Modest swimwear has been re-designed in recent years to enhance the lifestyle of the modern Muslim woman and to give Muslimahs more access to water based activities such as aqua-aerobics. The few companies dedicated to this market have come up with various solutions to the problems previously faced by Muslim women looking for suitable swimsuits that provide comfort whilst upholding the Islamic value of modesty.
For many years Muslimahs have found difficulty in finding appropriate swimwear which follows the Muslim clothing tradition of modesty by only showing the face, hands and feet.
The swimsuits previously available on the market were not designed for the Muslim women as they either allowed skin to show or were unpractical for swimming. The quote below which was published in the National Geographical News aptly describes how uncomfortable the swimwear designed for Muslimahs used to be, "As an active Muslim girl I found it difficult to participate in most sports because of all the excess clothes we were wearing. Also, the veil was very unpractical when playing sports".
In a market that was relatively untouched by major sports brands, smaller companies redesigned appropriate bathing suits for Islamic women. They saw a great potential and design need in the market of swimwear for Muslim females. Only a few companies Worldwide are offering suitable modest swimwear.
The companies responsible for designing this product conducted extensive market research and held talks with many Muslim women to assist in the creation of high specification requirements for the design of the swimsuits. However, only a couple managed to create a modest, comfortable swimsuit that looks great and that most importantly, lets women swim with confidence, safe in the knowledge that they are respecting their Islamic beliefs.
The leading products on the market achieved this result by removing all the excess fabric that the previous swimwear provided like the veil, trousers and skirts and by incorporating everything into two main pieces of clothing: trousers and a matching long shirt with a hijab that serves as a close-fitting headpiece, which lays firmly on the head without slipping. These particular models are made of a high quality Polyester fabric which is water-repellent, Chlorine resistant, and also provides protection from ultraviolet rays. The advantage of using a Polyester material is that it has low water absorbency, dries fast and ensures complete stretch in all directions leading to total comfort whilst swimming or participating in aqua-sports activities.
The new Muslim swimwear collections available cater for all types of women and there is a wide selection to suit all tastes; floral, sporty, simple and sophisticated.
The availability of these new swimming costumes has solved the main concerns of Muslim women because they can now follow Islamic values and be comfortable when participating in water activities. Muslim women are now able to participate in water sports and compete in swimming events because of the wide range of suitable Islamic swimwear available to them. Women who prefer to limit their exposure to the sun are also turning to modest swimwear which is a clear sign that this product is not just being used by the Muslim population.
Having said all of this, the designers of these swimming costumes are not just being thanked by all Muslim women for introducing such a wonderful product into the market, but the big players are now looking to promote these products, especially those that are showing a very good hold on the Muslim swimwear market.
Taylor of Azizah Magazine says, "In another 15 years there's going to be a sizable Muslim consumer market and lots of demand. I think we are where the Hispanic market was 20 years ago and today the Hispanic market is now a big consumer market."
Arun Jain, a marketing professor at the University of Buffalo in New York State agrees and states that given the growth potential of the Muslim community in the United States, major sportswear manufacturers could be missing out on an opportunity to break into an emerging market. Furthermore, the market includes more than just Muslim women, as increasing numbers of western women comprising of Christians, Jews and other religious beliefs, do not feel the need to show off their bodies and are striving to be modest.
