How women of the Middle East integrate fashion trends with their Outline

How women of the Middle East integrate fashion trends with their culture and Muslim religion - Outline Example In Islamic fundamentalism, women are required to cover their bodies with a veil. (McCullar, pp. 57)The only exposed body parts allowed are the face and the hand. For a long time, this norm has dominated many Islamic societies since the practice is believed to be based on the teachings of the Quran. Today, however, another Islamic school emerged called as Islamic modernism. It promotes women’s rights and cultivated the Islamic version of feminism, wherein restrictions were questioned and unjust attitudes and behavior towards women were criticized. According to Moaddel (1998, pp. 109), this transition marks the changes in Islamic ideas, which are brought about by new sociological perspectives. In this context, the use of veil as a fashion accessory than as a religious restrictive tool became easily understood. The veil came to represent an aspect of the Muslim woman’s identity and it was celebrated. For example, in Turkey, the veil became a staple in fashion runways as th e country positioned itself as an Islamic fashion capital. (Navaro-Yashin, 2002, pp. 218) The cases of Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic modernism depict how the veil came to represent the ideologies and values of different periods in the Islamic world. As a piece of clothing it is used to conceal identity. More recent and secular rules and regulations enabled the veil to become a tool to express an identity. Both the fundamentalist and modernist perspectives support Bennett’s (2005, pp. 96) argument that fashion â€Å"play a considerable part in informing notions of commonality† typified by shared patterns of cultural consumption and tastes. This variable is an excellent example of social construction. It does not only demonstrate the alliance of individuals to establish and perpetuate norms but also offer a channel by which meanings can be attached in order to define