General Question

blueberry_kid's avatar

How should I go about wearing this scarf?

Asked by blueberry_kid (5957points) May 24th, 2017

My friend just got back from Egypt, and bought me this beautiful red and white checkered scarf. At first, I was super amazed and freaking out mostly because it was from Egypt and I was surprised he even bought me this scarf, but the more I thought about it, I remembered it looked like a traditional Arab scarf that I’ve seen Arab men wear.

I’ve been trying to do some research on it, but haven’t found much information or gotten much luck on the current use of it, other than it was used traditionally to help them keep cool, but I don’t want to wear this in public and get confronted or insult anyone.

Would anyone happen to know anything about these scarves? And, would it be okay to wear out?

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4 Answers

SergeantQueen's avatar

I don’t think it’s an issue to wear it. It doesn’t appear to have any religious connotations to it, it is just used to keep them cool.
The Wikipedia article you linked said it became a fashion accessory in the United States in the 80s. So the only comments you might get would probably be about the fact it’s out of style/outdated.

elbanditoroso's avatar

Lots of choices – see link

Jeruba's avatar

If there’s any chance that it will be interpreted as a political statement, I’d say be cautious. It’s one thing to deliberately make a political statement of your choice, and it’s another to innocently and unwittingly wear, say, a T-shirt with a black fist on it or a rainbow flag. Those are symbols that mean a lot to some people and might draw reactions you’re not expecting if you don’t understand them.

I’m not saying don’t do it—I’m just saying you’re wise to try to find out beforehand if it carries more meaning than you intend to convey. Including among those who are ignorant of its actual use and instead react to stereotypes and associations.

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