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I'm not a Muslima, so please, Muslimas, correct me when I make mistakes on this one.

There is a passage in the Koran (I don't know the exact sura/passage) in which a woman asks Muhammed (may he rest in peace) what a woman must cover and what may be exposed. He pointed at her hands, feet, and in the general direction of her face, and he said something which is translated in a few different ways. One translation says, essentially, "You can uncover your eyes, and if you must, your fingers and toes." That's one extreme end of the spectrum. At the other end of the spectrum is the translation that goes, "Don't bother covering your hair, cover up your breasts!" (apparently the woman was wearing a scarf and a very low-cut shirt).

Taking culture into account, though, we find the same thing in Islam that we find in Judaism. The culture which surrounded both religions in their infancies was such that a slave went about naked, while royalty were covered entirely at almost all times. One could see what the status of another person was by seeing how much of their skin was exposed. Everyone had right to impose on a slave, and everyone could see their skin. No one had the right to impose on, or see the skin of, a person of high status. So Muslim women (and men, too) cover themselves as a sign of royalty and dignity. It shields them (and us, too -- Jewish and Muslim laws on covering are very similar) from the harsh Middle Eastern sun, from the sandy grit in the wind, from losing moisture from the skin in the desert. It shields the wearer from prying or unkind gazes, too. It forces a person to look at the face (identity) and the hands (deeds) rather than at only the body.

When looking at a covered person, an observer is likely to think, "I wonder what this person believes, that makes them dress this way." You see, right away it's not about her legs or breasts; it's not about his chest muscles or his six-pack abs. Right away, from the first glance, the thoughts center on the modest person's values, beliefs, and ideals. Powerful, no?

I'm Muslim, and I also where a scarf, and what I've been taught is that your body is for your husband only, and not to show off to the world. Men are tempted my womens' bodies, so we cover them and save them for when we are at home in front of our families and husband.