User:Elk136/sandbox

Summary
The yashmak is a draping fabric that covers the lower portion of the nose past the jawline, in feminine Ottoman/Islamic clothing. It can be either a sheer piece of fabric or thick cloth. The height of yashmak fascination was in the early 20th Century, when more French magazines began publicizing the European romanticized side of Middle Eastern culture.

Fashion History
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/2048040_detail_212892.jpg

The most recognizable form of the yashmak (as shown in the above image) was most popular in Ottoman Muslim fashion, by the 19th Century. It was extremely function-able, because a piece of muslin could be delicately draped across the face and wrapped around the top of the head and forehead: unlike the Hijab and/or Niqāb. Muslin and/or silk were (and still are) popular choices of fabric for yashmaks, because of their breathability and ability to soak in brightly colored dyes. The Yashmak pieces would then be held together by a gold nose-ring (or clamp on the bridge of the nose).

Yashmak in Fashion
Modern Islamic jewelry companies are beginning to make updated version of the yashmak with both cloth and metallic and/or bejeweled chains such as Inayahc and Regent Couture. Most bejeweled and regular cloth pieces are taken as inspiration from the 19th Century draping over the mouth.

Benefits and Implications for Modern Muslim Women
In terms of western feminist thought, the yashmak could be considered quite liberating from the modesty of full coverage of a traditional Burqa. Women can have the freedom to choose what to adorn their face with, and how much of their face they prefer to expose. However, the continual implication that the majority of Muslim women face is balancing freedom of expression with traditional Awra (the dress code that requires modest coverage of women in the Quran).

"Tell the believing women to lower their eyes and guard their private parts, and not display their charms except what is outwardly, and cover their bosoms with their veils and not show off their finery except to their husbands or their fathers or fathers-in-law, their sons or step-sons, brothers, or their brothers' and sisters' sons, or their women attendants or captives, or male attendants who do not have any need (for women), or boys not yet aware of their sex. They should not walk stamping their feet lest they make known what they hide of their ornaments."

External Links & In-Text Citations
Inyahc

Regent Couture