Turk designs Islam-inspired swimwear

[vikrant]

An unusual type of swimwear is standing out on Turkish beaches this summer — Islam-inspired swimsuits -- which buck the trend of the past 100 years for swimsuits to get smaller.
Turkish businessman Mehmet Sahin has designed what he says is the world's first Islam-inspired swimsuit and sells head-to-ankle bathing gear to devout well-heeled Muslims, including the wives of Turkey’s leading politicians.
“We are the preferred firm of the conservative politicians’ wives,” he told Reuters in an interview, referring to members of the ruling AK Party, which has its roots in political Islam and came to power in 2002.
It is still a small market, but Sahin’s growing clientele is another sign of the rising profile of Islam in traditionally secular Turkey.
His brightly-coloured women’s swimming costumes look like shiny track-suits with stretchy hoods, while the racier models are like catsuits with a separate overall to cover the curves.



the question is about womens clothing.why are they not alowed to wear what they want in mideast??
in this case islamic mideast seems to be still in middle ages.

[Richard the Lionheart]

Moved to Ethos.


Anyways, Islam says that women can't wear clothing which is too revealing...such as the bikinis. :wink:

[Zenith Darksea]

The Islamic explanation for this is that women have to protect their modesty. It's always been Middle Eastern culture, and so it's not wise to preach at them to try to get them to stop, because they'll only resent it.

[Richard the Lionheart]

The Islamic explanation for this is that women have to protect their modesty. It's always been Middle Eastern culture, and so it's not wise to preach at them to try to get them to stop, because they'll only resent it.

Well it's a cultural thing as well. The same things were true throughout Europe and the U.S. but culture changed. I don't really view people's swimsuit choices and cultural differences as some sort of reason to view one culture inferior or superior.

[Zenith Darksea]

Well quite so.

[vikrant]

its not only about swim suit
its about womens status in extremist islamic countries

[Richard the Lionheart]

its not only about swim suit
its about womens status in extremist islamic countries

As far as clothing is concerned, it's a religious and cultural thing. You can't force another culture or religion to dress the way your culture does.

[Dromikaites]

Just to make it very clear, in Turkey they can even go topless on the beaches. Those swimming suits are a clever way for a company to make money out of people's [strange] tastes. It's like the tatoo parlors or the body-piercing jewelry: some women in Turkey would wear those swimming suits just like some folks wear stuff in their tongues. Nobody is forcing them to do it.

[King Henry V]

OMG! She's showing her ankles! Prostitute! Stone her!

[Sammur-amat]

hella good stuff to not get burn by sun...how unfortunately for you guys...

[RusskiSoldat]

I believe it's because of a verse that says something akin to the need to cover your wife.
It could be interpretted as either a need to wear clothes in public or the need for women to have full body paranjas.

[Gogoas]

Hmm well thats a creative idea, but something tells me it won't catch on

[Tom Paine]

Don't be so sure; good beachwear and allowable for liberal Muslims? That's a nice large market right there, especially in some regins of Turkey (you know, those with, eh, coasts...)

[I Have a Clever Name]

The problem with the Middle East is that, unlike much of the West, individual preference is not tolerated. If a woman chose to dress like that on her own accord, even if through cultural influence - fine. We're all slaves to our upbringing and social context, after all. But if a woman, conversely, chose to wear something that Muslims would label as 'provocative' (which probably wouldn't raise an eyelid in the west) she would be persecuted. If she chose to pursue a career and not get married - what a joke. That is societal coercion. Women are subserviant, and any sign of rejecting the status quo is not tolerated. That is simply a regrettable fact, despite how nicely apologists might put it.

As for the swimsuits - there are strong connotations with teletubbies.

[Salvantis]

I was in Turkey three times (last time not a month ago), and im not sure about this islamic stuff. Turkish society dont look SO islamic to me; then, maybe, eastern provinces and inner Turkey is different from Istanbul and Marmaris?

[Ahiga]

The girls look pretty cute in them. But it does seem silly.

But after all. We didn't jump from ankles being provocative to being able to walk around with your belly (For attractive women) shown. It was a slow steady progression.

Different regions have different cultures that progress along at different times. Islam was ahead in women's rights when it came out, and now it isnt. At least he's managed to try and offer something that might be allowed by the conservative mullahs and such..

This reminds me of Puritain New-England. Look at our roots and how far we've gone from that?

[I Have a Clever Name]

I was in Turkey three times (last time not a month ago), and im not sure about this islamic stuff. Turkish society dont look SO islamic to me; then, maybe, eastern provinces and inner Turkey is different from Istanbul and Marmaris?

This is why I was cautious to say 'the Middle East' instead of 'all Muslim countries'. Turkey is one of the exceptions, but of course its in the Near East.

But after all. We didn't jump from ankles being provocative to being able to walk around with your belly (For attractive women) shown. It was a slow steady progression.

Yeah, I'm hoping this is the beginning of a steady process of liberalization - even if it does involve transforming Turkish beaches into fruit salads.

[Erik]

the question is about womens clothing.why are they not alowed to wear what they want in mideast??

Who says they don't want to wear such clothes?
I've heared several muslim women say they enjoy wearing a headscarf because it stops men from treating them as sexobject.

in this case islamic mideast seems to be still in middle ages.

By your logic Europe was also in the "middle ages" until the 1930's.

Do you think the Western way of dressing yourself is somehow supperior to other ways.
Should not everybody be allowed to dress the way they want?

[Mathias]

Should not everybody be allowed to dress the way they want?

The problem is that in the middle east, woman are not allowed to dress they way they want. They have to dress in a specific way, for those who want dress like that it is fine, but Im damn sure not everyone in the middle east want to dress like that.

[Salvantis]

Anyway there are some turkish traditions about women's clothes that have my full support :