|
|
Trends
 Headscarves and burqas may have created quite a stir in recent years, but they are undeniably everyday garments and therefore trend-sensitive. Political and religious discussions aside, Muslimans present themselves as ordinary young women and girls with their own ideas, tastes, preferences, references, opinions, and considerations with regard to fashion and clothing.Muslimas are fashion-conscious and they experience their clothing rules just like Dutch girls who want to or have to comply with clothing rules, latest fashion crazes, or trends. Even when Muslimans wear headscarves, it's the differences that are the most conspicuous: the various ways in which headscarves are wrapped, the combinations with other garments, the colours, these aspects all tell different and unique stories. After all, the backgrounds of the Muslim girls are all very different and so is the level of their commitment to their religion. Marleen Wilting, The Netherlands. marleenwilting@hotmail.com  Chic, elegant, feminine, covered and protectedFashion is heading in a new direction, an elegant and feminine look, which covers and protects the female body more than ever. This started last winter, when journalists named this trend the islamification of fashion. Winter is of course a time when we needs clothes to protect us and keep us warm. But it is also a reaction on the full presence of sex in our Western society. Sex on tv, in magazines, on billboards and in fashion. Everything is about sex, because sex sells. But the way sex is presented is very one-dimensional, cheap and very much projected on the sexy looks of women with role-models like Paris Hilton or Pamela Anderson. Since a few years we see them on the streets: girls and women wearing low-cut jeans, showing g-strings and a lot of skin, combined with revealing tops so we can see their bra�s, too. Now the mini-skirt is in fashion again, and that little piece of clothing also leaves nothing to the imagination. (Did you know Coco Chanel hated the mini-skirt, saying that it is bounding women just like corsets did in 1900.) The girls that really stand out are the young muslim girls in the big cities of Europe. They wear all the new fashionable clothes, they do wear mini-skirts and skinny jeans, but combine it in a different way. Short skirts are combined with trousers and tight jeans with knee-long dresses. It is a succesfull combination of east and west. The islam has strict rules about female clothing, but not all muslim women follow these rules, a lot of them make their own rules. Even so, they cover their bodies more than Western, European women do. Still, or even because of this, their way of clothing stands out, because it is chic, elegant, feminine and fashionable. This way of dressing attracts Western, European women who are fed up with the obivous sexy clothes. We are in for a more mysterious look. To be sexy and feminine in a way that leaves more to the imagination. This years collections (winter 2007-2008) from Max Mara and Sport Max do illustrate this look best, but also have a look at Givency and the oversized tops at Stella McCarthy. Marleen Wilting, The Netherlands. marleenwilting@hotmail.com  Metallics are strong for spring 2008. You can find Metallic shoes, handbags, accessories everywhere in Europe. Amsterdam RAI 2007 July 30th  Black and White colours are strong. Grey is also your new addition to Black and White. Amsterdam RAI 2007 July 30th.  Casual Street Wear for spring 2008. Shown at Amsterdam RAI 2007 July.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
