This book considers how the languages of dress in the region connect with other social practices, and with political and religious conformity in particular. Treating cases as diverse as practices of veiling in Oman and dress reform laws in Turkey, these thenographic studies extend from Malta, across the Arab Middle East, to Iran and countries of the Caucasus. Intellectually, the studies are equally wide-ranging, bridging disciplinary boundaries between social anthropology, history, ethnology and linguistics in an engaging and innovative way. The volume will attract readers who have a general interest in clothing and fashion as well as two overlapping specialist audiences: those students and scholars of dress styles and textiles particularly, and others who are linguists, historians and social scientists of the Middle East.