Turkish attire

Before we leave Turkey, I really want to take some time to do some posts on what I have learned about Turkish culture. I thought I would start with Turkish attire. I thought I would take a post to illustrate, via photos, some of the most common "looks" for the Turkish people.

Firstly, they do not wear the burka (total covering). This is actually outlawed by the government as oppressive to women. You will see some women in burka coverings, but they are usually not Turkish. So what do the Turkish wear? 

Some women choose to wear head scarves. Others do not. If they do, they usually wear something that looks like this -- referred to as the hijab. 

Here are Turkish women in more reserved dress. You will notice that while they aren't in the hijab, their entire body is covered. 

This picture very accurately portrays the different attire of men. Both of these looks are very common. Note the Muslim prayer beads in the hand of the man at right. This is very normal. You often see men walking with the beads and muttering/praying under their breath.

Seeing men sitting around, drinking chai and playing board games is very common. These groups never include women. 

When getting father away from the city, this is a very common look for the women you might see. I never see their feet bare. They are always wearing socks (even with sandals.)

This group of women really represents the contrast in the culture you will see. The first row of women is well covered, but the second row is dressed much like you might see Americans dress. The difference is, you never, and I mean NEVER see a Turkish's woman's legs. They are always well covered. Their pants may be incredibly tight but they will be wearing pants. And if they have a skirt on, even if it is incredibly short, it will include tights underneath. 

Older men can often be seen in these pants. I'm not really sure what the point of them is, but they are quite common.