As a woman here in Qatar, I encountered the same problem when I moved here last year...I was told "long sleeves and long skirts". That is not entirely true, esp. in the summer when the heat is unbearable. Your wife can wear capris (knees do need to be covered) and short-sleeved tops as long as the neckline isn't too low. The benefit to long summer skirts is that they are actually cooler than pants. The general rule is that it shouldn't be too tight or two revealing. Also, keep in mind that they run the A/c on high everywhere, so your wife will probably want to keep a cardigan with her to wear around on top of short sleeves when she is in restaurants, malls, etc.
You are arriving in October, so the weather will be fine, like spring weather in the States, very pleasant actually. Last winter it actually got quite cold here, so bring jackets and even a light-weight winter coat (or heavier if you intend to travel during winter).
One other option: a number of western women do wear abayas around town. This is not seen as offensive by the locals, in fact, many of them appreciate it. It is also helpful to have an abaya around in case you need to make a stop on the way to the gym or some other location where you may be wearing more Western-style clothing. In any case, even if she wears an abaya, Western women are not expected to cover their heads, except in a mosque.
As a woman here in Qatar, I encountered the same problem when I moved here last year...I was told "long sleeves and long skirts". That is not entirely true, esp. in the summer when the heat is unbearable. Your wife can wear capris (knees do need to be covered) and short-sleeved tops as long as the neckline isn't too low. The benefit to long summer skirts is that they are actually cooler than pants. The general rule is that it shouldn't be too tight or two revealing. Also, keep in mind that they run the A/c on high everywhere, so your wife will probably want to keep a cardigan with her to wear around on top of short sleeves when she is in restaurants, malls, etc.
You are arriving in October, so the weather will be fine, like spring weather in the States, very pleasant actually. Last winter it actually got quite cold here, so bring jackets and even a light-weight winter coat (or heavier if you intend to travel during winter).
One other option: a number of western women do wear abayas around town. This is not seen as offensive by the locals, in fact, many of them appreciate it. It is also helpful to have an abaya around in case you need to make a stop on the way to the gym or some other location where you may be wearing more Western-style clothing. In any case, even if she wears an abaya, Western women are not expected to cover their heads, except in a mosque.