DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The World Cup in Qatar has become a political lightning rod, so it’s no surprise that soccer fans’ dress styles have sparked controversy.
Forget your classic football shirts – the streets of Doha have been transformed into a chaotic parade in terms of fashion.
Visitors from around the world wear updated versions of traditional Gulf Arab headdresses and robes. Western women have tried hijabs. England fans have donned crusader suits. The politically minded have made statements wearing rainbow accessories in Qatar, which criminalizes homosexuality.
The fan fad has drawn everything from amusement to outrage from locals in the small Muslim emirate who have not seen anything remotely resembling the World Cup spectacle before.
The most popular style among foreign fans at this World Cup is the ghutra, the traditional headscarf worn by men throughout the Arabian Peninsula.
When photographed at a Halloween party in Cape Town, South Africa, Gavin Coetzee, 60, admits that his choice of costumes can seem ill-conceived, even embarrassing. He asked a tailor to sew four African flags onto a ghutra and a stereotypical Arabian thobe, the long, flowing robe that Qatari men wear in pristine white.
“I wouldn’t wear this in a Western country,” he said, referring to the heightened cultural sensitivity there. But to his surprise, his costume has sparked euphoria and praise from locals in Qatar.
“It has been incredible. They all want to take a picture of us, ask us where we are from, are interested in why we put this outfit together,” she said, alongside two friends wearing the same outfit.
The narrow alleyways of central Doha’s Souq Waqif are packed with vendors hawking ghutras in various national colors, from the bright blue, green and yellow of Brazil to the red, white and green tricolor of Mexico. Vendors iron and fold them to create a widow’s peak effect, carefully adjusting the fabric to the heads of fans in the so-called cobra style worn by the Qataris.
“I wanted to immerse myself in the culture. It’s fun to be able to try new things,” said Ricardo Palacios, 41, from Venezuela, wearing a red and white checkered headdress. “Locals are in shock…that someone in a Spanish jersey is wearing this.”
The only complaint from the Qataris so far, Palacios added, is that “I don’t know how to do it right.” He said the locals stop him on the street, redesigning his helmet to make it look like it should. Similar videos have been widely shared on social media.
Qatari national Naji al-Naimi, a board member at Majlis al-Dama, a lively coffee and backgammon center in Doha’s open-air market, said he is not bothered by the dozens of international fans wearing his national costume in the slightest. Instead, he finds the trend endearing. He compared it to citizens of the Arabian Peninsula who wear jeans or suits when traveling in Europe.
“We always try to adapt and appeal to the customs and traditions of the host country,” he said.
Among non-Muslim visitors, even the hijab, the traditional Muslim headscarf that shows devotion to Allah, has become a World Cup fashion item. Videos online show foreign women on the streets of Doha wearing colorful headscarves, exclaiming how confident and pretty they feel.
Qatari-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera released video last week showing a woman off-camera wrapping hijabs around female fans she encountered on the street.
“Amazing!” yelled a fan from Brazil.
The local Qatari population have not liked other outfits, particularly the caped crusader suits of English fans. The costumes, which include chain mail armor, a plastic helmet and a shield adorned with an upright cross, are a nod to the Christian conquests of the Holy Land between the 11th and 13th centuries that pitted European invaders against Muslims. .
Images circulating on Twitter showed Qatari security shunning fans dressed as crusaders ahead of the England-Iran match in the group stage of the tournament. Others reported that they were asked to hand in their costumes before England played the United States a few days later.
“What is so painful is to see some visitors to our country praising the glories of Crusader Europe, which disgraced the honor of all Muslims,” said Ashraf al-Khadeer, a 33-year-old Qatari citizen in Doha.
But the biggest flashpoint at the tournament so far has been the rainbow clothing and other multicolored accessories, as Qatar’s criminalization of homosexuality sparked a storm of criticism. After FIFA threatened European teams wearing “One Love” armbands with in-game discipline, some fans have taken it upon themselves to show solidarity with the LGBTQ community.
Days after fans complained they couldn’t get into stadiums because of the rainbow kit, FIFA offered assurances Qatar security would allow the items into matches. The rule has been applied unevenly.
To avoid inconvenience, a French ad agency has promoted World Cup bracelets printed with black-and-white Pantone cards that identify the colors of the rainbow with numbers. Others have gone to extremes, like the protester who stormed the pitch with a rainbow flag during the Portugal-Uruguay match before being brought down by a commissioner.
More generally, the question of what to wear to the World Cup in Qatar, a conservative Muslim emirate, has caused anxiety among fans long before the tournament begins.
Fan groups circulated advice for newcomers, discouraging women from wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts. The government-run tourism website asks visitors to “show respect for local culture by avoiding excessively revealing clothing,” and recommends that men and women cover their shoulders and knees.
So when Ivana Knoll, an Instagram model and former Croatian beauty queen, showed up to stadiums this week in a minidress that exposed much of her chest, some feared an international incident. But Ella Knoll said that she felt comfortable and that the locals assured her that she could wear whatever she wanted.
On Friday, Knoll posted a photo on Instagram of Qatari men taking photos of each other as she strutted through the stadium stands in tight leggings and a bra.
“Thank you very much for your support!” he wrote to celebrate his one million followers, drawing comments in Qatar that reflected a mix of admiration, outrage and puzzlement.
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