Arab cloak is a loose cloth that is worn over other clothes. It is a ceremonial clothing and used for specific purposes depending on the situation or circumstances (Ataturk 193). The cloth is used for events and concerts, but women sometimes wear for the purpose of fulfillment of both religious and social requirements (Al-Khateeb 76). The women Arab clock is called Abaya. Abaya is Arab clothing that is worn on top of other clothing when the women go outside in the public. The abaya is usually made of decorated and synthetic fiber with sometimes sequins or embroidery. The Abaya is sometimes worn over the shoulders or like chador below and in other circumstances worn from the head to the ground (*).

In other instances, it is worn with a face veil or head scarf (Ataturk 193). The rationale for wearing the niqab is associated with the Hadith and Qur’an. It is believed Prophet Muhammad wives covered self when they were around non-mahram men. However, this aspect contradicts with the views of wives of the Prophet because they are held to different standards when compared with other women (*). The Islam requires women to wear clothes that are respective to womanhood since of the response towards harassment and the aspect of “hypocrites” but does not refer to the actual cover of the face. Men usually where Thawb, which is usually white in color and long sleeved. It is normally white in color and is made of wool. It comes in different styles depending on the requirements of the person wearing it. However, the most important ones that are worn for ceremonies and special occasions are the Mishnah for men and Thawb for women.

According to Cuddihy (41), in men, Arab cloak is seen as either a Bisht or Mishlah. Mishlah or Bisht is a traditional cloak that is commonly worn by men on top of other clothing. It is usually made of camel/sheep wool or cotton. The Mishlah is worn during special occasions such as wedding and other ceremonial events. The mishlah comes in a variety of colors including cream, gray, brown, and black colors. On the other hand, Bishts are embroiled with beautiful golden color and purposely trimmed. The clothing comes in free sizes of standard size that allows for adjustments. When an individual wears a Mishlah, the individual tucks the right side under the left arm (*).

The women traditional cloth is called Thawb (Ataturk 193). In most parts of the Middle East and especially in the older days, women were supposed to wear specially costumes for special occasions (Ataturk 193). Some of the most important clothing for traditional functions is the Ghomra that is worn on the wedding night or sometimes during the occasion of Ramadan when they have Iftar together. The Thawb is worn based on the communities in which people “come from since the color and design differs across the communities” (Ataturk 193).

In conclusion, special occasion clothing is common in different cultures across the world. In the Arab world, some of the common clothing are Abaya and Thawb. These are common clothing, and there are ceremonial clothing such as the Mishlah for men and Thawb for women. In special occasions, the clothing for men is Mishlah and for women Thawb. The men clothing comes in different sizes, and the design is similar. However, in the case of the women clothing, it depends on regions because different regions have different clothing requirements. Therefore, Arabic regions understand the importance of occasions and ceremonies and cloth based on the societal and cultural requirements.