you are right and i agree with u 100%...

I agree with you on wearing something suitable for your age, but it's just that some people still want to feel sexy and still want the attention, and they don't realize how funny they look in tight pants or whatever, especially if they dont have the body or figure for it. But I still admire their courage, lol.

I don't see anything wrong with revealing clothes. Let's face it, women are beautiful, men are not!

I do wear tank tops and shorts, sometimes only, but I know that I'm ugly in them, I know that every guy is ugly in them, because we're all ugly. But women are not, women are beautiful, and they generally have the body and the figure to look beautiful. What's wrong in drawing some attention and in looking beautiful, or is that a bad thing now?

Trust me, some girls in the winter don't look as good as they look in the summer. I have to admit that of my friends look ok in the winter, but in the summer, when they tie their hair in bows, and they wear spaghetti straps or whatever, they look beautiful!

I'm not talking about beauty in a sexual sense, believe you me, if the most beautiful model was walking in her 2 piece bathing suit I wouldn't even have one single sexual thought, it's just the idea of admiring beauty and finding a women pleasant to look at, not stare at.

Please guys don't misunderstand me, I'm not trying to say that women are just about meat or whatever, I'm trying to say that women are beautiful and they shouldn't be ashamed or afraid to show it.

Now, although I do agree with you on some of what you mentioned above, there are certain things that I would like to comment about.
First of all, wearing shorts to a meeting is fine, there is nothing wrong with that. Actually where I work, it's perfectly normal. We need to rid our self from the culture of shame
As for revealing or not, I think this is an issue with our guys, they really need to control themselves and not stare, fine take a good inspective x-ray look and move on. You don't need to stare for the rest of the day!!
The interesting thing I would like to say is that the women in our countries actually ENJOY the attention, if it means putting out more meat, then so be it. Women crave the attention. That's why you find women in our countries energized with high self esteem compared to women in the west who NO ONE will look at even if she was Naked. (Unless she's celebrity)
It's fine for a person to seek attention, it's human nature, but sometimes people take it to the extreme

Now to answer your one million dollar question... Where did this LACK of style come from??
Pure and simple, we don't only import goods from the US, we also import ideas that come with it. And it's a well known fact that Americans are the WORST people in the world when it comes to fashion. And as we blindly imitate anything the US does, so would we imitate this as well. We Imitate their lack of style or fashion

Funny thing, my father, who's an elderly person who is well known for his passion for looking elegant, classy, chic, stylish and neat, when he visited the US he said, he wished he found ANYONE dressed elegantly or even nice. Canadians have a better sense of fashion and Europeans even more. So there you have it :).

I can add nothing but insist on these two nice qouts you have written:

"You reveal more than you seal and then you curse these boys for sneaking looks you have already invited them to take".

"If one day you walk in the grocery store to find that the latest trend in the food market is to eat flavored poison, would you go for it just because it is the trend?"

Summer girls! Please read Khalidah's post VERY well :)

Thanks khalidah, you always express what is inside me;)

Pheras and Qwaider, may God increase your kind. I'm amazed. Two guys in one post who acknowledge beauty without sexualization and the need for men to control their thoughts. Glory be.

All that said, I do wish girls would reveal less shape and skin. It's a matter of valuing and respecting yourself. It's classier to cover-up creatively, I mean, how can you accessorize when all you have on is a tank and shorts? Every time I come back to the US I am amazed by the new lows of fashion...but believe me, Bulgaria and the Ukraine are worse.

I'm a native Californian, the part of the US that made near-nudity in public popular. I stand completely against the notion of 'if you have the body, wear it'.

Thanks Khalidah! I was missing your posts! Stay cool and pass on tips for looking good without revealing all the goods.

That's interesting, because when it came to spending last summer in Jordan, I felt very restricted in what I could and couldn't wear. And I usually don't even wear revealing clothes.

And everyone stared at me no matter what. I could be in an summer coat with just my ankles and throat uncovered, and a group of hooting young men would pull up at a red light and make kissing noises.

As for Ukraine being "worse," kinzi, well, that's the culture. Young women in Ukraine are encouraged to reveal themselves, and the human body is not viewed as anything amazingly sexual. Mothers can breast-feed in the open, on park benches and bus stops, and young men are comfortable wearing thongs on the beach. Some members of society are very religious and conservative, but nobody stares at them either, even if they do stand out in their scarves and long black dresses.

When I went to Ukraine after Jordan last summer, I actually breathed a sigh of relief:

No more worrying about who I'm going to offend or turn on! No more women in burkhas pointing fingers at me! I had freedom to dress as I wanted.

We have to remember that one person's definition of modesty differs radically from another's. Some people think they're justified in staring and harrassing if a woman is not covered from head to toe.

***And it's a well known fact that Americans are the WORST people in the world when it comes to fashion.***

Oh ho ho! Well thanks for that one, buddy! Personally I think the Saudi black abaya no face look is a whole lot worse than American gym shorts and tanks.

asalam 3alaykom..thank you khalida for expressing things frankly and smartly too..
and regarding the last comment..i must say that there's no need to slap!!
that saudi 3abaya is not a look..it's out of beliefe,mine at least..

So? I believe the human body is beautiful and sacred, hence I expose my shoulders and my neck, which I consider some of my greatest assets.

Is my right to dress the way I want somehow frivolous compared to yours?

Oh, and to clarify, I have no problem with the abaya. It's the face-veil that strikes me as infantilizing, dehumanizing, and lacking in responsibility.

If you wear the face-veil, I do apologize in advance for this, but nothing will get me to approve it. People should have the choice to wear it, but in comparison to a bunch of laid back Americans, women in face-veils are essentially walking black holes. It's not cool (yes I know that as a good feminist I'm supposed to support a woman's decision to dress as she wants, blah blah blah, but a) Religious conservatives never give me the same courtesy and b) Social responsibility, i.e. showing one's face in public and being accountable for one's actions is more important).

I hope that clarifies things a bit.

Natalia, if I were you, I would have stopped 2 posts ago. This subject is like quicksand the more you explain it, the more you sink in it

Look, it's their right to dress the way they like. Your approval is not required, just as anyone else’s approval is not required for the way you dress.
People are always asked to be sensitive and considerate to other people's traditions. I view this as a way to cap liberties, since it publicly admits that "You're free to have your own opinion but not about what other people believe"
I personally don't even bother with this. I just make sure that the women in my life, are well cared for and what they decide to wear, eat, drink, hide, show, do, think, say is their business. If solicited for my opinion, I'd give it frankly (with one exception; do these pants make me look good?) in such a case I lie, and will lie every single time, will life even without looking to make sure if they make someone look fat or not. There, to all women, you have been pre-warned :)
On the other hand, I do believe the human body is sacred and beautiful. In all shapes and sizes. Male and female, I just happen to prefer female but I'm biased being a straight guy. But the fact is, body is attractive. Covering it, sometimes make it even more intriguing.
Someone up there said I don't have a sexual look at things. I'm sorry, but that's not true. I'm human, and humans have impulses. Controlling these impulses is what differentiates us from other mammals. (although many animals are known to be monogamous so there's some sort of a control there)
Anyway. In a recent study, it was discovered that the minute ANY male looks at ANY woman, the question most frequently asked is "Would I do her"
From the other side, the question a woman would ask is "Would I want him to father my children". The two are very different. Male impulse is based on the here and now, while female is more strategic and l

just finishing the last pretty long post:
Anyway. In a recent study, it was discovered that the minute ANY male looks at ANY woman, the question most frequently asked is "Would I do her"
From the other side, the question a woman would ask is "Would I want him to father my children". The two are very different. Male impulse is based on the here and now, while female is more strategic and long term.
What does this have to do with the topic above? Simple, what drives men to stare is to know if they would “do” (if you excuse my term) that female or not. From the female’s side, it’s more than just “do” it’s a bigger list to fill, looks alone are not enough

I don't know what study you're quoting (got a link?), but when I look at a man, I ask myself 'Would I Do Him?' Though I'm not sure what this has to do with the topic at hand.

People do have the right to wear what they want, but since everyone here is expressing disapproval of revealing clothing, I think it's only fair to point out that personally, I don't approve of face-veiling.

I'm happy to hear that you try to make the women in your life happy. I'm happy to report that my boyfriend takes after you. :)

I have all respect to your BF, I think that's our mutual goal, empower each other to be as happy and as taken care of as possible, without sacrificing our mutual identity or individuality
As for dressing, I'm not disapproving nor approving, it's just not my call.
As for the study, I watched that on the discovery channel a while ago, so I can't get you a link, but you can take my word for it.

"If one day you walk in the grocery store to find that the latest trend in the food market is to eat flavored poison, would you go for it just because it is the trend?"

My problem, is that it seems that "poison" is all that the stores sell! Even here in Jordan it's hard to find something that's not low necked, short waisted, open-sleeved (or no-sleeved), see-through, etc. It seems all the jordanian girls make up for it by layering shirts on top of each other, which is not the most idea solution given that every day is hotter than the last. Anybody got any good suggestions for where I could shop?

asalam 3alaykom..wow..i guess i don't have to say anything further..well said quedar..
i so much admire your mintality,cause it allows change and accepting change,without being buried under premade ideas..

One thing you should make sure of, when someone is insisting about something, that means heor she is lieing, so when a guy says i admire beauty, well... don't think so! because beauty in a girl is in her smile or the way she talks or makes you feel while your with her, not how much skin she's showing, I just don't get it when someone says i look at a girls' thighs admiring their beauty.

When a girl says I wear like this because it makes me feel better about myself or this is just me, well... add her to our liars list, girls in the arab world wear like that to get attention, they go walking or jogging to get guys' attention and not to loose weight, trust me, all my friends pick up girls while they are "taking a walk around the neighbourhood".

comeon people, when are we gonna stop lieing to our selves? and btw, it's ok to say that you admire a woman's body sexually because this is normal, it's better than saying you just like the way it hangs!!!

Oh and i forgot, Rebecca, you can shop from LEBANON, because although people say that lebanese girls walk naked in the street, but you can find really decent clothes there, or i think in eastern Amman you might find.

I don't like "If you were not blessed with a shiny white skin"
and through my years in the uni., i learned that women with "3abayeh" are way more sexy if their eyes matched the 3abayeh they're wearing.
But what i hate is Jilbab....how could you women stand this heat...damn it's unbearable.

asalam 3alaykom,well bassel..let me fill you in..there are two types of women who wear 3abaya or jilbab..some wear it because they have to wear it because of traditions or orders..and some wear it because they have 7aya2..which is a branch of faith..7aya2 is something that can't be taught or described..and also cause they refuse to be a source of infatuation(being polite only) for men outside marriage..
and let me assure you...trust me under it isn't half as hot as it felt on the beach with the swimming suit!!
any ways..every one is free to do what ever he likes ..and take full responsiblity for their choices..
may allah bless us all..