The loose, unencumbered dress of the Bedouin woman is well suited to
her nomadic life for it requires little maintenance. Although black is the
dominating Bedouin color, women of some of the tribes dress in blue. The
garment is long and ample. The armholes are deep to permit a wide sleeve.
The dress opens to the waist and is usually unbelted. When a belt is worn
it is tied around the hips and serves to support the figure as well as to
adjust the length of the garment.
Old Bedouin costumes were richly embellished with fine hand embroidery
worked in cross stitch. The design was embroidered across the front and
back of the bodice, down the sleeves and along the main seams. Machine
stitched embroidery now takes the place of hand work generally. The
embroidery is of a contrasting color, usually red or yellow. Blue dresses
are embroidered in black or red.
The Bedouin headdress combines a rectangular scarf of black silk
georgette with a diagonally folded band. The thin scarf is draped around
the head and under the chin so that the throat is covered. The folded band
is tied squarely on the head so that it covers most of the forehead.The
Bedouin woman pulls her hair out from under the veil to frame her face.
Often the hair has been hennaed. She sews her gold and silver dowry coins
on her headdress and likes gold or silver anklets and bracelets.
The sling arrangement by which a Bedouin woman carries her baby on her
back also becomes part of the headdress, for the sling is sup ported
across the forehead. It is called the shakaban.
A loose jacket of heavy dark wool serves as an overcoat for the Bedouin
woman. The same jacket, called the jubbe, is also worn by men.
Occasionally the jacket is bright blue. It is always ornamented with braid
and it is hip length.
Bedouin wedding dresses are as gay as their everyday dresses may be
somber. The bride buys the most luxurious material she can afford and if
she has a choice she will pick a shiny, highly ornamental fabric such as
brocade, cut velvet, or printed silk. The style of the dress is very
simple and it has long sleeves. It may be caught in at the waist with a
silver, gold, leather or folded fabric belt.
A bride may be married at a joint ceremony attended by a thousand
guests.She might wear the typical Bedouin headdress and a jubbe over her
wedding dress. Her face may be tattooed in the style admired by her people
and her hennaed hair glisten with olive oil.
Bedouin Woman
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