AIBU to question John Lewis advert and its message about women?

John Lewis is a business. If they think they'll make money from it they'll sell it and advertise it.

@Sheldonsheher here's a hijab at M&S

Looks like M&S have quite a few options for Muslim clothing.

It's 2026. Retailers are interested in all people with disposable incomes from all religions

I’m shocked about the amount saying you are being unreasonable. Personally I think it is inappropriate to advertise such a regressive practice and women wringing their hands about what is clearly a step back a modern culture is depressing.

Even if it did come up on your algorithm what is the issue - there are Muslim women in the UK who have money and some may want to buy a prayer outfit. John Lewis clearly have decided it is worth their while selling it.

It came up randomly for me, too.

I do click on some Middle East news stories, so possibly it picked up on that.

Algorithms are pretty clunky - I get pelted with random dog trainers' feeds on FB, because some of them comment (negatively) on the feeds of trainers I actually respect and follow.

I’d say it’s truly tent.

@Sheldonsheher I shop on John Lewis all the time, never been shown this.

I don't think it's 'random' that you have been shown this advert. I think it's come up for you as your algorhythm knows you have looked for this type of thing in the past - you could have googled muslim religious dress or something like that.

I have spent a lot of time with Franciscan friars (and Benedictine monks, but less so). They would slip their habits on over their gardening clothes, for example, for the offices in the chapel. Several secular (i.e. non-monastic) orders for lay people have prayer tunics or similar.

It's prayer abaya isn't it - so you slip it on over your other clothes if you want to go to Mosque and pray.

Do you also have issues with mantillas and Jewish prayer shawls as well OP?

@Sheldonsheher No because nuns are not a big enough market in the UK & don't have any disposable income.

Are we all pretending that covering up your hair and body to this extent isn't a result of male oppression but wearing lipstick IS a symbol of male oppression since it's done "for the male gaze"?

Fuck me sideways, that's some tortured defending

I 'm failing to see anything offensive in the advert.
Does OP also get upset about the Ann Summers adverts which portray women as pieces of meat trussed up generally for the benefit of men ?

I'm not really into policing what women wear. I prefer to fight the patriarchy, not act as it's footsoldier.

Perhaps the algorithms are influenced by the preoccupations that some non-Muslim people have with searching out pretexts to feel righteously hostile to Islam. If you are clicking on Muslim-related things frequently enough, even out of hostility, that might be all it takes for the algorithms to push products at you that Muslim people might buy.

Also, OP , did you miss the fact that this is a prayer dress - something to be slipped on over other clothes to be ready for prayer, as I understand it. The other clothes might be anything. How is a special garment for prayer more oppressive than using a prayer mat? They are all just comfortable and respectful little routines to help you get your mind in the right space for prayer.

I don't know why I am writing all this. You and I neither of us have any business analysing Muslim women's choice in this respect. Just leave them alone FFS.

The advert says it is for prayer. So it’s not all day, every day wear. It is for when praying. The poster’s nun analogy is pretty accurate imho.

No indeed. John Lewis should sell only approved clothing that achieves the exact point of balance between not so revealing it oppresses women by encouraging them to dress for the male gaze; yet not providing so much coverage it oppresses women by encouraging them to not expose themselves to the male gaze.
They should employ a panel of concerned women who can decide on the appropriate amount of other women's bodies they expect to see, then stock garments to these specifications only. It is their duty to protect women from choosing to inadvertently oppress ourselves.

It is completely different. nuns are a religious order, no ordinary catholic women wear the equivalent. This is every day wear for lots of women and of course it’s oppressive- no men are wearing it. Millions of women around the world are forced to wear it or die

It’s come up a lot on my social media as well.

Do you have a problem with nuns wearing the habit, OP? This is really no different.

What exactly is oppressive about this? It isn’t a niqab or burqa for starters, there’s also no sign the model was forced to wear it (I bet she was not!). You’re being Islamophobic.

This very same advert came up on my fb …
saying ‘ Joe bloggs ( one of my fb friends ) follows John Lewis and partners ‘ .
I thought it was interesting that they’ve branched out into clothing like that but as previous posters have said they’re a business so there’s obviously a market .
I certainly wasn’t offended , it’s a shop OFFERING things for sale .