Modest Dress at Work as Lived Religion: Women’s Dress in Religious Work Contexts in Saudi Arabia and the UK

Abstract This article explores how women in religious workplaces respond to organizational norms of and requirements for modest dress behavior, both implicit explicit. It compares two case studies: working faith-based organizations (FBOs) the UK, secular who travel work Saudi Arabia, where state requirement modesty meant wearing an abaya (slightly relaxed 2019). Data come from semi-structured interviews with 43 women: 21 travelled UK Arabia 22 FBOs. examines three themes: adapt forms dress, they navigate regulation, negotiate habitus authenticity. The proposes that women’s governed by codes be understood as a form lived practice one raises dilemmas