Muslim women’s dress

[Aggroman]

Kind of curious about this one, being in a new country.

I wonder if anyone can tell me how I can distinguish a married from an
unmarried woman here in Kuwait?  Do ONLY married women wear a
headscarf?  Does colour have any significance?  I don't see a
lot of young women with hair flowing (though Kuwait is quite liberal)
walking around - does this mean that all the girls I'm seeing are
married and the unmarried ones are kept indoors?

Hope somebody can help me so I'll know if hitting on the sexy photocopy
girl who keeps smiling at me at work will cost me my reputation and/or
job!

[Lakemonster]

Wow........ I honestly dont know about the difference as far as marital status in the wearing of the "Hijab".
I always understood it as a modesty issue.
As for the honey you speak of...... wow. That could be touchy...  I'd personally ask a muslim dude you can somewhat confide about courting ettiquette and restrictions of the culture (without naming names). Are you Muslim yourself? If not.... then I would surely get the 411 on any social restrictions.

[Aggroman]

If I was a Muslim myself I'd probably know the answer to this!

I've tried asking some arabic friends, but since my Arabic is limited
to a few broken words and phrases, it's hard to get across what I mean.

Funny thing is here, it's probably easy to hook up with a married woman
here than an unmarried one.  The unmarried ones are carefully
guarded and chauferred aroudn by their mothers or fathers while many
women are very unhappily married here and looking for someone to treat
them right....  especially when they're wife number 2 or 3.

Still, you don't &$*# where you sleep (or work), so I'll tread carefully around my place of employment...

[IsraelEnigma]

in judaism, a married woman must cover her hair, and all women must cover up to past the elbows but preferably up to hands, and up to ankles preferably with a skirt not pants

[tuma al Zrai]

It's ussually only donned by the more conservative girls at puberty, but even many older women  who don't earlier on eventually don something like a black shaul or something(especially widowers). In Saudi, on the other hand, women are mandated by law to wear full-body aba3ya, so it's as much of a regional culture thing as a religious thing.
 

[mOrOccanQuEEn]

Hijab has nothing to do with Married/Unmarried.  It's a religious garment.  It's also mandated after completing Hajj.

[sunnyD]

she is right im a muslim myself, It's a sign for respect towards god and people etc...

[caspianhookahcafe]

Ha... Hijab is meant to decrease the temptation of men to cheat on their wives. There whole body is covered so there is less to see. Respect has nothing to do with it. The hijab is a way to supress the women of the middle east and make them see less than men becasue they have to be restricted with what they wear. 

[Sonthert]

Well, for any religious practice, there is a "spiritual" reason and a real reason. In real terms, the philosophy of the practice is clear and noble, to others way of thinking, but the stark reality of the effects are something else.

[gunsboy]

Well,  I am a muslim.  I could tell you that Hijab is worn for almost the same reasons why a Nun would wear her head cover.  In Islam, modest clothing is worn in obedience to God and has nothing to do with submissiveness to men.  But some people abuse or mis-understand that. Therefore, you see some women's rights invaded and abused by men around them.
So going back to your question, as several people here said wearing "Hijab" has nothing to do with being married or not.  The percentage of married women wearing it are higher than single girls for several cultural reasons that differ from one country to another.
About the chick that smiles at you,  she might be just friendly.  Over there if you mess with the wrong girl, it could lead to very ugly results. Alot of people are very strict and to them death is better than knowing that their daughter has messed around.  So just be careful.