Spanish designer Miguel Adrover owns a galabia (pron. juh-LAH-bee-yuh), a long, loose-flowing gown, handmade for him by a tailor in Egypt. Wearing it in various places around the world provides Adrover with snapshot social insights. When he wears it in the Middle East, he is more integrated into society. Outside the Middle East, it signals: gay. He no longer wears it when flying to the United States since, at airports, a galabia signals: terrorist. Once in New York City, he wears it around town where it elicits a friendly response from Middle Eastern taxi drivers.
Different dress, different guy. Nice guy, gay guy, terrorist.
Same guy, different dress.
Source: “Multi-culti” in the New York Times magazine p166 (March 14). Image: Two men wearing galabias at Luxor Temple, Egypt. Creative commons licensed content from Flickr user Curious Zed.
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