“I believe that sharing is caring. I also believe that borrowing is ‘an exchange of interests,’” said Dania Khafaji, a 21-year-old college student. “I usually lend my friends clothing, knowing that it might help them to look like a million dollar bill on an occasion. Most girls don’t like to attend occasions wearing the same outfit over and over, so I can help them by sharing my clothes,” she added.

Women only lend their things to close friends and relatives. “I cannot trust anyone with my things, except the people close to me. For sure I expect the borrowed things to be given back to me in a very good shape,” said Nadia Helmi, a 29-year-old schoolteacher. “ I don’t let other people borrow my dresses because I worry they would ruin or harm them. I would forgive a close friend for this harm, but not a distant one,” she added.

When it comes to more expensive things, Saudi women worry about losing their precious items. “I always hesitate when a friend asks me to borrow my jeweled earrings, fearing she might lose them. I sometimes try to get out of it by claiming that I will wear them the same night,” said Khadija Al-Salem, a 36-year-old housewife and mother. “I sometimes pity them knowing that not all people can afford to have jewelry. When they ask me for jewelry, it means that they really need it and so I give in and send it to them,” she added.

Evening gowns are the most borrowed items among Saudi women, according to Salma Habeeb, a 24-year-old marketer. “My cousins and I have all the same size, and when we want to buy a dress we go all together and decide on the color and style,” she said. “We usually share those dresses on every occasion. This way we save money and no one knows that this dress is borrowed, since it’s shared within the family,” she added.

According to 27-year-old medical student Sultana Jaffar, shoes cannot be borrowed for hygienic reasons. “I share everything with my sister, from clothing to jewelry, except shoes. Sometimes you sweat wearing shoes and you cannot easily clean them, so I fear fungus or any other kind of infection to appear,” she said.

Borrowed clothing should always be cleaned and steamed before it’s worn again, according to Dr. Hanan Bakhsh, an infectious disease specialist. “The risk is minimal because diseases and viruses die or fade in a little time. They usually die within three or four hours after the first person takes off the clothes,” she said. “To be on the safe side, however, one should make sure their clothes are spotless and germ-free,” she added.