A kaftan or caftan is a variant of the robe or tunic, originating in Asia, and has been worn by a number of cultures around the world for thousands of years.
Styles, uses, and names for the kaftan vary from culture to culture.
It may be made of wool, cashmere, silk, or cotton, and may be worn with a sash. The kaftan is often worn as a coat or as an overdress, usually having long sleeves and reaching to the ankles.
In regions with a warm climate, it is worn as a lightweight, loose-fitting garment.
The word "kaftan" derives from the Old Turkic word "ḳaftān" meaning "robe." This word may be derived from the Old Turkic word "kap-ton" meaning "bag garment".
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The vintage and vintage reproduction community embraces historical clothing and costumes, and sometimes we are so excited about finding a vintage piece or a pattern to replicate that we tend to forget its origins.
Every piece of clothing you wear has a history, inspired by another garment of our past, whether it be a more recent past or centuries ago.
There has also been a lot of discussion around exactly where the true origins of the caftan come from.
Some believe it is based on the Japanese kimono, while others argue that the original caftan is based on the caftan worn in the 830s, Byzantine Empire.
The caftan wasn’t just worn in Japan or the Middle East; many other cultures also embraced this beautiful, flowing garment.
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From my research, the earliest version of the caftan seems to have been worn in 830 in the Byzantine Empire, as I mentioned above.
The caftan was and still is incredibly popular in hot climates, due to its breathability and flowing fabrics.
Another incredibly interesting part of the caftan history is that it appears to be the oldest Turkish dress.
It can be traced as far back as the Hun, the Ottomans, and the Göktürks periods.
Many of these garments were manufactured from fabrics made in places such as Istanbul and Bursa, but some of those fabrics even came as far away as Venice, Genoa, Persia, India, and sometimes even China.
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Depending on what part of the world you’re in, you would wear the caftan differently.
Other countries and communities might wear the caftan belted, while others will have it remain loose.
Different countries would have different types of fabrics, colors, and textures.
Different religious communities would also wear the caftans, such as the Jewish communities or the Muslim communities.
The history of the Moroccan Caftan
The Kaftan in West Africa
In West Africa, a kaftan is a pullover robe, worn by both men and women.
A Senegalese kaftan is a pullover men's robe with long bell sleeves.
In the Wolof language, this robe is called a mbubb or xaftaan and in French it is called a boubou.
The Senegalese caftan is an ankle length garment and it is worn with matching drawstring pants called tubay in Wolof.
Usually made of cotton brocade, lace, or synthetic fabrics, these robes are common throughout West Africa.
A kaftan and matching pants is called a kaftan suit.
The kaftan suit can be worn with a kufi cap.
Senegalese kaftans are formal wear in all West African countries.
In the United States, some merchants sell this robe as a Senegalese style dashiki pant set or a full length dashiki pant set.
Men who are members of the Hausa tribe, wear these kaftans to formal events like naming ceremonies and weddings.
In the United States, a kaftan is one of three formal suits, equivalent to the tuxedo, that African-American grooms select for their weddings.
The other styles being the dashiki pant set, and the grand boubou, pronounced gran boo-boo.
There are various other formal robes that are worn throughout West Africa, and with the exception of the Yoruba Gbarie robe, pronounced barry, most of these are a form of Islamic dress, see sartorial hijab.
The kaftan is worn by Christians, African Jews, Muslims, and followers of African traditional religion.
Furthermore, Senegalese kaftans are common among men of African descent in the African diaspora.
The Senegalese kaftan is men's attire.
In West Africa, and the United States, this robe is not worn by women.
A white kaftan is worn for weddings.
The bride's attire is a buba and wrapper set or a woman's kaftan that is the same color as the groom's Senegalese.
Another robe that is occasionally seen in West Africa is the short-sleeved Maghrebi kaftan, also called a thobe, dishdasha, or jalabiyyah.
These kaftans are used as pajamas or lounge wear.
In the home, they are worn on top of underwear.
Some men wear the Maghrebi kaftan outside the home.
When worn outside, it is customary to wear the Maghrebi kaftan over a long or short sleeve t-shirt or turtleneck and a pair of pants, jeans, or shorts.
The Maghrebi kaftan can be worn with a knitted or crown style kufi cap.
In Maghreb, this robe is called a gandora or djellaba in Morocco, gandoura or djebba in Algeria, djebba or jebba in Tunisia and jalabiya in Libya.
Although widely worn, Moroccan kaftans are not formal attire in any West African country.
The Kaftan in Other Cultures
- Russia: In Russian usage, kaftan instead refers to a style of men’s long suit with tight sleeves. The Russian kaftan was probably influenced by Persian and/or Turkic people in Old Russia.
- Hasidic Jewish culture: Hasidic Jewish culture adapted a silky robe (bekishe) or frock coat (kapoteh, Yiddish word kapote or Turkish synonym chalat) from the garb of Polish nobility, which was itself a type of kaftan.
- Southeast Asia: In Southeast Asia, the kaftan was originally worn by Arab traders, as seen in early lithographs and photographs from the region.
The Kaftan in Modern Fashion
The caftan slowly gained popularity as an exotic form of loose-fitting clothing.
In the 1950s, fashion designers such as Christian Dior and Balenciaga adopted the kaftan as a loose evening gown or robe in their collections.
These variations were usually sashless.
American hippie fashions of the late 1960s and the 1970s often drew inspiration from ethnic styles, including kaftans for women and men.
These styles were brought to the United States by people who journeyed the so-called "hippie trail".
