Traditional Muslim clothing covers a person's body from head to Elbise toe, especially a woman. You can easily spot a burqa-clad woman in a heavy crowd. It is necessary for Muslim women to abide by the Islamic guidelines on modesty in dressing. Today Muslim garments are being added as a part of designer's collection by top notch designers. Famous designer Domenico Vacca has redesigned the traditional Abaya in his own style and added it to his own collection. There are some basic requirements that the traditional Muslim garments must comply with. Some of these requirements are listed below.

™

*Traditional Muslim clothingrequires that men and women alike should decently cover their body parts in public. Most women find it necessary to cover their heads and faces too. They do so to comply with the traditional fact that they should not display their beauty in front of men with whom they can marry. According to the tradition, men must compulsorily cover their body from navel to knee.

*According to the Islamic convention clothes must not cling to the bodies, especially for women. Women are required to wear loose fitting clothes. Women wear cloaks, like Abaya and Jilbab, in public to hide their body curves. In several Islamic countries men wear loose fitting robes that cover the body from the neck to the ankles.

*Another important aspect is that the garments worn should be thick enough to cover the body entirely. In other words, wearing see-through garments is a strict no. Neither skin nor the shape of the body should be seen through the clothes.

*The overall appearance of a person should decent. One should look dignified in the clothes he or she is wearing. Shiny or flashy clothing should be avoided because they defeat the above stated requirements for dressing modestly in public. People should wear neat, clean and sober clothes. They should not wear ragged or flashy clothes to attract the admiration or sympathy of other people.

Thus, we see that how traditional Muslim clothing sets apart the Islamic people from the rest. Their religion encourages them to look like Muslims and not try to imitate the style statements of other regions and religions. Women are discouraged from dressing like men. Today these garments are easily available endowed with all kinds of embellishments in intricate patterns and vibrant colors.

If you are looking for such items of dressing or their modern stylized versions, you can drop into the East Essence store and select the garments that suit your style the best.

It is important to keep the body as cool as possible during the summer months, which can be sometimes an "uphill task" for Muslim women that wear hijabs. The obvious tip is to suggest thinner and cooler fabrics in hotter weather - but it is also important to stick to absorbent materials as well. Fabrics such as georgette, chiffon and lace are therefore obviously great choices for the summer months.

Clothing with "air holes" - which allows more air to flow - are great in summer, with lace undercaps and loose crocheted caps both being very effective. Scarf headbands have become with the modern young Muslim and are a useful alternative to undercaps as they provide almost the same coverage but with a lot less material - as they just cover the forehead.

Reducing the amount of material wrapped around the neck and top of the head is a wonderful relief on hot days - as this is where a lot of body heat leaves the body. Experiment with styles and how you pin your khimars. For the cooler summer days, a hat (should never substitute a khimar) could be a stylish addition to your wardrobe and they can be great play on style during the summer months.

Al-Amira hijabs are always worth a recommendation. The translation of the name means 'princess scarf' and it's a slip over hijab style comes in two pieces; one piece of which serves as a hair cover while the other piece as a slip over from the same or near matching colour. Al-Amira hijabs are ideally suited for hotter climates as most of them are made out of light and absorbent materials.

Sarongs are a huge length of fabric that is very versatile and there is nothing stopping you from using one as a summary khimar. They are traditionally wrapped around the waist as a skirt by women and are usually made of very absorbent materials. They also come in a variety of stylish colours, patterns, and various sizes that would add some flair to anyone's summer wardrobe.

Although not specifically designed for Muslim women - maxi dresses can be practically perfect for Islamic women after a slight moderation -just add a long sleeve shirt or jacket to make them more Muslim friendly. These light, modest and informal dresses usually reach the floor and provide excellent light and cool coverage.

Wearing clothes like this should make summer 2010 a much cooler experience for Muslim women everywhere!