Clothing in Morocco
Morocco is a rich country in terms of history, traditions, people, culture, religion, climate, geography and so forth. Every one of these aspects of the country influences how Moroccan people are dressed. Among the variety of clothes in Morocco, we find the djellaba and kaftan, two fine garments that speak of the luxurious clothing style of the country.
If you are walking down the streets of any city of Morocco, you will certainly see some men and women wearing long and loose hooded gowns over their normal clothing. This garment is called the djellaba. It covers the entire body except for the head, the hands and the feet.
The djellaba for women is different than the one for men in style and purpose. Women wear a djellaba for different reasons. First of all, it is a very comfortable and aesthetically appealing. Second, it is a modest garment to wear in a Muslim country. Some women accompany it by wearing a scarf around their neck or head. It is also worn when visiting the family on a religious holiday.
Men usually only wear a djellaba on special occasions, sometimes topped with the famous Moroccan red cap, called a fez or tarbouche, and yellow leather slippers, known as baboush or belgha. The woman’s djellaba is more colorful compared to the man’s, and nowadays djellabas are becoming shorter and slimmer. There are verses of the Koran that mention the djellaba as a garment to be worn by Muslim women. A djellaba is mostly worn outside the house and there are djellabas for every day as well as for special occasions.
The kaftan refers to the Moroccan garment that looks like the djellaba but without a hood. The origins of the kaftan go back to the Ottoman Empire, as it was one of the finest Ottoman clothing worn by the elite. Like other garments, it has gone through changes over the years.
In Morocco, women wear it during special occasions like a wedding. The kaftan is the basic garment of the bride on her wedding day. It is also worn under a takshita, which is another beautifully decorated gown with traditional, hand-made buttons on the front, wide sleeves and a thick belt worn around the waist. As opposed to a djellaba, a kaftan is not worn outside the house.
As a foreigner in Morocco, you can wear any type of traditional Moroccan clothing. It is perfectly acceptable and even well appreciated. In winter, a man can wear a woolen djellaba over his clothes to keep warm. And, if a woman has invited people over to celebrate a holiday, she can put on a kaftan to receive her guests.
User Comments & Reviews
2010-03-06 21:04:35
I am researching the cultural clothing of Morocco. I can find information about what the men and the women's dress, but I cannot find anything about how Moroccans would clothe their children and the infants. Could any of you help me?
2010-02-15 14:28:42
انا جد فخورة بالمرأة المغربية والحجاب لأنه هو التعبير عن المرأة المسلمة بجد.
2010-02-11 00:03:01
i really love your dresses i am from palestine they have nice dresses but your are something different how can i order a dress for like a brother or a sisters wedding or like someone from the family do u like have a catalog i live in homestead florida
2010-02-06 10:09:55
We are manufacturer of Embroidery pieces (Indian saree) for making Moroccon traditional dresses, Caftan / Kaftan / Takchitas. Contact on email anilchhaperia@gmail.com Visiting Casablanca 24-26 February 2010.
2010-02-01 12:08:21
فعلا فالمغرب مثل ماهو غني بتاريخة غني بثقافته صراحة افتخر باللباس المغربي كثيرا واحاول جاهدة التعريف به خارج المغرب
2010-01-25 18:16:04
بصراحة انا مغربية و افتخر بملابسنا و تقافتنا الجميلة كما هناك موقع جغرافي جميل كما من دواعي ان اكون اول من يرد على هدا الموضوع الجميل
2009-12-07 21:35:50
Alia please email me at turquoiserashid@hotmail.com I have questions about how caftans/takchitas are made. thanks
2009-11-20 19:43:46
I have a store in Casablanca Morocco ; i make traditional moroccan dresses and modern ones ; if you need any help or questions about moroccan weeding or traditions please contact me
2009-11-09 07:26:30
i am a merican native i am going to be marrying a man who is from morocco he is morocan man i want to learn all about what to be prpared for an what i need to do before i marry him i want to find out about what to wear on wedding day ect im new to this an any help i can get an were can i find a wedding dress ect for me please help me thank you he is my soulmate an we are so inlove
2009-10-27 23:02:12
Im doing a report on Morocco and i wounder how do the clothes look like there?
2009-10-01 17:33:02
I'm doing a speech on Morocco and wanted to know what are some Family Traditions you people do?
2009-09-26 22:15:07
maroc je t'aime
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