I think the best general term for “Muslim prayer pajamas” would probably be “tunic.” However, the name for this outfit has different regional/country names. In any case, I would definitely suggest trying to use something other than pajamas. Also, the brimless cap is generally called a fez hat, but for the western reader your description is probably more helpful.

Anyway, your piece looks very interesting!

prayer pants? at least you get your alliteration

prayer apparel? almost alliteration

Classic Muslim Mufti Costume

“Sunday Best” probably wouldn’t work;-)

Or you could be really un-PC and use “panoply” which has the double-edged meaning of “weaponry” as well as “clothing”

Maybe pajamas ain’t half so bad after all!

I think you should keep pajamas. You ‘have a right’ to convey your honest first impressions, and if you need to get around the PC-Mafia, then just couch those impressions a certain way. Just qualify it somehow so it’s softer, like:

“Men wearing flat-topped Muslim caps [called _____] and full-length Muslim prayer [whatever they're really called - transliterate Arabic term maybe], which immediately brought the phrase “prayer pajamas” to my young American mind, stopped…”

You’ll want to uncomplicate the grammar a bit, and choose more powerful terms, but you can see what I’m getting at. Besides, it’s definitely better than “man-dress,” the term I heard a soldier stationed in Iraq use.

Also, I know a guy who could give you the real terms for that clothing: https://www.tieszen.bluepile.com/

…prayer garments?

…pajama-like (insert Arabic term), worn during prayer…

Since Joel mentioned me (comment #5), I\’ll contribute my 2 cents. I would go with a combination of what was advised by Sarah and Joel. You should make an effort to learn the regional name and pass that on, but its important to convey initial impressions too.

BUT, why the connection between what Muslims were wearing and prayer? They do not wear specific clothing when praying or connected to praying as, say, Jews might (prayer shawl). So, \

Great input.

Charles, my friends in Bangladesh would put on the outfits like the one in question when they went to Mosque. That’s why I associate the dress with prayer. The rest of the time they wore khakis or blue jeans.

Joel, good point. Initial reaction is worth something naivety or not.

Rachael, Schwarzenegger is the governor of California, I’m sure you could be Auckland’s Administrator to the American Ambassador of All Alliteration Activities.

To some extent I think the choice of how PC to be depends on the context with which it is written. I would hope by the time a reader, Muslim or not, got to this paragraph they would understand that this is a description and that it by no means is meant to degrade the people of Bangladesh or their religion.

Still, I’m considering a slight change in the description. I appreciate all the help.