Exploring the Meaning of Saudi Women's Traditional Dress Among a Shifting Saudi Cultural Context

Abstract

Saudi Women's traditional dress had been worn for centuries but has been discarded in favor of Western fashion and regarded as stigmatized since the 2010s. However, various events have occurred over the last four years that have contributed to the possible destigmatization of Saudi women's traditional dress. We explore the shifting meaning of Saudi women's traditional dress in the contemporary Saudi context. We interviewed 14 Saudi women; data were analyzed using constant comparison processes, and four themes emerged: (a) traditional dress as a multifaceted and dynamic symbol in contemporary Saudi culture, (b) motives for wearing Saudi traditional dress in the shifting cultural context, (c) perceptions about the role of micro- and macro-level factors in altering the meanings of and behaviors toward Saudi traditional dress, and (d) asserting agency in constructing and enacting meanings and practices related to traditional dress. Participants’ choices about traditional dress reflected both macro and micro forces.