arabian clothes

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Arabian Clothing and Fashion

The majority of Arab women dress conservatively. In the Arabic countries you will find a variety of traditions. Many women dress in clothes that do not cover their faces or hair, while others cover them and it all depend on the country they reside, their personal choice, or social level.
A very conservative woman might wear a long black garment called "Abayah" that covers the body from the shoulders down to feet. Under this cover she could be wearing a traditional Arabian dress, "thawb", or she could be wearing the latest style designer clothes. In addition to the Abayah, a very conservative woman would wear a face and head cover. Some women would wear the Abayah without the head and face cover, while others might wear a scarf-like cover called "Hejab" to cover the hair only and not the face.
As well, many women wear the latest style clothes without an Abayah or Hejab depending on the country they reside in. In some countries, like Saudi Arabia, you never find women in the streets without the Abayah whereas in other countries such as Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt you find a mixture of women either wearing the Hejab, Abayah, or casual jeans, shirts, long and short skirts.
The same goes for men and depending on the country they reside in or whether they live in a rural or urban area you will find men wearing the western style clothes or they might wear the traditional “Dishdasha”, “Thawb” and “Kaffiyeh” with “Igal”

Some Clothing Terminology

A thawb, thobe, or dishdasha is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe. It is typically worn by men in the Arabian Peninsula and some surrounding countries. It is normally made of cotton, but heavier materials such as sheep's wool can also be used, especially in colder climates.

The style of the thawb/ thobe varies slightly among the various regions within the Gulf. The sleeves and the collar can be stiffened to give a more formal appearance.
The term thawb or thobe is also used to refer to a very long, oversized woman's garment with a heavily embroidered front panel.

The kaffiyeh (also yashmag) is a traditional headdress of Arab men, made of a square of cloth (or scarf) usually cotton (also mix of cotton and wool for winter), folded and wrapped in various styles around the head. It is commonly found in arid climate areas to provide protection from direct sun exposure, as well as for occasional use in protecting the mouth and eyes from blown dust and sand.

Local variations exist. Often, the kaffiyeh is held in place by a rope circle, called an igal. Sometimes a skullcap is worn underneath the kaffiyeh. The kaffiyeh is almost always of white cotton cloth, but many have a checkered pattern in red or black stitched into them.
The plain, white kaffiyeh is most popular in the Gulf states, almost excluding any other style in Kuwait and Bahrain. The black-and-white kaffiyeh is most popular in the Levant.

The red-and-white kaffiyeh is worn throughout these regions, but is most strongly associated with Jordan. It has been used by Bedouins throughout the centuries and was used as a symbol of honour and tribal identification.

The igal (also agal) is an accessory constructed of cord which is fastened around the Kaffiyeh to hold it in place. The igal is usually black in colour.

An igal is usually constructed of black cord wrapped tightly around a core of goat wool or bunched fabric.

Front of a traditional middle eastern embroidered
ladies garment (thawb).

Back of a traditional middle eastern embroidered
ladies garment (thawb).

Front of a traditional middle eastern embroidered
ladies garment (thawb).

Back of a traditional middle eastern embroidered
ladies garment (thawb).

Two different sides of a traditional
middle eastern embroidered ladies garment (thawb).

Two different sides of a traditional
middle eastern embroidered ladies garment (thawb).

Front view of the traditional mens embroidered garment (thawb).

Back view of the traditional mens embroidered garment (thawb).

Tunisia djerba bride in Houmtsouk.

Egyptian traditional clothes

Egypt had a range of traditional costumes. The farmers (fellahin) basically wear gallibayas. In the cities the upper classes adopted the clothes of their conquerors - Ottoman Turks from 1500s, and later European from 1798. To the south the Nubians have their own distinctive costume and across the desert the Bedouin also have a separate style of clothing.
Peasant women would wear a gallebaya outdoors but in the city gallibaya tended to be worn only indoors. For public wear a woman would wear a wide woman's dress called a tob sebleh.
Wide trousers were worn as underclothing (tshalvar or shintijan) gathered below knee and falling to ankles.
The woman's kaftan was called a yelek. This was lined, with the neck open to breast and buttoned or laced along side seams for shaping. It had high side slit over trousers. Girded with shawl. Women would wear a shirt under the yelek, and a djubbeh or binnish over it.
In Alexandria and Cairo, women would also wear the melaya luf - a large rectangular wrap worn for modesty, warmth, and used to carry things.
City women often worn a bur`a - a long rectangular face veil either of white cotton or open weave - and a headscarf (sometimes over a skullcap - taqiyah). Another headcovering was the mandil (headscarf) sometimes decorated with pom poms. Among the fellahin a bag like hattah was sometimes worn.

rgyptien traditional clothes

Tunisian clothes

Women's clothing is much more diverse than that of men. In the towns, the vast majority of young women have adopted the European style but women of a certain age, even in urban areas, often wrap a sefseri, white veil of silk or fine wool that covers the head with a blouse and baggy pants. These figures of women wearing sefseri is engrained in the traditional culture of Tunisia as much as the blue and white houses of Sidi Bou Said. In rural areas, women still wear brightly colored dresses, often in the Berber style and made of blue or red cotton, representing their region or their village. The fabric is opened on the side and is held at the waist with a belt and at the shoulders by two clasps. Women of all ages typically wear a massive amount of jewelry with the clothing and it is common to see women with tens, even hundreds of gold sovereigns, necklaces and other trimmings around their necks and from the sides of the headdress.

The festive ceremonial costumes differ somewhat across regions. In the Sahel, the centerpiece of the ceremonial dress is a dress draped in wool or cotton, drawn to a bodice embroidered with silk and silver, a velvet jacket decorated with gold, lace pants and a silk belt. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the brides of the wealthy aristocracy of Tunis often wore a Ka ftan cut in velvet, brocade or silk and richly embroidered with gold and enriched with precious stones. Nowadays, some marrying in Sousse and Hammamet still wear a kaftan with elbow-length sleeves, an open front, and varying in length from the knee to the mid calf. The richness and originality of the costumes are typically based less on the cut or the fabric as they are on woven patterns or embroidery.
Wearing the hijab is not widespread in Tunisia although the country has seen a relative increase since the early 2000s. Indeed, the state prohibited it in schools and in the government offices.

tunisian traditional clothese

The abaya

The abaya It is considered an Arabic cultural dress integrated into the hijab, or Islamic dress, for many countries of the Arabian peninsula such as Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates, where it is the folk costume.
Traditional abayat are black and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head or a long caftan. The abaya covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqāb, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered as well.

traditional abaya

moderne abaya

Algerian women’s clothing

looking for traditional Algerian women’s clothing? Perhaps you are more interested in modern Algerian ladies clothes? Read our guide for more facts & information… While most Algerian women now wear western style clothing, the traditional clothing of the region is still used for special occasions and holidays. The styles vary by region and some have obvious European influences. Most traditional styles include a headdress or other head covering since the majority of the country practices Islam and Muslim women cover their hair as a sign of modesty. The richness and beauty of traditional Algerian women's clothing makes it popular among tourists.
Traditional Jacket and Skirt
One type of traditional Algerian women's clothing consists of a jacket worn over a long full skirt. The skirt is often made from rich fabrics like silk, satin or velvet and is unadorned. The jackets are also made of luxurious fabrics and are adorned with elaborate embroidered patterns in a contrasting color. The most common motifs are vines and leaves and the embroidery covers much of the front of the jacket which is fitted and ends at the hip. Western women love the jackets, although the skirts would be reserved for formal occasions.
Dress Styles
One type of traditional dress features a loose empire waist with a full skirt which falls to the floor. The sleeves are long and loose and the bodice and upper sleeves are decorated with elaborate embroidery. Another style features a dress with a fitted robe worn over it in a style reminiscent of European dresses of the 18th century. Both the dress and the robe have long, full skirts and the robe features the exquisite embroidery which is a hallmark of all traditional Algerian women's clothing.
Head wear in Algerian Women's Clothing
While many costumes feature head wear which is simply a large, often sheer scarf, some of the traditional headdresses feature elaborate beading, stiff raised front pieces or gold coins. Since married muslim women often cover their hair in public, the headdresses are an important component of traditional dress. While much of the traditional Algerian women's clothing shows European influences, the headdresses are more similar to those worn in other areas of the Middle East.
Important Features
The features that differentiate Algerian women's clothing from traditional European styles are the bright jewel tone colors and the use of intricate North African embroidery designs. Many of the designs are stitched or accented with gold thread. There are a few areas of Algeria where the traditional dress includes pantaloons and a jacket instead of a skirt. The type of clothing depends greatly on the cultures which influenced different areas of the country.
Although traditional Algerian women's clothing is beautiful, it is not really practical in a modern world. In cosmopolitan cities like Algiers, most women wear Western style clothing for everyday fashion. Only older Algerians wear traditional clothing on a daily basis, while other women reserve their special dresses for occasions where they are suitable.

Algerian traditional clothes