Arabian Nights

by Ally Miola

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Just a few decades ago, Dubai was little more than a modest trading hub. Commerce has been a part of the culture for centuries, but until recently people came to the area to eye the Silk Road’s goods rather than the latest silk Hermès scarves. All it took was one visionary sheik to bring the emirate into the modern world, making Dubai the city of superlatives it is today.

Everyone now knows Dubai for its gleaming skyscrapers and the crazed celebrities who climb them (Tom Cruise, we’re looking at you). But there’s also no denying Dubai’s reputation as a retail Mecca. The city boasts countless shops, many of which are found at the world’s largest mall, which has outlets for Gucci, Prada, Missoni and just about every high-end designer you can think of. While here’s something to be said for having so many luxurious garments, jewels, shoes and accessories at your fingertips, sometimes it’s necessary to take a break from the shopping to get a true sense of the cultural landscape.

Resting contentedly in the shadow of Dubai’s glitzy skyline is the lesser-known Sultanate of Oman. Here the general populous is less concerned with opening Armani Hotels; instead, you’re more likely to find luxury tented camps overlooking a breathtaking canyon.

Wadis dot the arid landscape, their blue-green waters reflecting a cloudless sky while fanned by swaying palms. The slower pace in Oman is a welcome respite after a few days of manic credit card purchases and you’re far more likely to get a feel for the local people here than you are in the “Vegas of the Middle East.”

Whether you choose to take the four-hour drive from Dubai to Oman (after all, gas is cheaper than water in these parts) or if the 45-minute flight to its capital, Muscat, is more your pace, you’ll be sure to find ample inspiration from the surroundings once you arrive. Start by donning a thick line of black eyeliner (Blue Heaven is a local favorite that can be found in just about any souk) and stack the bracelets as high as you dare. The only rule to this look is that you can’t be afraid of colors or layers.

Here, you can tell a man’s heritage from the way he wraps his headscarf, and the variety of patterns, sequins and lace weaved throughout a woman’s dishdasha can be just as telling. But even in such a traditional climate, you’ll find the subversive type who knowingly wears a Bedouin-style headscarf, even though he comes from Muscat. Take a page from this irreverent book and layer the colors, scarves, bangles and tinkling trinkets as you please, drawing from the various styles throughout the region.