Basic Tips for Muslim Women - How to Dress up for Umrah?

While planning for pilgrimage, the biggest concern for women is how to dress up for Hajj or Umrah and what to wear in Mecca. The clothing of women during Ihram should be such that neither it stands against the Islamic laws nor be uncomfortable. Women ought to be more careful as there are certain rules of Ihram that they need to abide by. While performing Hajj or Umrah, women need to be dressed modestly yet in comfortable clothes. It is not mandatory for women to wear white dress during Umrah as there is no specific dress code for Umrah or Hajj for women. Women pilgrims can use any of their regular clothes but mostly women prefer to wear white clothes during their holy trip. They should be dressed appropriately so that it might not distract them or others from worship.

Here are a few clothing tips for women for Umrah that they should keep in consideration before entering Ihram:

Pack at least three sets of Ihram (white Abayas) as you will be required to wear it multiple times. Only one Abaya may get torn and dirty if you wear it again and again.
While performing the rituals of Umrah during the day time when you are exposed to Sun white color might reveal your body. That is why it is necessary for women to ensure that the fabric of Ihram is thick enough to cover your body without exposing it. Also ensure that the material of your Ihram fabric should be breathable in the sun.
The weather of Makkah is extremely hot and pilgrims will be exposed to the harsh Sun most of the times. So, it is better to avoid using the pure fabric and use mixed fabric.
When you wear white Abaya try to wear other clothing of white color as well such as Hijab, underclothing, socks etc. If your wear white clothes and use colorful things with it, it will be highlighted instantly. Wear white underclothing, white summer socks, white T-shirt, thin white cotton pants, white closed front Abaya or loose dress with full sleeves along with white Hijab, big enough to cover your body properly. There is no restriction on wearing black Abaya but remember black color absorbs heat and you might suffocate in hot weather if you wear black.

Precisely, the best clothing for women is something plain with cotton blend covering the body properly from head to toe but breathable and easily manageable. Remember to wear Hijab of waist length with elastic as it is easy to put on and works well in every situation.
Many Muslim women wear Hijab for the first time while performing Umrah and since they are not used to it, they cannot control their Hijab. Wear a white under scarf cap to cope with this situation. Under scarf cap holds the scarf easily otherwise most of your time will be spent in fixing the scarf and hair.
Try to carry minimum number of items while moving during Umrah or you will easily get tired by carrying heavy stuff.
Backpacks are good for keeping your belongings but it should be kept in mind that long distances are to be travelled during Umrah so avoid to overload your backpacks.
Wear your backpack on the front as it makes easier to get things out of it. Bags are not allowed inside the Masjid-ul- Haram so carry a very small one when you are going inside the Haram.
Wearing the right shoes is very important because you will be walking a lot while performing the various rituals of Umrah. Uncomfortable shoes will make you tired and you won’t be able to concentrate on your worship. For Muslim women, covering feet is a part of Hijab so wear the shoes that are comfortable and cover your feet properly. Avoid wearing flip flop with socks because your feet might get slippery in them.
Sneakers and walking shoes are comfortable and durable but avoid the ones with laces as tying laces could be tiring and it consumes a lot of time. If not tied properly one might get tripped over it.