SyriaAt a meeting A suit for men; women wear smart skirt ensembles (never trousers or slacks).
On the street Although tight jeans and bare midriffs aren’t unusual in hip Damascene hoods like Salahiya, you’ll have to search hard to find a Syrian woman over 40 wearing pants. Older women wrap the head in a hijab—or an Hermès scarf—when shopping in marketplaces downtown, although this isn’t required of tourists. Do remain respectful by covering arms and legs before going out.
At a party Syrian socialites idolize First Lady Asma Assad, the London-raised Deutsche Bank alum who beat out Carla Bruni to become French Elle’s best-dressed political lady in 2008. Assad loves an LBD or a curvy suit by Valentino or Chanel. Her husband, President Bashar al-Assad, is always perfectly pressed in a two-button wool ensemble.
P.S. Don’t worry about bringing a covering to tour a religious site: If a mosque requires women to wear abayas—which leave only face, feet, and hands exposed—it provides the wrap at the door.
