KAFTANS

 

Kaftans trace their history back to the middle-eastern countries. They have been worn for centuries and have evolved over time. Most often, kaftans refer to ankle-length garments that are long flowing and have long sleeves. Traditionally, they were worn by men. The kaftans could be buttoned down the front. Nowadays kaftans are worn by both men and women, although in the western world it is considered a womens garment. With fashion trends changing, the length of the kaftans has been experimented with and nowadays kaftans can be of variable length. Kaftans are closed in the front and you have to slip it over your head to wear it.

Kaftans are worn by people world over though the name given to them does change from place to place. In West Africa, kaftans are worn by women for both formal and informal occasions. These garments are called boubou in French. The informal fabrics used for making kaftans are mud cloth, batik, tie-dye etc. The formal kaftans use cotton, lace, linen, silk etc. Different varieties of kaftans can be seen in Russia, South East Asia, India and Morocco.