All for the abaya...

http://en.tintin.com/albums/show/id/39/page/217

Tintin scrunched his eyebrows and pushed on against the sand storm, his head wrapped up in a brightly coloured scarf, the sand rolling under his feet, with Captain Haddock blistering barnacling right next to him. I thought Tintin did that for a touch of touristy interculturalism ... the storm and the scarf. But man, he knew better!

The other day I was standing by the wayside waiting for a cab, when a slight breeze blew. The pleasant breeze was soon joined by other busy, little breezes and soon they transformed into strong gusts of wind. In seconds, leaves and fine sand, so fine that it actually looked like pale brown mist, were playing havoc with my hair and dress. All I could wish for at that moment was a long piece of cloth to wrap myself in, like a pupa in a cocoon, completely shielded from the swirling sand around me. 

For all the stuff we talk about women's freedom and the abaya I guess the desert dwellers knew what they were doing. Those long elegant gowns are probably the best bet against the shifting sands of the desert. Now I am actually toying with the idea of getting one for myself, maybe in a lovely peach or purple...and look like Tintin, all dressed up for the vagaries of the desert.