http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5§ion=0&article=117534&d=28&m=12&y=2008&pix=islam.jpg&category=Islam
Friday 26 December 2008 (28 Dhul Hijjah 1429) .... Is it obligatory in Islam that women should always wear a black dress when they go out? We are told that this is so by some people posing as scholars. Please explain. (M. Amin) No, there is no Islamic requirement that women should wear black when they go out. What they should wear is what maintains a proper standard of decency, according to Islamic values and the traditions of society. The color of their garments is not an issue as long as they do not appear in eye catching attire. In many Muslim countries, people use a wide range of colors and these are acceptable if they do not violate Islamic values and standards of propriety. We should also recognize that standards differ from one society to another. In North Africa, for example, women wear white when they are in mourning. This is considered odd in other Arab countries. Following local traditions that do not violate Islamic values is acceptable in such cases. It is unfortunate that some people, particularly among those who think that they are guardians of Islamic values, feel that they should impose plain black as the only color of women's clothes in public. Such people are often very rigid in their views. You often discover that the best way to deal with them is to thank them for their advice. If you are certain that they are in the wrong, then you need only to ignore them [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
