Posts Tagged ‘clothing’
Praying vs. baring in public
Interesting essay in the recent issue of Time Magazine. Carla Power examines a key difference between Western and Muslim societies, notably that Westerners are uncomfortable with public prayer while Muslims are uncomfortable seeing bare skin in public. She writes: Reams have been written on the differences between Islamic and Western societies, but for sheer pithiness, it’s hard [...]
Japanese anti-crime clothing
Only in Japan would a dress resembling a vending machine be able to double as anti-crime camouflage. The Japanese have a proliferation of vending machines on street corners, as well as a penchant for funky and innovative inventions. Hence, a dress that unfolds into a full-length sheet and enables the wearer to hide behind a [...]
The fading of the Japanese kimono
For many people, there is no more potent symbol of Japanese culture than the kimono. It has been immortalized in the popular imagination, and in numerous movies and books, such as Memoirs of a Geisha. However, there is now a story in the Washington Post about the declining importance of the kimono in modern Japanese [...]
Cultural differences over beach volleyball bikinis
The Asian Games are currently being held in the Muslim nation of Qatar. By all accounts, the games are a success and the capital city of Doha has spent billions of dollars on facilities and infrastructure upgrades in hopes of attracting future sporting events, perhaps even a Summer Olympics. But one thing money cannot buy is a change [...]
Policing fashion shows in India
It can be risky to show too much skin in India, even for a model. According to this recent story, Indian police have begun monitoring fashion shows to make sure that models are appropriately covered up. Indian police have an unusual undercover surveillance job this week: scanning the ramps and observing models at a top fashion [...]
The Islamic debate over the veil
It’s commonly assumed among Westerners that residents of Islamic countries uniformly support the veiling of women. However, as the Christian Science Monitor reports, some of the most vigorous debates on this issue occur not between the West and Islam, but between different factions inside Islamic countries. Interestingly, the debate over the veil is as intense within [...]
The unintended benefit of an informal culture
One of the differences commonly used to differentiate between cultures is the degree of formality or informality exhibited by people in their speech, dress, etc. There was an interesting article this week in the NY Times that discussed how an Iraqi Olympic official took on some of the informal traits of the U.S. culture during a [...]
Seeing the world through a burqa
We’ve all seen photos of women in burqas, the head-to-toe pieces of fabric that women wear in public in some Islamic countries. Now Sara Terry reports on what it’s like to view the world from inside a burqa, which she first wore as a means of gaining anonymity while walking the streets of Afghanistan. At my [...]
Mothers and infants in Africa
There are no easy solutions when you’re an African mother who has to care for an infant while simultaneously working in the fields or walking to the market. Well, there is one, age-old tradition. Put the baby on your back. The Christian Science Monitor recently ran a story about the kanga, a piece of cloth that [...]
Muslim sportswear
The design of most modern sportswear puts many Muslim women athletes in a curious bind: adhere to their faith and have their motions hampered or compromise their beliefs in the name of athletic performance? This is obviously a conundrum for Muslim female athletes. However, as National Geographic recently reported, a few companies have broken new ground by developing sportswear that covers the body, [...]
Stay current with the Riel World
Follow me on Twitter
Join me on Facebook 
Subscribe by EmailMeet Bob Riel
Bob Riel is a writer and a traveler. Go here to read more about Bob, his work and the Travels in the Riel World blog.
Great American Road Trips
Visit Travel Blog Exchange
