This research analyzes changing attitudes towards the abaya as a dress code for Muslim women. It explores the conflicting ideas of modesty and fashion embodied in Muslim women's dress. The study reviews literature on religious texts and scholars' perspectives on appropriate dress codes. It aims to determine the extent to which consumers view the abaya as a required dress code. The significance is in understanding changing attitudes due to factors like season, trends, and fashion. The study examines how internal factors like color and design and external factors like society and culture influence attitudes towards abayas.

1. Analysis of attitude towards abaya as a dress
code.
Key Terms
Abaya, Dress Code, Quran, Hadith (Prophetic Tradition) Islam, Muslim Women, Clothes, women
attitude, abaya, security, style.
Abstract
This research investigates the changing behavior of Muslim women’s towards the abaya as a
dress code. We explore the conflicting imperatives of modesty and vanity embodied in
Muslin women’s .This paper reviews the literature regarding the study of religious texts on the
issues which are considered essential. Classical and modern scholars from Islam and even other
religions like Christianity have been proposing the correct dress code for Muslim women. The
same notion has been tried to determine in present research i.e. to what extent if consumers
categorize abaya as a dress code.
Table of contents:
• introduction
• Background/Review of the Literature
• Conceptual Framework
• Rationale
• Method and Design
• Significance and Conclusion
• References

2. Introduction
Attitude:
An attitude is an expression of favor or disfavor toward a person, place, thing, or event (the attitude
object). Prominent psychologist Gordon All port once described attitudes "the most distinctive and
indispensable concept in contemporary social psychology.” Attitude can be formed from a person's past
and present. Attitude is also measurable and changeable as well as influencing the person's emotion and
behavior.
Generally people's attitudes about abayas:-
Among Muslims the debate about hijab takes many forms. Some believe that the veil is a way of
liberation in a world that oppresses women. Others feel that hijab allows women the freedom of
movement while others argue that the veil only provides the illusion of protection and absolves men the
responsibility of controlling their sexual behavior.
Abayas:-
The abaya are more commonly used in Arab. Which meaning is (Arabic) a loose black robe from head
to toe; traditionally worn by Muslim women used except the body face, feet, and hands from men who
are not her father, son, brother, or relative. Over the years, the abaya has evolved as a political and
Islamic symbol.Abaya is mostly use in Arabic countries like Dubai, Iran, Iraq, and Egypt and also in
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Abaya, Jilbab is a Muslim culture, to wear when even they have outdoor
visits. Even in Europe countries, Australia, Canada, USA (American women) or western girls (Muslim
Girls Students) wear Abaya, Jilbab, Hijab or Ladies Scarf in schools, colleges and universities.
Importance of abaya in Islamic society:-
The hijab symbolizes the woman’s association to the Muslim community, therefore alerting or giving
out a signal of awareness to outsiders that she is part of the Islamic faith. However this doesn’t mean
that those women who don’t wear hijab aren’t members of the Islamic faith. It must be outlined that it is
always preferable and beneficial if a woman chooses to cover herself upon her own choice rather than

3. a compulsion from others. A growing number of girls and women are choosing to wear the hijab in
western parts of the world, for some it is a way of reconnecting to their religious roots, whilst for others
it something they wish to do as a part of personal confirmation of their conversion to the Islamic faith.
In conclusion, the hijab is something which retains a woman’s body with a certain amount of veiled
dignity and hence as a result keeps her away from many lustful evils that reside in other people’s minds.
It also assures on an outward note, that she is part of the Islamic community. The hijab doesn’t stop a
woman from reaching any levels of worldly excellence in the world; it doesn’t hinder her role as a
working woman or that of a daughter, wife, mother or sister. This garment of modesty is merely worn
in front of those men who are non-mehrams and hence not an inclusion of a woman’s circle where she
doesn’t have to be particular about covering herself.
Often the Quranic quote, "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters, and the believing women, to cover
themselves with a loose garment. They will thus be recognized and no harm will come to them" Qur'an
33:59
According to the Quran, Allah commands all believing women to guard their chastity. Many interpret
this as covering the face and body because people look into these aspects to enjoy beauty
Allah Ta'ala says: "And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts from
sin and not show of their adornment except only that which is apparent, and draw their head covers
over their necks and bosoms and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers,
their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their
sisters' sons, or their women (i.e., their sisters in Islam), or their female slaves whom their right hands
possess, or old male servants free of physical desires, or small children who have no sense of women's
nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn
unto Allah altogether, O yO Prophet; tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers
to draw their outer garments about themselves (when they go out). That is better so that they may be
recognized and not molested. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. [Al-Ahzaab, 33:59]
Abu Dawood narrates that `Aishah (RAA) said: "Asmaa' the daughter of Abu Bakr (RAA) came to see the
Messenger of Allah (SAAWS) wearing a thin dress; so Allah's Messenger (SAAWS) turned away from her
and said: O Asmaa', once a woman reaches the age of menstruation, no part of her body should be seen
but this-and he pointed to his face and hands.
Importance of abaya in Modern Islamic society:-

4. Now a day Abaya are not just a part of Islamic dress, it is a symbol of fashionable lady and modesty. Old
burqa fashion is out and designer abaya's has taken place. The abayas of 2013 are full length, funky,
and embellished with variant items.Abaya / Hijab has a way of formatting morality in a women but also
leads to modest views. As demand is increasing, some new abaya brands are getting involved in
business, and inserting multiplicity of types and design that are favored by women specific regions,
religious and cultural interpretations.
Significance of research:
The significance of this research to check the changing attitude towards Islamic dress. Due to changing in a
season the trends and fashion changes and the latest fashion come, it has become commanding to analyze and
determine the factors that affect the consumer attitude. Once Abaya was wear by the women of only Arabic
countries but now not only Arabic and South Asian countries Abaya has become the favorite outfit for women all
over the world. In Islam Abaya is the important and compulsory clothing for women when they go outside.
Now days, Abaya is not just a part of Islamic dress it become the part of dress and symbol of fashionable lady’s.in
this case demand is increasing some new abaya brands are getting involved in business, and inserting multiplicity
of types and design that are favored by women specific regions, religious and cultural interpretations. Hijab is an
extremely personal issue for women and the public believe, women should wear because only they are subjected
to the embarrassments or even conveniences that arise as a result of wearing the hijab. Therefore, This topic in
order to present a woman perspective on the aspect of hijab. The study includes factors effect on women internally
such as colors, fabrics, design, quality, appearance. External factors are Society, culture, values, norms, fashion
trends.
Research objectives:-
The primarily objectives of this research are to know the factors which support attitude towards wearing abaya.
Secondly, the research wants to determine whether those factors affect positively or negatively the attitude. The
factors include internal factors as colors, fabrics, design, quality, appearance and external factors as society,
culture, values, norms, religion, and fashion trends. The research has taken into account the stated factors to know
attitude towards abayas.
Review of the Literature:-
Humans have expressed an interest in cultural diversity. People have recognized differences in values, norms,
beliefs, and practices everywhere. Whenever different groups have come into contact with one another, people
have compared and contrasted their respective cultural traditions. Societies often differentiated themselves from

5. one another based on these variant cultural patterns. Culture is learned and is transmitted from generation to
generation in a society. Humans learn through direct experience (situational learning), observation (social
learning), and symbols (symbolic learning). Symbols are arbitrary meanings that vary from society to
society.(Cultural Anthropology: A Global Perspective, 8/e) Dress in the Middle East reflect a woman’s
environment, traditions, heritage, religious beliefs, and the personality of her society, along with her
own personal taste and fashion trends.( University of Illinois ).The freedom to dress as they wished,
Within the cultural expectations of their family and community. Muslim woman can maintain public
privacy and work effectively without being advantaged or disadvantaged by her physical appearance,
without having to make herself physically attractive in order to be accepted in her job. This enables
women to be judged primarily by their qualities and personality and not by their looks. This works
towards equality of opportunity: women’s physical attractiveness can become an unearned job
requirement, with selection based on appearance and not merit. Politics also has an effect on attitudes.
The Algerian woman writer and filmmaker writing as Assia Djebar navigated her own life ‘uncovered’
(i.e. in western dress), being sent to a western school, and in her work explores women in Algerian
society, often writing her own life as fiction see, for example,( Djebar, 1992, 1993a, b, 1999)( Journal of
Beliefs & Values, August 2006). We also see strengths and opportunities. We believe the voices of these
girls constitute a great force that will eventually be listened to and taken seriously. Although many of
the girls we have managed to reach will not be children anymore within the coming few years, those
that are growing up into their teenage years may still have the opportunity to be part of a positive
change and to recognize their dreams, concerns, and aspirations. Many organizations in civil society
agree with this outlook and have agreed to join our work and in many cases have themselves (Gender-
Based Sexual Violence against Teenage Girls in the Middle East Compiled by Pernilla Ouis and Tove
Myhrman 2007)
many people nearly think of a woman covered in some form of head garb or covered head-to-toe in
conservative robes and the ideas held are usually negative. The key problem with these perceptions is
that one would never be able to know exactly what each headdress means to each individual woman
and the reasons why she chooses to wear it, due to the individuality associated with Islamic beliefs and
values. Most important to any such understanding, however, is that stereotypical views of the headdress
should not be drawn, i.e. that all Islamic women would fall into one category, as they are an extremely
diverse group of women with differing views. For many westerners, it is assumed that all Islamic
women are suppressed and held down because of their faith, which is symbolized in the Islamic garb.
One of the main reasons people view them in this light, comes directly from the Islamic headdress and
not much more (Tiffany D. Reed University of Arkansas at Monticello)

6. Conceptual Framework
Methodology:-
The ethnographic methodology involved observation, participation in family and
School events, discussions with informants and field visits in, Islamabad and its near city’s
. Interviews with Muslim women took place within a wider sharing of social life and education: in many
cases the context had as much Significance as the transcribed words. The following paper draws on
qualitative interviews with a range of Muslim women (n = 45) of varying ages and ethnographic
Observations within the Muslim community. The research focuses here on the Muslim female
Perspectives only. The instrument has been acquired from
Focus of Interviews
The following questions were asked to participants regarding their experiences
with the hijab:
 What does hijab mean to you?

7. 1. piece of cloth 2. part of dress 3. Part of Islam
 Do you wear the hijab?
yes No
 Does your family or friends pressure you to wear it?
yes No
 What motivated you to wear it?
1. friends 2. society 3. physically
attractive
4. fashion
trends
 What do you think Muslim women have to wear hijab?
1. head cover 2. fashion dress
 What are the results of your decision?
1. You feel change yes
or no
2. Friends reaction
positive or negative
3. Family reaction positive
or negative
 All the time you wear it when you go outside or different events

8.  Does your family or friends pressure you to wear it or take it off?
Most of the women wear hijab for sake of.
fashion Security
Do you agree that hijab prevents women from being molested?
yes no
Islam stipulated a dress code for women would you like that your wife will wear hijab?
yes no
Do you like that women keep her behind the veil?
yes no
At what age woman should wear hijab?
12 to 15 15 to 20 20 to 25 25 to 30 30 to 40
yes no

9. Ref:-
 Djebar, A. (1992) the women of Algiers in their apartments (M. de Jager, Trans.)
(Charlottesville, VA, Virginia University Press).
 Djebar, A. (1993a) Fantasia: an Algerian cavalcade (D. S. Blair, Trans.) (Portsmouth, NH,
Heinemann).
 Djebar, A. (1993b) A sister to Scheherazade (D. S. Blair, Trans.) (Portsmouth, NH, Heinemann.
 Djebar, A. (1999) so vast the prison (B. Wing, Trans.) (New York, Seven Stories).
Books:-
 Cultural Anthropology: A Global Perspective, 8/e chapter 3 culture (Scup in ©2012 / ISBN:
9780205158805 for further information about topics covered in this chapter go to MyAnthroLab at
www.myanthrolab.com and accessthe following readings in MyAnthroLibrary:
Articles:-
 ^ All port, Gordon. (1935). "Attitudes," in A Handbook of Social Psychology, ed. C. Murchison.
Worcester, MA: Clark University Press, 789–844.
 Jump up ^ All port, Gordon. (1935). "Attitudes," in A Handbook of Social Psychology, ed. C.
Murchison. Worcester, MA: Clark University Press, 789–844.
 Pernilla Ouis and Tove Myhrman: ISBN No: 978-91-7321-256-4 Code No. 10061 © 2007
Save the Children Sweden Research Leader: Pernilla Ouis Project co-ordinator: Tove Myhrman
Editor: Edith E. Karam Save the Children Sweden Regional Office for the Middle East and North
Africa P.O. Box: 113-7167 Beirut – Lebanon www.scsmena.org
Web sites:-
 (Middle Eastern Dress Vocabulary “Created by the Center for South Asian & Middle Eastern
Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) www.csames.illinois.edu
 undertheabaya.wordpress.com/2013/07/06/hijab

10.  catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/book hub
 www.google.com.pk/books
 knowledge.insead.edu/economics-politics/luxury-and-the-abaya-the-middle-east
 www.economist.com/news/business/
 www.lovetefl.com teaching English in the middle east/teaching in Saudi Arabia for females
 womenfashnstyle.blogspot.com/2012/08/arabic-abaya-2012. by Ch-mars
 gulfnews.com
 http://clothing9.blogspot.com/2013/09/abaya-2013-2014-designer-arab-abaya.html (Abaya
2013-2014 | Designer Arab Abaya Collection 2013-14)
 http://www.beautytipsmart.com/abaya-has-become-the-favorite-outfit-for-women-all-over-
the-world.html/
Researches:
Modern Middle Eastern Women and their Rising Impact on Society Tiffany D. Reed (University of
Arkansas at Monticello )