HEARTC♡RE

Back in October of last year I did a post on Women's Clothing in Oman. I wrote briefly on the do's and don'ts, as well as the common fashion. I also said I would do a post on men's dress, but never got to it. Fortunately for me, I found some AMAZING infographics on Oman's National Dress. So I will revisit the topic. I will post photos for both male and female, followed by the amazing infographics. Click the (YES I'LL SAY AMAZING AGAIN, sorry I fell in love) infographic to open the source and see it closer. It's super interesting. Photos are from Pinterest. EDIT: inforgraphics are from Times Of Oman (click for interactive website).

On the original October post, I focused on the abaya:


Abayas are the common dress for women in the GCC, but it is definitely not the Omani woman's traditional dress. Abayas are most commonly black (October post shows an array of designs), but the national traditional dress is much more lively and vibrant.

I can't believe I'm writing this, but I just have to because it's been on my mind and it's soooo beautiful 😪😍

I'm not into fashion, don't really follow it, don't know what's going on, but one designer that caught my eye and I'm obsessed with is Zuhair Murad. (obsessed so much I want to cry)

He is a Lebanese designer who studied and started in Paris in the 90's. I am oblivious to fashion, but he's definitely up there with everyones staple designer favorites 🙌🏾 . A lot of celebrities and high profile characters have worn his designs and rocked them. 😲😲😫😫😫

From Cheryl Cole to Beyonce, Christina Aguilera to Miley Cyrus. I will post my favorite celebrity ZM looks along with my favorite Fall 16 & Spring 17 Bridal Collection. The initial purpose was just bridal, but what I found was too good to not showcase. Mr. Murad if you're reading this, save me a dress from like this season and save it till 2020 and gift it to me 😮.






I'm gonna start with less dramatic





Oh and just because she's such an icon in my life. I'm gonna give her an appreciation picture.. . someone let me in on her hair care routine.
































What I love is that if I saw these dresses beforehand I remembered them! This means that his designs stand out and are memorable!!

Now on to bridal beauty!! For reference b&w is Fall '16 and color is Spring '17. I chose gowns that had a ballgown silhouette. Even if I was skinny I would have like no curves below the waist, so I need the dress to give me a body lol!! I also love that most have these like dramatic veils which I AM ALL ABOUT. I love all his floral embroidery. I follow the official IG and they've posted custom designed wedding gowns and. ..   OMG. I will try to find them and post them at the end. SO. MUCH. DRAMA. MY NAME IS MELISSA DRAMA ORTEGA HELLOO???

BTW these gowns are probably in the range from 15,000 to 20,000 dollars. .. .............. I'm like poor??? 🎶 I walk a lonely road🎶 (you can click to enlarge/slideshow of all photos)





My "if-i-had-to-pick-one" favorites are the larger pictures of both collections (hard decision). There are also different gowns with varying silhouettes, necklines, waistlines, but I can't post them all right? You can Google them 😉

Now for some real life brides on @zuhairmuradofficial (which BTW going on his IG during the making of this post was a mistake, but I was strong and did not post anymore).



The last one is so gorgeous !!!!



sorry I don't do him justice (ok but that greek goddess dress?!?!)

thanks, Melissa *goes to bed and cries 😱*
**PS please less white/fair skinned models 😘
All of the clients I posted apart from Cotillard and Stewart were women of color, so it'd be nice to have the people who wear the designs reflected on ads and the runway.

In Oman, there is no set dress code for what a woman should wear. But, it is an Islamic country after all, so there are certain expectations for what can and cannot be worn. Expat women can wear what they'd like, but you are expected to dress modestly. I am thinking, no shorts above the knees and sleeves to at least the elbow, but I am not very good with following that myself. So perhaps that's not true. I have seen expats wearing short shorts and skirts and shirts baring their midriff at the grocery store or shopping malls. So it's not like you can't wear it, but I'm not sure why you would. Especially when you can attract unwanted attention (from all perspectives).
If your house is the farthest one from the beach in all of Muscat, it is still probably only a 15 minute drive for you. There are also some expectations of what to wear at the beach. A typical bikini or exposed bathing suit should probably not be your first choice, but if it is and there is police nearby, you should not be surprised if they request for you to cover up. I have read that many expat women will attend private beaches or hold memberships to private facilities that offer pools so that they can wear what they'd like. I'd just say, better to be safe than sorry when it comes to choosing your clothes. It is a bit difficult because of the heat and if you are used to something else, but you get accustomed quickly and learn to appreciate it.

For Omani and other Muslim women, I have seen many different kinds of Islamic wear; just the hijab, niqab, I think a Burqa a few times, but the most popular must be the abaya.

So what is an abaya? An abaya is a form of dress that can be worn by Muslim women. It is a floor length, long sleeved, cloak so to speak. It is meant to be worn over everyday street clothes, when a woman is out and about. It is not considered traditional Omani dress, but a popular option especially in the GCC region. I believe they are traditionally black, but there are a wide range of options in colors, embroideries, and styles. The abaya can be paired up with a hijab, a loose headscarf, or worn without anything, and even opened from the front. The prices can vary greatly, reaching thousands of dollars for the most luxurious abayas. Reportedly, the most expensive one in the world is a whopping 17 million dollars. You can design your own abaya and have it tailored or buy it from the shop pret a porter. I've included some pictures below that will hopefully get you an idea of the variety. Click for sources.










Last night, Host mom, N, and I were in the car on our way to a delivery. I'm wearing a maxi dress, so I crossed my legs and pulled underneath me to straighten the cloth. And I feel a hole, a huge hole, running from the top to halfway down the bottom, and I freak out. How the hell did this happen? After the delivery we were supposed to go to dinner down the street. We decided to go to dinner anyways and see how we would resolve it. One option was to tie my cardigan against my waist. The second option, which we opted for was to call host dad (HD) who was in a shop around the corner and borrow his turban to wrap around my waist.

We arrived at our dinner spot, in a shopping plaza, and met HD there. He took N, while me and HM went to a nearby woman's shop to see if we could find a sort of abaya, to cover up with. We went to the first shop, but they were pricey and not worth it. I told my HM that I was interested in investing in an abaya, so I would pay the price and get a nice one. We went into another shop, belonging to an Omani designer, Kooki & Zee. Right away we found something that caught our eyes and we all agreed it was it. It was gifted to me by them and I was so happy with it!! So below are pictures of my new abaya.