A top British retailer has launched ‘burkini’, a three-piece full body swimwear designed for Muslim women, for the first time in the UK.
The full-length swimwear, designed to adhere to the modesty standards of Muslim women, has been launched by the high street retailer and marks the first time the UK arm of the company has stocked the product, the Daily Express reported.
The new range of burkini swimwear has been put on sale by retailer Marks & Spencer.
The M&S website says the suit has being created so that it “covers the whole body with the exception of the face, hands and feet” and is “lightweight so you can swim in comfort”.
The burkini is not exclusively bought by Muslim women even though it is worn by many for religious and modesty reasons.
Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson made headlines when she wore a burkini in 2011 while holidaying at Australia’s Bondi Beach.
M&S has stores in Dubai and Libya have sold the outfits for the past three years.
But now they are available from the company’s UK website in the UK and will soon be on sale at the company’s flagship store in Marble Arch, Central London.
As well as appealing to Muslim women in the UK, the designs may prove popular with women worried about the damage that exposure to the sun could do to the skin.
The introduction of the range follows a trend for more modest clothing lines.
Fellow department store House of Fraser already sells lightweight Islamic headscarves, or hijabs, designed by company Shorso to be worn during exercise.
PTI