makes her more at ease in public places. “As a young and shy woman, wearing abaya prevents people from staring at me and forced them to treat me respectfully.” Mounshi said she was not used to covering her face yet, “but observing what has wearing abaya done for me, I might one day consider covering my face as well.” Noura Abdullah, an American professor at the Prince Sultan University, said her abaya keeps people who have misconception about Western women like her, from staring at her. “I got used to wearing abaya. It was odd at the beginning, but now I really like wearing my abaya and my head scarf,” she said. Many expatriate women invest a little more to make their abaya not only comfortable but also stylish in keeping with the times. Abaya with different hues, or with ribbon and lace, embroidered sleeves or designs with precious stones or glistening hoods are popular among expat women. Fifi Fourie, an English teacher from Britain, wants shoulder-type design with interestingly ornate trimmings. Basically, she wants abaya with hoods. “All my abayas have hoods so that when I want to cover my hair it is easy to do so. I don't like abayas with very long sleeves as they can be uncomfortable,” she said. Noura Abdullah, an American professor at the Prince Sultan University, prefers plain, simple yet elegant abayas. But she said many of her colleagues want to wear abayas in lively hues. “I have observed that some wear their abaya like a long open coat. They also invest in Abayas with embroidery and glitters,” she said. Ibrahim Al-Wadi, salesman at Twaila Koris Mall in Riyahd, has observed that many expat women prefer the shoulder-type abaya. “Expat women of different nationalities come to our shop for abayas. I have noticed that the shoulder- type of abaya scores high among them,” said Ibrahim. “They often pick heavily embroidered and glamorous abayas with designs on the neck, back, edges, and sleeves. Sometimes, they ask for more embroidery work, and we send orders to our shop to get the work done.” Many Western housewives want to wear abayas with colorful and fashionable designs. “I want an abaya with flowers on the sleeves,” said Karen Kirby, an American housewife in Riyadh. “I prefer Abaya in vibrant hues. However, I am always afraid that my abaya will trip me and I'll fall down the stairs.” Many Arab women choose designs with glittering stones and head scarves. “I have a penchant for abaya with embroidery on the sleeves and the neck,” said Mona Al-Tuenisi, a Palestinian. “My abayas have beautiful stones on the edges and sleeves that are eye-catching and nice,” she said. “I like the decorations on my abaya to match those on my scarf. It really looks nice.” While many women like black abayas, some want to have the black blended with bright and flashy colors. “Most expat women prefer other colors to be added to the black cloak,” said Maher Saeed, a Yemeni salesman at the Lady Mall in Riyadh. “We also receive orders from expatriate women looking for non-black abaya,” he added. American Karen Kirby is among the expat women who express their preference for non-black Abayas. She finds black abayas to be very hot and inappropriate to wear, specially during summer. “I have no problem wearing abaya that is not black, one with long loose sleeves and a color that doesn't absorb heat,” she said. “They are cooler and more comfortable.” Fourie agrees. “I prefer abaya in different colors. And if I could choose a fabric, I would choose fabrics like cotton which is cool,” she said.
