That burkini!

@Kas1950: Do you think that woman is expressing solidarity with the terrorists?

Lilyflower i completely agree with you -our rights as women are too desperately hard won to give any countenance to any erosion whatsoever of those rights. Is the'burkini' a fashion choice or a hateful symbol of repression? Is 'modestwear' a style statement or something deeper and much more malign towards women than something as frivolous as fashion? As a modest woman myself I really see no need cover from head to toe ..as long as what I wear doesn't frighten small children and animals that seems to be a perfectly respectable way of going about my business

Having spent a lot of time in India in the past, I always thought that the sight of an Indian lady going into the sea in a sari and the flimsy fabric getting thoroughly wet and clingy, was far sexier than a wet Tshirt!!

OK, but surely M&S have seen a gap in the market?
People do holiday in strict Arab countries, Nigella was photographed in a Burkini and she's about as far from Muslim as you can get, and we have a growing population of Muslim women, who, like it or not, wish to observe traditional practices.
I say "like it or not" because it is not in a shop's remit to lay down "moral" standards is it?
I would rather a girl or young woman was able to enjoy the seaside/beach in a Burkini than obliged to forgo the pleasure because of her religion, regardless of how outdated or repressive we find it.
It's not in the same league as FGM .

I completely agree with Synonomous's views. Alas for M&S, another unwearable ugly garment to join their collection.

In my village there is one Muslim family, the very young wife/mother usually just wears a hijab, the day after the Brussels atrocity she has taken to wearing the full body and facial cover up garb.

Of course, there's always the 'kerching!' factor. M and S aren't daft. Growing market.

I am with you Lilyflower!

Alea

We are a mixed religion community. I personally hate to see women covered from head to toe. I just hope they have gardens where they can get their vit D. But, surely being able to swim in the sea covered, is better than not being able to swim at all?

Sorry, should read 'in such a garment...' Edit button?

I am very angry about the M&S burkini which, I think, makes the oppression of women and misogyny in various religions, and especially, Islam, normal and acceptable.

Women's freedom in this country was won after a long, hard fight over centuries and women have been slighted, oppressed, tortured and have died to win the equality and liberties the rest of us enjoy.

It should be remembered that as recently as the eighteenth century women were legally the possessions of men and had no control over their own money or their own children. They could not work except, for the most part, in menial positions and, when they could work, their wages were way below those of men. Women were worn out in childbearing and many died in childbirth. Domestic violence was tacitly allowed and education was denied to sisters while brothers benefited from schooling. The list of inequalities could go on but this is a flavour of how women in the past were controlled and oppressed.

To pretend that the ingrained misogyny of many religions is but a cultural difference in a multicultural society is an abandonment of our duty to support our sisters in their subjection.

For M&S to market a garment which is an infringement of a woman's right to wear what she pleases is an attack on freedom and equality.
You only need to see the picture of one to realise that it is an ugly humiliation of women.

I wonder whether it is just ignorance and naivety which leads women to believe that there is no harm n such a garment. A working lifetime of teaching English Literature texts has given me horse's mouth evidence of the past maltreatment of women and of the need to stand up for women's right wherever they are threatened.

Daft thread??
D* post.

I think you may have missed the point here. Is it the start of a sinister trend of middle eastern attitudes developing and gradually proliferating over here? If it continues how soon might we begin to feel uncomfortably exposed if we continue to wear our perfectly respectable swimsuits and feel the need to cover up too? Rather than encouraging these women to continue to kow tow to mediaeval middle eastern attitudes we should be helping them to feel freer of the need to do this.

Good for that kid, jane10.

They're not aimed at us! Well, only if you are a Muslim woman, of course.

They're a great idea if they allow Muslim women to enjoy swimming. Ok, we might think it sad that the necessity exists for some women, but it does.

Daft thread.

The fuss is that some women can't make the choice for themselves. This is the UK. We don't have to cover up here.

I do not like them at all

Not much different from a wet suit what's the fuss

NanKate x posts would agree with that.

We are all good at pushing the boundaries in varying ways even if it is merely in wearing obvious wigs to show that a rule is being observed although perhaps a little strange to make a point like that in such a way.

Many young people have such troubling and/or fast moving lives with which they struggle to cope. The youth pierce themselves to shock or even just to take your eye off themselves and focus instead on their accoutrements as well as do other things that 'everyone is doing' in order to be 'different'. I think the immodesty that is now so prevalent is another part of that and is bound to boomerang back at some point. When that happens we need to ensure that extremism of any kind is kept in check so that it doesn't result in suppression or oppression.

If the men were offered Burkinis too well fine, but why should women be covered up from head to toe. It is ridiculous and repressive.

When I was still teaching a year or so back one of my Asian female students pulled her shalwar kamise tightly around her and said 'I have a nice figure under all these clothes'.

I am all for modesty, but not a complete cover up.

They will be bringing back bathing machines next.

I just think that these burkinis are the thin end of a rather sinister wedge. I still think that wig business is daft!

Yes, I think that is the point, the wigs must look false.

Alea, I agree about the wigs. Perhaps they actually want them to look obvious rather than natural?

Look at these rather classy styles.

en.modanisa.com/sportwears--swimsuits.htm

en.modanisa.com/dresses.htm