What to wear... in Afghanistan

In my preparation for traveling to Afghanistan, clothing was my biggest concern. I am nowhere near a fashionista, and Seattle is a perfect fit for me in that throwing on a skirt is seen as "really fancy." However, I know that women's attire is not only an aesthetic concern in Afghanistan, but also a cultural, religious and relational sign of respect and acknowledgement. In researching what the heck a western woman is to wear, the googling* I did found advice that came down to:

• Cover your hair
• Cover your legs, ankles and as much of your arms/wrists as you can handle
• Cover your butt (twice- pants plus a dress/ long jacket)
• Gloves is taking it too far (these days)

I was also incredibly lucky to speak with Julia Bolz, an amazing advocate for girls education in Afghanistan for the last decade. She was not only helpful with general advice, but insisted on giving me two outfits that had been handmade for her- a long and short sleeved salwar kameez (long top over pants).

Salwar kameez #1

Salwar kameez #2

In the past three days, I've started fine-tuning my understanding of women's garb. Granted, I'm spending most of my time with men, but when we've driven through public spaces like markets I've been watching carefully to get a better picture of how to blend in. From the airport, I wore jeans and a long sleeved jacket (that didn't cover my butt- agh!) with a headscarf, but changed into a long-sleeved top with a long tunic top over it for our secondary adventures to the attorney general of Panjshir at his used-car lot (another story for another day). The salwar kameez are very light and cool, so I'll likely need them to stay healthy and upright in Mazar where it was 125 degrees last week. For Kabul, I'm noticing that more modern dresses and pants that walk the line between fitted and loose are common and help me blend in better. Learning something every day!

Jeans + dress + shirt + scarf. 

*References:
http://www.about-afghanistan.com/afghanistan-clothing.html
https://transitionland.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/what-to-wear-in-kabul/
http://www.journeywoman.com/ccc/ccc-a.html
http://www.afghanistan-culture.com/afghanistan-women-clothing.html
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/travel/afghanistan/women.html