Shopping in Saudi Arabia and other strict countries.

[Username121]

I am watching a programme about Saudi Arabia and somebody has an H and M carrier bag. This has got me wondering, Saudi ladies have to wear an Arabia in public, what do western shops sell? Is it more based on the Arabia or based on H and Ms usual clothing? I went into Dorothy Perkins in Dubai and from memory it was basically what was available in my city.
(Apologises if I have got my facts wrong)

Shops in KSA sell the same as you’d find elsewhere.
Abayas are worn in public but removed when with other women eg. at the hairdresser, functions etc.

Would that include more revealing clothes? Such as crop tops etc?

Don't a fair few high street retailers have 'modesty' lines? I'd imagine (but don't know) that there would be more of that on sale alongside the other stuff.

@Username121

Would that include more revealing clothes? Such as crop tops etc?

Yes, surely you caught a glimpse of what young Emirati women were wearing under abayas? Quite likely to be sexy, tightly-cut, revealing stuff.

Shops in KSA sell everything.
Once the abayas are off, most of the Saudi women are incredibly well dressed, and make a lot of effort.
Only thing I hated was a 3 day return period, and no changing rooms (that is changing since I left, I believe). I used to buy trousers and bras and shoes in the UK each summer, and hope I'd got enough to get me through.
There are also a lot of high end jewellers and makeup stores.

Women in Saudi and similar countries have amazing fashion tastes and dress really well OP.

Truthfully I wasn't there for long at all in Dubai and I was a lot younger than I am now so I don't think I stopped to take any note of local fashions.

Yes, absolutely.
You’ll also find underwear shops selling quite provocative stuff, staffed by men due to work visa regulations at the time I lived there. A husband and wife could enter together or a woman on her own or with other women but no single men.

A three day returns policy, I struggle to get round to returning in 28 days nevermind 3!! Looking at the videos you can definitely tell the ladies of KSA have fabulous taste fun shoes and very nice handbags.

Women wear the same there as here in their own homes - or at weddings etc (where the sexes are segregated). They don’t wander around their own homes covered head to toe. Victoria’s Secret London store is a destination for ME shoppers.

I was looking through one of those online fashion store type sites and the reviews - there was a lot from the ME (so same clothes being sold and worn internationally).

If you spent anytime in Dubai mall you would know fine well that it's full of people from all over the world that wear what the hell they like.

I remember being utterly amazed at the women I met in private via sil, they are absolutely amazing.

Victoria's secret also sells the same stuff as here....

I'm currently wearing a rather see through best too I bought from h&m in Dubai mal.

Personally I wouldn't class Dubai as strict as Saudi that's why I posed the question on Saudi. Obviously Dubai is full of expat so you will see other things to KSA.

My bag got lost when I flew to Syria (before the war), and the only pants I could find to buy were very Lacy thongs.

Part of the point of an abaya is that anything goes underneath.

And I assume when it’s hot you don’t want to wear too much under a black cover-up do you?

I don't know about Saudi but I've lived in Qatar and Egypt and the shops sell the same as the UK. The window displays of Victoria's Secret is bras and skimpy pants, the other stores still have models wearing mini dresses etc. Obviously what's worn outdoors isn't what's worn indoors, the maxi and midi dresses sell out fast as they're worn the most. Mac was huge in Qatar, always queues at the till. The richer Qatari ladies wore immaculate make up.