For as long as I can remember, I have never seen Egyptian women wearing dresses while doing their daily activities and going on about their lives. Unless they have a special occasion, the place for a dress was always in the back of a closet. I can’t help but look at iconic fashion stars such as Soad hosny, Shadia and Faten Hamama who were sources of inspiration for all Egyptian women and all I can think of is “what happened to us women?”
“Light, colorful dresses were replaced by dull colored conservative shirts and body hugging trousers. In the hopes of being unnoticed by harassers on the street”
Over the years, we have slowly lost our identity and freedom of expression as a defense mechanism against the increasing tide of sexual harassment we face daily. Light, colorful dresses were replaced by dull colored conservative shirts and body hugging trousers. In the hopes of being unnoticed by harassers on the street, I found myself wanting to be a wallflower if only that would protect me from the piercing stares of men. The sad part is that no matter what you wear, nothing will change. Harassment is a social illness that no loose pair of trousers can cure. The reason I say that is because even on the days I look my worst, wearing all the conservative clothing in the world, I still get catcalls and invasive looks.
So how’s this for a new game plan? Throw out your pants, put on a dress, and let’s live our lives the way our grandmothers did!
“it’s time we dressed up to our fashion potential! Colorful dresses, poufy tulle skirts, lace sheaths, simple cotton dresses, silk sleeves. The combinations are endless”
Simply put, dresses are:
- Faster to wear – there is nothing easier and faster than throwing on a pretty summer dress at the spur of the moment. Loose and light against your skin is the perfect blend for a hot summer’s day instead of wearing restrictive tight jeans that create unwanted heat buildups!
- Fashionable – it’s time we dressed up to our fashion potential! Colorful dresses, poufy tulle skirts, lace sheaths, simple cotton dresses, silk sleeves. The combinations are endless and the best part is you can be as comfortable as can be and still look fabulous!
- Flattering – the different dress cuts ensure that there’s a dress style for every body type. Whether you like them long/short, princess or A-line, wrap or sheath, you know you can look your best wearing a dress rather than a pair of pants that highlights your hips. Add a glamorous pair of earrings, some nice sandals or pumps, and you’ve got the perfect look for the summer.
- Feminine – some of you don’t want to be labeled as the ‘girly girl’, but wait a minute, who said that dresses are necessarily for the girly types? What happened to gothic or retro, vintage dresses? And then again, a little femininity never killed anybody.
Who needs more reasons than that? Women, dare to live your life, break free from social norms. Don’t let our sick minded society control your decisions!