On the Street in Tangier

Before we came to Tangier I spent a lot of time and mental energy trying to decide what kind of clothes to pack. For one thing it was impossible to tell what the weather would be like. All the Moroccans that we were in touch with warned us of Tangier’s climate which they described as one might describe Norway in January: “Very cold. Freezing really.” But when we checked the long term forecast the weather always looked balmy—consistently in the mid sixties. Meanwhile, in Idaho snow had already started to fall and we were scraping ice off of our windshields.

There was also the question of cultural appropriateness. What would I wear, people asked. Would I have to cover my hair? My ankles? I started to get a little paranoid. I didn’t entertain any hope of blending in, exactly, but I didn’t want to be too obvious either. And so I turned to the internet where surprise, surprise, I was met with a ton of vague and conflicting information mostly in the form of Trip Advisor posts and travel blog entries by non-Moroccans. "Wear long, loose skirts, and shirts," the posts advised. "Cover your ankles, your wrists your neck. And never wear your hair down. It will seem immodest. " I began to panic. Was I supposed to wear enormous turtlenecks? And I look terrible in long skirts.

And then, against my better judgment, I read the comments section of one of the aforementioned articles. Usually the worst idea ever, in this case reading the comments section proved somewhat useful. For one thing they consisted of some of the only Moroccan voices I found. And they weren’t particularly happy voices. “Stop trying to (expletive) make us sound radicalized,” wrote someone. “Wear whatever the (expletive) you want.” “Have you ever even been here?” asked a third. “Typical Western paranoia.”

And so, because I was thoroughly confused and beginning to lose interest, I decided to pack what I normally wear. And I’m happy to report that I feel as comfortable wearing whatever I want as I would in the US--With one exception. The Tangawi women look much, much cooler than I do. 

Why didn't any of that useless internet information mention how fashionable the women here are?

For one thing, there’s the hijab. And while I am far too naïve to understand the ins and outs of hijab wearing I will say this: Moroccan women know how to wear a headscarf.

Take that, Bill Cunningham.

Some women wear burqas, most don’t. And not all women choose to cover their hair. I hope to better understand the tradition, etiquette and rules of hijab wearing but this seems one area where it would be particularly ill-advised to ask the internet; I’d rather hear it from the women themselves. I imagine the answers will be as varied as the clothing.

This woman didn't read the Trip Advisor post about never wearing your hair down.

As for the Mystery of the Tangier Temperature, it’s pretty perfect. And still, the Moroccans insist on the chilly climate. People wear down jackets, puffy boots, scarves and winter hats. The woman we shared a taxi with recently fussed over Cecily’s exposed neck, covering it in a little blanket and clucking her tongue at me a little disapprovingly. This surprised me for two reasons: 1) Cecily and I were so warm we were sweating all over each other and 2) I wasn’t’ aware that Cecily actually had a neck to keep warm.  

Someone get this baby a scarf.

So, in the end,  and for the first time in the history of the world the comments section turned out to be quite useful: if you’re coming to Tangier, wear whatever the (expletive) you want. And what did all that Googling really bring to light? My own uneducated assumptions about how a woman should dress in a Muslim country. 

Exhibit A: Expat Fashion. A story for another day.