At home in my body: sartorial practices of young Pakistani women in the Netherlands

Abstract

Dress, clothing and sartorial practices are important forms of self-expression and communication with the social body. However, some forms of dress and their meanings have been politicized: Muslim sartorial practices, seen as a homogenous embodiments of tradition, have been highly criticized in western European countries. This article looks at the sartorial practices of young Pakistani women in the Netherlands, arguing that heterogeneity is the main characteristic of Muslim minorities while dressing practices are as much the product of tradition as a continuous innovation and engagement with fashion.