Saudi Gazette Are you looking for that perfect dress for a special occasion that will make you stand out in the crowd? It's not as easy as it sounds. Shopping for the perfect item can be exhilarating. The dresses on display may look very attractive, but do not satisfy customers since they lack modesty. They either have bare shoulders, or are too short, or reveal the entire back, or are too low cut in the front, or the material is transparent. The time consuming frustration of scouring through rack after rack for hours is a challenging task, especially for conservative women looking for an appropriate attire. “These days its so difficult to find beautiful and attractive clothes for my girls that are suitable for our culture,” said Lama Zein, a mother of four daughters. “If I like an elegant strapless dress, then I have to find a long sleeve short lacy jacket that will match perfectly with the dress. It is very frustrating, and honestly most of these exposing clothes lack refined taste,” she added. Exposing clothes are so widely dispersed in stores that conservative women do not know what to buy for fancy occasions. Finally, some proactive Saudi women decided to do take the matter in their hands. They formed a group and complained to the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta that most women's clothes in the market are skimpy and too revealing and women here are uncomfortable wearing such clothes. In response to these women's dissatisfaction, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, Shaikh Abdul Aziz Aal Al-Shaikh called on the Ministry of Commerce to take necessary steps to provide decent dresses for women. The scholar further stated that such immodest clothes stripped women of their decency and innate shyness. Jeddah Chamber of Commerce was quick to heed to the advice of the Kingdom's mufti. The head of the Department of Textiles and Materials assured women that their opinion will be seriously taken into account. Muhammad Al-Shehri a resident said, “Jeddah Chamber of Commerce has requested all businessmen, textile factories, and importers of women's attire to respect the Grand Mufti's wishes. They must supply women's shops with clothes that reflect our society's demands, which are less revealing such as long sleeved tops.” This comes as good news for Saudi women who are conservative, yet fashionable and strongly believe that one does not need to wear exposing clothes to look graceful. __
