These are an updated version of full-body swim wear which has been around for decades but complies with Islam’s traditional emphasis on modest dress. They also increasingly stylish, intricate sequin designs with miniskirts that go over long pants.

In many Muslim countries, the sexes are commonly separated in pools and on beaches. In America, however, these places are predominantly co-ed, which means some Muslim women have to abide by their personal beliefs about modesty. There are no explicit rules that would cover all Muslim cultures at all times . It’s not as if a woman who wears a regular bathing suit is not a traditional Muslim. It’s individual taste. You’ll find a wide variety of swimwear on Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The polyester, nylon and Lycra material allows for flexible movement in the water and does not stick to the woman’s body when she exits the ocean or pool.

Most Muslim women purchase three-piece suits, according to Indonesia’s major player in Muslim apparel industry, ZEHBA. The suits now being made are increasingly fashionable in moderate muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia were they are marketed using professional models. Rimma Bawazier, Indonesia’s favourite television host is the brand ambassador for ZEHBA. The great thing is that they don’t absorb water and they are very light and they’re thin, so they’re safe and very comfortable. For many Muslim women, these suits offer the only alternative to wearing regular clothes when swimming.

Aheda Zanetti, a lebanese australian sells her burqinis (Burkha + Bikini = Burkini) for up to A$200 ($160), hopes to widen the garment’s appeal beyond Muslim women at the beach.

Shereen Sabet, who founded Splashgear, an online swimwear store for Muslim women, based in Huntington Beach, Calif says “Nothing in the Quran says women and men can’t swim or scuba dive together. It’s just a question of finding a solution”. Today, about a dozen stores, based in the United States and abroad, sell swimwear to Muslim-American women, mostly through online catalogs. A full suit can cost more than $100, with pants around $60, shirts at $25 and water scarves and hoods about $15.

In the past, religious women in Turkey either didn’t go to the beach or wore regular street clothing into the water. Most women at beaches in secular Turkey wear Western-style bathing suits. One of the top company producing Islamic bathing suits, Hasema, he can’t produce them quick enough to keep pace with demand. The company exports to Egypt, North America, England and Australia. Mehmet Sahin said he founded the company, because of his own problems on the beach as a university student.

In Egypt swim suites for muslim women is better known as “Sharia swimsuit”. It is part of a growing industry catering for religiously-observant women. It is no longer mainly the westernised elite that can afford such leisure activities as swimming. In such a conservative society, many women have until now either had to sit on one side or go into the water in their clothes. To them, the “Sharia swimsuit” offers one solution. It is a high-necked, swimming costume with sleeves and a small skirt, to be worn over long trousers.
However, the highest religious authority for Sunni Muslims, Al-Azhar, does not recognise the new swimming costume.

One of its clerics, Sheikh Mahmoud al-Hanafi, says there is no such thing as an Islamically-acceptable swimsuit – the only thing Sharia law recognises is Islamic dress that is meant to protect women from what he calls “gossiping eyes.”

SANTA CRUZ, California, March 23. THE following is an article submitted to SwimmingWorldMagazine.com from Julie Kimball and Tahrier Walid Sub Laban explaining the use of muslim swimwear by women at the University of California, Santa Cruz.Tahrier was dressed from head to toe in hajab, the standard Muslim dress that includes long shirt, pants and a scarf. It was the first class of spring quarter, 2006, at the Olympic-sized swim pool at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Tahrier approached me and asked to join my beginning swim class. I responded, “Of course.” She then asked if she would be permitted to wear her traditional clothing, which covers all but her face and hands and conceals her curves, in accordance with her faith while learning to swim. I was momentarily taken aback. In my training I had learned that wearing clothing in water is synonymous with danger. I offered to lend her a wetsuit that would cover her body. She responded “No.” How about a rash guard with her pants? “NO.” She said that these options would be inappropriate because they would show her body figure. Tahrier insisted on wearing her self-chosen outfit, comprised of a long sleeve shirt and boot-legged pants of synthetic material, a cotton T-shirt that hung to mid-thigh, and a head scarf that covered all her hair. “Ok, let’s try it.”

Throughout the spring quarter, I taught Tahrier along with 16 other swim students the basic skills to accomplish the crawl and the backstroke. In the USA, the crawl dominates the swim workout. A beginning swim student often integrates a high-headed dog paddle with the crawl stroke. Inhalation is imminent. It takes a while for the lower head position and full body rotation to feel safe. We practiced positioning and rotation drills, side kicking drills, high elbow drills and breathing and floating drills, in order to master the crawl stroke. Tahrier diligently practiced these skills while wearing 10 pounds of wet clothing and struggling to keep her hair tucked beneath her scarf. She never gave up and she never missed a class.

It was well into the quarter when Tahrier mentioned that she was still swallowing water while swimming the crawl. Her concern was that it would be a problem later in the fall quarter if she were to swim during the celebration of Ramadan when Muslims are required not to eat or drink from first prayer at sunrise to fourth prayer at sunset. Until then, I had not realized how much she was struggling. I quickly concluded that the crawl was not yet appropriate for Tahrier and we redirected toward swimming more elementary backstroke and the breaststroke. In the elementary backstroke, she could easily breathe; her hair stayed tucked under her scarf and her clothing stayed more streamline to her body. In the breaststroke, we practiced the arm stroke to lift and breathe, a float to streamline her body and clothing, and then the whip kick to propel her forward. Within a few classes, Tahrier was breathing without swallowing water, keeping her clothing and hair in place, and moving steadily through the water. By the end of spring quarter, Tahrier was jumping off the three-meter high dive and swimming to the ladder with self-confidence, using a competent breaststroke technique while fully dressed.

What are the requirements for Muslim women’s dress? Tahrier explains her intentions:

In the Quran, God states: “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and adornments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their father… (Why do you dress like that Al-Muhajabah)” which means our appearance is not for society to judge and be apart of.

Modesty is an important quality, while thinking about a Muslim woman and her public appearance. Covering her body from head to toe is a statement that a woman’s beauty is not for society to judge nor take part in. Tahrier says that by preferring to wear clothing, including swimwear, that is modest, she presents herself from inner beauty; personality, character and ethics, and not from her outward appearance. The hajab clothing is a message of personal modesty, respect and integrity.

At the beginning of fall quarter, 2006 Tahrier returned to swim class. The class continued with the basic swim skills, including, many laps of elementary backstroke and the three-step breaststroke. After a couple of weeks of classes, Tahrier mentioned that she and her friend, Thaleia found a web site where one could purchase Muslim women’s swimwear. The site, www.ahiida.co, is based in Australia. I e-mailed the company and asked if we could product test the Muslim women’s swimsuit since we had never before seen such a product and couldn’t be sure that it would meet Tahrier’s needs. Aheda, the owner of the company, called me at home, and she agreed for Tahrier to product test the suit. It eventually arrived in the mail. Tahrier was thrilled. The suit met all the criteria for an active Muslim woman to swim and to fulfill her code of modesty. It is a beautiful, light-weight suit that offers UV protection. Also, the suit covers her with a modest fit that doesn’t show body form, nor can her hair fall out from under the head- scarf, which is sewn to the tunic. Tahrier feels many pounds lighter in the water, doesn’t have to worry that her modest appearance is compromised, and can now swim the crawl and backstroke without struggle.

It had taken a full year for Tahrier to muster up the courage to ask me if she could join the Physical Education swim classes at UCSC. While traveling in the USA, some hotels would not allow Tahrier and her sisters to swim while wearing their clothing in the pools. This brought up several questions: Is swimming with clothing a liability in the USA? Are public pools welcoming and accessible to all swimmers regardless of appearances? Are public swim classes open to all students?

Tahrier is a junior at UCSC, studying the sciences in her resolve to become a doctor. She mentions, “The smiles and thanks I receive when I help or comfort someone during difficult times is unforgettable and most pleasing. This encourages me to continue my education so that I can be more effective in people’s lives. Knowledge is power.”

In the summer of 2007, she plans a medical internship with a doctor in Palestine. She says that from a very young age, she has enjoyed playing in water. She will continue to swim at UCSC, which helps her to relax and stay in shape while studying for her MCATs. She looks forward to learning to swim in the ocean without fear and then learn to surf.

Tahrier and I encourage all female swimmers who have a need for modesty to inquire into Muslim women’s swimwear on the web. The Muslim women’s swimsuit from Australia comes highly recommended. We encourage all girls and women to learn to swim.

The fabric used to make sun protective swimwear is important for a number of reasons. The best uv protective swim wear fabrics will be rated UPF 50+ based on a complete life cycle test when the fabric is wet. Sun protective fabrics will typically lose some of their protection as they age, so garments should be tested for their end of life cycle protection value. Fabrics also provide less sun protection when wet. This is because water displaces air in the fabric and UV transmits better through water than air. A recent modification to the AATCC 183 protocol for testing spf swimwear calls for testing the fabric when wet – providing a better evaluation of the protection level when the garment is used in water as intended. So the best SPF swimwear will provide UPF 50+ protection when wet at the end of it’s life cycle.

Fit is important for appearance, comfort and sun protection levels. For many people, their first thought is to choose tight fitting swim shirts – just like the original rash guards or rash shirts worn by surfers. However, when stretched the weave of a fabric will open and can allow significant amount of UV to pass through the fabric. For this reason, Samira’s sun protective swimwear is designed to be worn close to the skin but not to be skin tight

(ref: Coolibar)

The criteria in choosing the right swim suites are cut, color, pattern, and material. Cut is the most important among this. It’ll formulate or destroy your body’s steadiness and proportion. Color, patterns and material add the finishing touches.

Not all cuts work for all body types. The pattern and fabric for some common body types can be defined as:

Pear-Shaped

If your hips and bottom are larger than your upper body, choose colors, patterns and details that draw attention away from your lower half. Pairing a solid color (like black) for your lower half with a patterned or bold top will draw the eye upward.

Large Bust

To minimize a larger bust, choose a solid-colored bathing suit top.

Small Bust

Large geometric shapes and patterns, especially horizontal stripes, give the illusion of a bigger bust.

Plus Size

If you’re plus size, try a suit in a dark color or swirling patterns.Many Muslim women think that they don’t have the right swimsuit for their body. In fact, by wearing a Muslimah swim wear, everyone can be self confident during swimming no matter what body type they have. There are easy ways to draw attention away from different aspects of your body that will cover up your shape and make you feel your best.

Color and design are important elements of a swim suit. Darker colors tend to be more subtle. A top with some pattern and a relatively clean simple bottom will give slimming effect and brings the eyes upward.

If you do not have a small waist, or your waist measures the same or only slightly smaller than your hips, look for a dress that has a pattern near the waist that minimizes the waist. Diagonal patterns, lines and darts can do this quite well.

Dresses with lower waistlines, or V-shaped waistlines will help to give the illusion of smaller waists.

Dresses that have bunched or ruffled material will create the illusion of a larger bust.

A dress with simple, or solid colors on the bodice will create an illusion of a larger bust.

You can minimize bulging bellies, larger hips and even larger busts by opting for solid colors.

Angled lines and cuts can do well to draw attention away from certain aspects of your figure.

For heavier legs, wear long flowing dresses. There are beach sarongs that you can buy to use as shawls if you have heavier arms.

Find the perfect bra. Whether this bra is going to be a part of your actual swimsuit or under your beach dress, a good supportive bra can lift and shape your bust. A good bra can minimize your waist, add or detract from your bust size as desired.

The right material can help smooth out any lumps or bumps. Choose a suit with at least 15% spandex or Lycra, but make sure it’s not too tight – you don’t want to create unwanted lumps and bumps.

Don’t limit yourself to only what is in the stores. Size selection and inventory is often limited and it can be hard to find the styles that work best for your unique figure.

While you taking attention away from the features of your body, you will become more confident and  enjoy your swimming in a public pool.

“The Women of My Land“ which wrapped up on July 23 lasted one week at Hijab Hall of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults. The Interior Ministry, Tehran Governor General’s Office as well as the Islamic Republic of Iran Police organized the exhibit.
Secretary of the exhibition told ISNA that “inspired by the success of the show, the organizers plan to turn it into an international exhibition by inviting designers from Islamic countries.“
Farahnaz Qandforoush explained the decision was made following visits by members of Muslim diplomatic missions to Iran, who expressed willingness to take part in the event.
The official explained that an international exhibit would provide domestic costume designers with a chance to present top models of Islamic clothing for domestic supply as well as exports.
In related news, head of the Center for Women and Family Affairs reiterated that the exhibit would turn into an international event as of next year.
Zohreh Tabibzadeh Nouri, who was paying a visit to the exhibition, stated that it had been successful in grabbing women’s attention by featuring a variety of colorful Islamic designs.
She added that dresses displayed at the exhibit can help provide women with models of proper hijab.
Meanwhile, deputy secretary of the event for executive affairs, Maryam Zamani, said its organizers also planned to establish a non-governmental organization named “The Women of My Land“.
The official stated that the NGO would help promote proper hijab and meanwhile turn into a nerve center for those interested in designing Islamic apparels.