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Dressing down on skimpy wear

We are cosmopolitan, fair and welcome people from every corner of the earth.

Cities are defined by the tastes of people who dwell in them. As soon as you walk down any alley, you know the identity of the city, its place in the world, and how elegant and classy life in its centre can be.

Clothes have transcended eras and civilizations from which countries have sprung from. In many instances, you know the nationality of a person by the clothes he or she wears. There’s a certain traditional dress sense, never mind if it does not appear fashionable to purveyors of style.

If the general appearance of a person is presentable, they do not stand out in a crowd in the negative sense and there can be no threat to public decency. Which means you cannot wear a bikini that you normally would wear to the beach, or bed clothes — to a mall. The issue here is indecent exposure in the most inappropriate locations. That’s why some countries and cities have rules of dressing for specific locations. There are dress codes for their restaurants, shopping malls, or in areas where a crowd gathers.

General public places are where people have to dress in regular clothes — nothing stark or vulgar. Here, people can walk comfortably, shop and do their business without being the centre of attraction for all the wrong reasons.

If simple rules of modesty are breached, social unrest online and in real life will happen — like a recent video clip that showed an Emirati woman shaming an Arab actress for walking out of the fitting room at a mall outlet wearing only her bikini. The clip went viral and sparked public outrage in the UAE. Social media went berserk. Some thought there was nothing wrong with it, others said the woman had crossed a red line.

When one enters most malls in the UAE, warning notices can be seen on decent attire and public displays of affection. There are dos and don’ts and vistors are expected to abide by the rules, which this woman clearly did not follow in her bid to shock.

In Dubai, you find many upmarket places and beautiful streets and boulevards. Yet, when you gaze at passers-by and their tastes, you will be shocked at the low standards of attire which border on the obscene and offends Emirati cultural norms. There’s no need for residents and visitors to fit in, or wear Emirati traditional clothes. All this country is asking visitors is to show some respect for modest clothing which its culture demands. This is no island where people can do what they want.

Th UAE has not launched awareness or enforcement campaigns that insist on a certain style or attire. We are cosmopolitan, fair and are welcoming of people from every corner of the earth, and from every walk of life. We only ask for a certain decency in the garments that people wear so as to not offend those around you or cause embarassment.

Many societies have separate beaches for people to wear less clothing like bikinis. Some countries like Mexico even have nude beaches away from the centre of life. But when you enter a restaurant with stated rules, you are expected to be adhere to them — like wearing a regular dress for women; a shirt and trouser for men.

For example, exposing the private parts in Canada is prohibited under the law. Further, Wales in the UK bans stripping or getting stripped naked.

Rambler Stephen Gough was arrested several times for having walked the length of Britain naked. He was held in England and in Scotland and was condemned to six years in jail for breaching the public order, and for contempt of court in Scotland. Even the USA bans indecent exposure, public indecency, and inappropriate conduct — particularly those behaviours that are intended to show ‘‘bodily solicitation that bother and inconvenience’’ the crowd. In some US states, wearing very short garments have been banned following community debates and upheaval.

Margaret Thatcher, the former UK prime minister, had banned immoral and indecent practices in the Soho, a London neighbourhood, in the eighties. Her move against drugs, crime and prostitution was met with mass protests, but Thatcher held her ground for the larger public good. Soho today is one of the most tasteful, neat, and cleanest areas in London.

Which brings us back to the UAE and its march towards an inclusive society. We Emiratis are a proud people, grounded in our heritage, while being progressive in our thoughts. We value liberalism and our unique sartorial style. Elegance in clothing is an attitude and wearing fewer clothes in a public area is not an option for us. It should be the same for all residents.

malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com