'The Overgarment' - A Pictoral

Candice did a post a few days ago about the jilbab and whether or not it can be worn without anything under it outside since it wouldn't make any difference to a woman's hijab requirements. The jilbab plus a scarf covers everything that has to be covered. Anyway, for some random reason that post made me want to do this post. The jilbab/scarf combo does meet all the hijab requirements and sure, if you're going to be wearing it anyway then you're not about to whip it off in the middle of the market so it doesn't, in a practical sense, matter. But it does cease to be an overgarment if it's the only thing you've got on.

For the purposes of this post lets assume that we all agree that Islam dictates a specific dress code and not just an enjoinder to modest dress and action, okay? I know there are arguments for both sides of that matter, but if you don't think that there's a specific rule about types of clothing then the jilbab doesn't matter anyway, does it?

For purposes of all 'hijabi' pics, I am aware that the clothes aren't loose enough to make most Muslims happy with them as hijab. I've gotten rid of all of my really loose clothes though, so this is more illustrative without being exactly correct hijab. It's the best I can do with what's in my closet. :)

Right. So, first, because I felt like it, here's typical casual me:

Now, I've heard different opinions on what clothing is appropriate when one is with other women or maharams. One says that you only have to be covered from collar bone to knees:

The other says that you have to be covered from collar bone to ankles and that your arms have to be covered to the elbows:

Unless, of course, you're concerned that the people you are with might tell tales about your looks. In which case you have to have your hair covered as well (which is also what you should wear around non-maharams):

So one way or the other that's the minimum amount of clothing that you have to wear when you're in the presence of any other human person. Excepting your husband, of course and then you get can naked when the appropriate occasion comes up. But that's neither here nor there...

Anyhow. That's my understanding of what is required, at the minimum for Muslimahs to wear. Like wearing a shirt and pants is the minimum in society. Yes, there are exceptions - people who walk around shirtless, etc. But that's not polite and they're not really dressed appropriately for most situations.

Now then, if that's what you have to wear inside and there's a requirement for an extra layer when venturing outside then it's essentially a coat, right?

And a coat is only a coat when you can take it off if you need to. That's why it's outerwear. You wear it outside/over your regular clothes. Like underwear is what you wear under/inside your clothes. :)

Can you wear a coat without anything under it?

Sure. If it's long enough you can even wear it as a dress. My favorite coat is long enough:

If it buttoned all the way down it would be just as long as my dress which is appropriate for all sorts of situations. No, you don't get an illustration of that one because sadly my coat doesn't button all the way down. :( But you can see the length illustrated, yes? But if I wear it as a dress it stops functioning as a coat and functions as a dress. I can't take it off if I get too warm. Similarly, for a friends wedding many years ago I wore a Jackie O style suit. A jacket with a matching skirt. It was the middle of October and I decided not to wear a top under the jacket so that the jacket became my top. I couldn't take it off because if I had I would have been in my underwear. See?

So while it's possible to wear the jilbab/abaya plus scarf as your only clothing and meet the requirements for Islamic dress it stops being outerwear once you've done so and just becomes your clothing. Nothing wrong with that, as far as I'm concerned (then again this is all from the peanut gallery anyway) but it's not an overgarment any longer because it's not 'over' any other garments.

On a sort of related note, the whole, once the women are old and have no prospects for marriage they can start removing layers thing annoys me. I get that it was a different time and all *hand waves* but who says older women aren't attractive? Are the Islamic rules of modesty only about sexual attraction? Then what's all that talk about respect and seeing the women as people and not sex objects, etc. all about? At what age does a woman stop being attractive? Especially in today's day and age.

You want to talk about attractive women who are way past 'marrying age' as thought of way back when?

Talk to Helen Mirren:

Or Judy Denche:

Not that that has anything to do with anything whatsoever. I'm just saying. Older people are still attractive.

Even My Subconscious Is Fashion Impaired

The actual content of the dream doesn't matter - it was just mundane, every day stuff. I either dream of boring real life things, or monsters and severed heads. My brain is odd.

However, for once I remembered what I was wearing in the dream, and it's actual clothes that I own!

I woke up and thought, 'hell, I was the niqabi Joker!' and had to pull everything out and put it together as proof that I cannot be trusted to shop alone:



In case you have a hard time telling, this is my brown jilbab paired with a purple scarf (in the dream I had it draping down sort of like in the picture), my black full-face niqab, and the green scarf as hijab.

The purple and green is, essentially, the Joker's color scheme.



Seriously. Why can't my subconscious have better taste?

Book: The Face Behind the Veil

My latest non-fiction read has been The Face Behind the Veil by Donna Gehrke-White. It's a collection of 2 - 6 page stories of American Muslim women. There's a total of 50 stories, and I think that the author did an excellent job of getting a fairly broad cross-section of women. She breaks the book up into five sections, The New Traditionalists, The Blenders, The Converts, The Persecuted, and The Changers.





In the first section, The New Traditionalists, the women are usually second-generation Muslims in America, people whose families immigrated. Many times, they're the first women in their families to wear hijab. One of the women tells the story of how the murder of her uncle (he was a cab driver and the crime was unrelated to religion) prompted her to take the 'plunge' as it were to wear her hijab. It was something she had wanted to do for a while, but the painful hammering home of the fact that life could end at any moment gave her the strength to go ahead.





In The Blenders, the women are those who do not wear any form of hijab, for one reason or another. Most don't believe that it is required. They say that the veil was only for the wives of Mohammed, and so long as they dress modestly, the don't believe in the hijab (in the sense of head covering). A few don't wear it because they are afraid of how they will be treated, of harassment and loosing their jobs.





In The Converts, there are, of course, the stories of American women who choose Islam for one reason or another. Two of them, one a black woman, and one of Asian descent, became attracted to Islam because they saw it as inclusive, and anti-racist.





The Persecuted, of course, are the stories of women who have had to flee their homelands and seek refuge in America. Most from political strife, but one or two from abusive husbands. The one I remember best (or worst), is a woman with three children who fled Afghanistan (under the Taliban) after her husband was shot in the store he ran in town. Other townspeople dragged his body home. There was no reason, no explanation. She still, years later, has no idea why her husband was murdered. Or the Afghan woman whose husband and oldest son were 'arrested' for unknown reasons. She fled the country with her remaining children, making it, eventually, to the US, where she has forged a life for them and is (thankfully) awaiting her husband and son to join her. For some reason, why, she doesn't know, they lived.





The Changers are women who are working to change (duh) the way Muslim women are treated, within their own faith. They all agree that the problems are cultural - that the degradation and abuse of women is not a part of Islam, but something that has become so entrenched, that many people wrongly treat it as though it is. They're working to change the conditions of the women's sections of mosques. Some of them have prayed side by side with Muslim men, some work as judges, social workers, politicians. They're working to prove that their hijab, their faith, doesn't keep them from doing what they want.





So. The stories range from heart rending (I'm thinking of a women whose husband gained custody of their children, after abusing her and them, and has taken them to Egypt. An American judge thought he was 'better suited' to care for them.) to happy and uplifting. I think the authors point, her idea, was to show that they're 'just like us'. Their lives are neither wholly horrific or shiny and perfect. They have their ups, their downs, trials and joys. But in the end, they're just women of faith, struggling through the world.





Just like us.

Reason #1 to Wear Hijab That People Don't Tell You:

Mosquito Proofing!


I can walk my dogs and not get eaten!



This is what I wore tonight, and I am completely unscathed!


Even bug repellent lets some of them through, and then I smell of bug repellent.

Jilbab and the Twilight Zone

This is one of those multi-topic posts I do on occasion. :)

1. Jilbab

I did, in fact, wear my jilbab and pashmina out Sunday afternoon. I went to the movies and the mall. It went well, I sort of sprung it on my friend I was going with, but she said it looked cute and very...traditional from the 'other side'. :) My one issue was that I had to rewrap the scarf half-way through the day, but that's more a problem of practice than anything else.

2. Heelarious

They make 'high heeled' booties for babies. *head desk - repeatedly* I'm not even linking to that, it's so dumb. Obviously the 'heels' are soft, and squish down when the baby walks, but, I mean, what?

3. The Twilight Zone!

Okay, we all know of my love for scifi, horror and fantasy. And if you didn't, well now you do. The SciFi Channel (I will not use the new SyFy name, because it is made of stupid) ran a 4th of July marathon of the original series.

What many people forget, or don't realize, is that the Twilight Zone was used by Rod Serling as a vehicle for social/political commentary. He wasn't allowed to talk about the issues he desired to on a straight level, and so disguised them (thinly, if you're paying attention) in horror and scifi.

One of my favorites, and one that they happened to replay was The Obsolete Man - this is a YouTube link, and he seems to have the whole episode, but in three parts.

The idea is this: It's a fascist State, and the man, Mr. Wordsworth, has been declared obsolete by the State, because they've destroyed all books and therefore his profession (librarian) has no function anymore. And neither does he. So he's to be 'liquidated'. And you also get that the State has declared that God doesn't exist, and they've 'liquidated' all the religious teachers, etc. It's a creepy episode, not from any horror point of view, but because you can see it happening, in real life.

This is the closing narration: Narrator: The Chancellor - the late Chancellor - was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so was the State, the entity he worshiped. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man, that state is obsolete. A case to be filed under 'M' for mankind in the Twilight Zone.

Another of my faves that they played was The Howling Man. I can't seem to find a complete version of this on Youtube, sorry. Anyway, a man (Mr. Ellington) finds himself in a creepy monastary, populated by some very strange monks. They are, apparently, keeping a man locked in a dungeon, and the prisoner tries to convince Ellington to free him, that the monks are mad, etc. The head monk, Jerome, explains, finally, saying that the 'man' locked in the dungeon, is no man, but the devil himself. Ellington doesn't believe him, and frees the prisoner.

Who does, in fact, turn out to be the devil. Another great ep, in my opinion. But here's why I mention it, this bit of dialogue:

Jerome: I'm sorry for you, my son. All your life, you will remember this night. And you'll know, Mister Ellington, whom you have turned loose upon the world.

Ellington: I didn't believe you. I saw him and didn't recognize him.

Jerome: That is man's weakness... and Satan's strength.

Again, creepy because it's so true. How many times do we look at evil and not recognize it? Let it loose?

The State of the Amber Address

We're gonna do this nice and simple. :)

1. I'm thinking about going back to school. I've never, actually, graduated college, because I kept screwing around, changing what I wanted to do. My work will actually pay for classes, because the owner feels that better educated employees are better employees. I hadn't taken advantage of this before, because it used to be that they would only pay for classes that led to a business degree, and I knew I definitely didn't want to be a business person. And my mother wants to apply for a grant that would cover the books...

2. Related to 1, my mother wants me to be a High School English teacher. She also wants me to quit my job so I can go to school full time, but that's not happening. I have *always* had a job. I've worked since I was 14. Also, I suspect that this specificity has something to do with the fact that my Opa was a HS English teacher.

3. Religious Ed - I'm feeling...let's go with 'uncomfortable' with this idea, more and more. As someone who *just* finished RCIA, I'm not feeling terribly qualified - surely there are others who are better grounded in the faith? The perhaps inappropriateness of me, as a woman, teaching the faith has come up, and while I'm not entirely sold on it, it is a consideration. I do *not* like the Religious Ed. Director. Let's be honest, if I had kids, and she was the teacher? I would have a *problem* with that, and would pull my kids out. And I'm feeling that, while I *want* to teach, on the one hand, so I can try and make certain the children are being taught correct information, on the other, I'm beginning to think that I shouldn't lend my unspoken support by participation to an activity that I have issues with. Also, there are a few things that, in our initial 'meeting' with her, were left out. Like the classes throughout the year that teachers are required to attend, and the cost thereof. It's not prohibitive, I'm just unhappy that she never even mentioned it. Of course the 'meeting' was not really one, except in theory. And the classes that I'd have to attend? If I go back to school, they would become impossible. And I have to decide, which is more important? And I'm leaning towards my schooling. All of these things keep adding up, and it makes me unhappy, because I wanted to teach, but I'm beginning to think that, at least in this setting, at this time, it's not going to happen.

4. I haven't been sleeping well - I have *very* vivid, half-awake nightmares. I actually came totally awake trying to beat off the little person that was attacking me. The 'little shadow person' was actually the recumbent bike at the end of my bed, and I was whipping it with my sheet. Piglet was staring at me from the pillows at the top of the bed, 'wtf?' clearly expressed in little doggy eyes...

5. I stayed up *way* too late last night reading Dresden Files. Jim Butcher is a dangerous, dangerous man, and should never be allowed to stop writting.

6. I am thinking about wearing my jilbab out on Sunday.

7. My foot continues to hurt. I'm considering taking a couple days off from exercising to see if that helps.

8. 2009 Book List checkup - 42 books. 8 books behind schedule.

Hijab-ified Amber - now, with added jilbab

Jilbab came, so you get pictures.

First, the abaya. It's a dark blue.


Abaya with pretty new khimar....

Another with the same combo, only this time, you get a goofy grin...

Jilbab. Showing off my hood. If nothing else, I can be a Jedi or something with this.

With one of my pashminas.

Now, I must confess, when I got these, and threw the abaya on, I went, 'oh hells, this is *so* unflattering!' and the same with the jilbab. They take away my shape! I think I look even fatter than I am in these. The jilbab is a bit better, but...still. I resolved, take the pictures, get it over with. And, I have to say, the jilbab, at least, has grown on me. It's *meant* to take away my curves. Yes, there could be a lot less of me, and believe it or not, I used to be even bigger. However, I wandered around for awhile in the jilbab/pashmina, doing house stuff. It's growing on me.

But, if ya'll wanna tell me they don't look bad, feel free. ;)

Hijab, Shoes and Interviews That Make Me Scream

Still not the 'post o'content'. I'm still working on that one. Trying to make it make sense, I guess. Sometimes that's harder than it sounds like it should be. :)

Okay, Amber playing around again.

Normal Amber:
Um, okay, I like this shirt. Some people, who all acknowledge that I shall never be a fashion maven, claim it too spotty. Whatever. This is why, if they want to critique my clothes, they shouldn't let me shop alone.

*sigh* al-Amira hijab. I want to like you, I really do. You are quick and easy. But you look funny, I have to wear a high-collared shirt to make sure there aren't any gaps, and, well, I still think it looks funny.

Shayla. I actually got this scarf at Wal-mart. Hmm...previous attempt, people mentioned that I needed underscarves that were colored to bring the color closer to my face. (My underscarves are all white at the moment). So, I found a $1 pack of wide stretchy headbands. I used the pink one to demonstrate, but it goes on over one of the white underscarves, and voila! Color! Also, boob coverage, with the shayla and all.

Boobs. Um, not to put too fine a point on it, but mine are not small. I do my best to down play them - I wear sports bras/tops under my clothes as much as possible, because regular bras tend to accentuate the breasts, which is, I suppose what they're designed to do. But it makes keeping shirts, etc. modest difficult.

What I'm calling khimar. If I'm using the word wrong, someone please correct me. This is what I wore out in public the other day. Two things: 1) Am I deficient somehow? How do you pin the scarf tightly and with the pin not just...being there, obvious? I cannot seem to manage this! 2) Okay, again with the breasts. This is a regular sized khimar, bought from HijabGirl. My understanding is that a part of the overall hijab is that the scarf is meant to cover your chest. Natch. I can still see the curve of my breasts to either side of the scarf. Is it because I'm built like a mack truck? I mean, I wear loose clothing, but there's only so much I can do! *waggles* I want my abaya & jilbab! I want to see if that makes a difference!

Coffee Catholic style! Meaning, a little hair showing, no underscarf. Um...I think it works better with bangs, which I don't have. Otherwise you get this, Giant Forehead of Doom!

And now for shoes! Because you all care about shoes, don't you? These are some of my favorite, not every day kind of shoes.


First up, spikey blue shoes! My love for these shoes is unending. I reserve them for special occasions.

Franken-shoe! I can't, actually, drive in these. They're too thick to push the pedals because of the heels.

Um...'shmex' boots. I do love these boots, but uh, yeah. I don't wear them at all anymore because of the way I walk in them, it's sort of counter productive to the whole...covering up thing.

Clunky oriental patterned sandals! Again, deep love for these shoes. I have flat flip flops in the same pattern too, but because I am short, I like these better.

And now interview of head banging irritation:

One of the women at work gave me her copy of the June 19, 2009 issue of Entertainment Weekly because it had Transformers on the cover, and she knows I'm looking forward to the movie. It was an interview with the 'love interest' of the movie, Megan Fox. Here're the highlights that pissed me off:

(After revealing that she'd been an extra in a scene in Bad Boys II - dancing in a bikini in a club, under a water fall)

EW: Wait, what?

Fox: Yeah, was still in ninth grade. I liked it at the time, because I was getting out of school. So I was like, F--- yeah, I don't care! And I got paid extra because if you allow them to put water on you, you get paid extra. I got probably $600.

EW: How did you feel about being sexualized like that when you were 15?

Fox: I thought it was awesome. I was going to a Christian high school and I wasn't a feminist yet. I hadn't sat back and analyzed society yet. I was 15! I just did what I was told to do.

EW: What did your parents think?

Fox: My mom was with me! I was always ubersexual, so she wasn't shocked. I was wearing the smallest clothes I could find. I would go to the mall like that - in a short, short skirt and a giant wedge heel.
....
(some mention of her stealing her mothers car when she was fourteen...movie stuff....)

EW: You've only done a couple of movies, so you're still mostly known as a sex symbol rather than an actress.

Fox: It doesn't bother me. I don't know why someone would complain about that. That just means that the bar has been set pretty low. So I can only be an overachiever. I think all women in Hollywood are known as sex symbols. That's what our purpose is in this business. You're merchandised, you're a product. You're sold and it's based on sex. But that's okay. I think women should be empowered by that, not degraded.

Emphasis mine, above. *head desk* *These* are the people that our kids want to emulate, because it's the way our society works! *growls* I have words, but they're impolite and, you know, cussing.

But, you know, frak it, women, people, who want to be modest, wear niqab, hijab, capps, whatever! We're oppressed! We're being objectified by covering ourselves up?! *makes little splorfly sounds* So much insanity.

Jilbab

EDIT: You can still give me opinions, cause I like to hear 'em, but I splurged and bought both! I'm weak.

Opinion time again! Because really, that's why ya'll're here, is so I can bounce fashion choices off you. ;-)

I present, two jilbab. Well, according to the site, one abaya and one jilbab. Though, if what I've understood from some posts on the subject at Pixie's site, both are Qur'anic jilbab, but the styles have been given differing names, i.e. abaya and jilbab. I know, not something you needed to know. *hand wavey*

Wrap abaya:




Very basic, but I still like it, and I *believe* it's the same kind that I've seen on Coffee Catholic.

Hooded jilbab:




Ummm...it's gotta hood. Doesn't that make everyone happy?

Both of these are from Al-Mujalbaba.

Both are basically the same price, and both come in a size that will fit me. Also, both come in a variety of colors. Um, yeah. So. Thoughts?

Also, I blame Coffee Catholic for this. *points finger in direction of Scotland* This is all your fault!