The Fabric Souk

The Fabric Souk

This building stretches about a half block and there is a similar building across the street.

I just got back from the fabric souk here in Kuwait.  It is a hidden treasure for anyone like me who loves the rainbow of colors and the infinite variety of textiles.  I love to sew and when I get serious about a project, it just consumes me and every inch of space in my tiny apartment.  The first time I set eyes on the fabric souk, it was sensory overload.  Like my friend Gretchen said, "If you can't find something here you like, you're way too picky!"  

Just one of the many aisles of fabric shops.

The silks were amazing.  Most of them from India.

If you need a new sari, this is the place to go. Then you take your treasure upstairs and have it tailored.

A souk is another name for a market or store.  In this country, like many other places in the world, shops that sell similar items are all grouped together. For example, in my neighborhood here in Hawally, I live just steps away from several blocks of jewelry stores that sell more bling than you can probably find in the entire Midwestern United States.  And this stuff is the real deal.  Huge golds pendants, bracelets, dangly earrings, brooches, and rings just perfect for the most discriminating of princesses.  I often wonder who would ever wear some of this stuff, but there is always somebody picking out a piece of jewelry in these tiny showrooms.  Getting back to the fabric souk...

There are many, many shops that specialize in trims and bangles. 

I love window shopping at the fabric souk!

This gentleman from Syria was just opening a new shop.  Very proud of his new wares.  He was very pleased to have his picture taken.

You can see the owner through the window showing his customer a piece of screen printed silk.

Why wear ordinary shoes when you can decorate them with lace and pearls!

There are two huge buildings that house the fabric souk.  The one I frequent the most really isn't much to look at from the outside.  The parking lot and streets surrounding it are a bit trashy and the cement steps leading up to one of buildings were crumbling. Even the escalator was in disrepair.  But once you walk through the doors, you forget all of that and all you see is shop after shop of silks, fine wool, brocades, lace and every trim you can imagine and much you could never imagine.  A feast for the eyes you will never forget.

The colors are dazzling!

When you walk around the fabric souk, you see all these women in their black abayas and you wonder what they could possibly be doing in these fancy shops?  What you don't see is the fashion underground...what the outside world does not see under the hijabs and abayas. When these women are just with other women at a wedding reception, for instance, which is customary that only the bride and the women attend, then the dazzling, over the top, gowns appear.  The women will find perhaps a picture in a magazine of a dress they like, they will pick out the fabric and spangles to go with it and then go to a tailor and have it made for them.  Then there are many Kuwaiti designers who create their own designs, have them sewn by a tailor, then sell them in small shops and markets all over the city.  Not all Muslim women here in Kuwait wear hijabs or abayas.  I love to see what the women wear who come to parent teacher conferences.  I would be fun to take their pictures and post it on my blog, but that would be a bit awkward!  There is no shortage of high end fashion in Kuwait.

I love the way they drape fabric around the mannequins.  It would be interesting to see it done.

The reason I was at the souk was because I was having a shirt made for my son.  He wears a tall size and slender cut so his shirts can be very pricey.  The last time I was home he gave me one of his old shirts that fit him really well.  I found a tailor that was recommended to me by a friend who has lived here many years.  After making the circuit upstairs in the souk, I discovered that all the tailors for women were on the second floor and all the tailors for men were in the back on the outside.  I found "Prince Tailors" and talked to one of the men who was busily cutting out a pair of men's trousers, no pattern of course, just chalk lines drawn on the fabric. He looked at the shirt, told me I would need 2 1/2 meters of fabric.  Also said it was an easy design and I can pick up the shirt in three days.  I went back inside the souk and found one of many shops that specialize in fabric for men's shirts.  I showed the guy there the shirt and he said he had much better fabric than that.  Mind you, I want to be able to throw this in the dryer and not have to iron it.  We shall see!  When I get it back, I'm going to wash and dry it and see if really is a no-iron fabric.  Then I will send it to my son and if he likes it, I will have more made.  I'm pretty sure this will cost at least half of what it costs to buy his shirts from a specialty catalogue at home. I will keep you posted on how it turns out!

This was a bouquet given to me by one of my first graders this week after our program.  Sweet!

Goodbye from Kuwait!  I love hearing from you.  I'll be home in 99 days!