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Nomadism has gotten a remix through the fashion world. Over decades, designers borrowing from orientalist vocabulary have produced prêt a porte with an updated Eastern sensuality, and fashion figures have followed suit. Between Yves Saint Laurent and Talitha Getty in the 60s and 70s, enough love for the Caftan existed to lift the style to iconic status. Vicarious travel through embroidered fabrics and Eastern cuts became one of life’s exotic pleasures.
Beaded, brocaded, and spun in enticing colors, the Caftan is nonetheless a simple gown made of cotton, silk, or a combination of the two. It is Morocco’s answer to elegant women’s wear for a festive evening. In variations, it has been synonymous with glamour from northwestern Africa to eastern Anatolia. The 60s, however, saw the Caftan’s rise to stardom in Western Europe and beyond.
To take a stroll through the souk and is to see what wonders can be done with fashion while still leaving everything to the imagination. From shirts and dresses to shoes and accessories, the Moroccan traditional style retains both timelessness and uniqueness. At one time or other it has inspired nearly all of Europe’s top designers who continually reinvent and reintroduce the style to appreciative fashion connoisseurs the world over.
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In the desert, temperatures soar and sand will storm. Scarce few things the modern world has invented can better comfort the body in harsh dry climes than the loose flowing tunic of breathable linen. The 1984 science fiction movie, “Dune,” depicted a desert people known as “the Fremen” who wore technologically advanced rubber suits designed to protect their bodies from dehydration. In reality, the djellaba remains the closest thing there is to a hydration suit. Worn since before Roman times, the djellaba is classic tailoring ideally fitted for the desert.
Moroccan colors are deep oranges, russet reds, and emerald greens, and all of these can be found in the Moroccan wardrobe. Cerulean blue is also characteristically Moroccan, and a color especially sacred to the Tuareg, those nomadic peoples who live at the edges of the Sahara. For the brilliant dawn sky hues of their djellabas, but also of their specially wrapped turbans, the Tuareg are known as the “blue men” of the desert. They are a people particularly adept at weathering the elements, and their clothing reflects all of style, wisdom, and necessity.
Gauzy, light-weight, and cut long for wrapping, the turban cloth is used to shelter the head from the elements. On a desert morning, when the wind is blowing so that all those tiny particles of sand seek entrance to the mouth, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the back of one’s neck, and even one’s shoes, anyone would surely know the reason the turban was invented. Besides providing protection from the wind and desert sand, the turban also protects against heat stroke when the sun is at its most powerful.
The tarbouche, the red cap worn by men and more commonly known as the Fez, is an accessory historically worn by men. These days its use has faded into touristic nostalgia, and it is more likely to be seen on waiters and other service people for the pleasure of the tourist trade.
By contrast, the simple leather slipper, the baboosh, is still very much apart of the Moroccan wardrobe. With pointed toe and flat, finely crafted heal, the style is worn by both men and women, although the particular design for the sexes differs. When found in Moroccan designer shops, however, the baboosh is an updated classic in all cases.
Many Moroccans no longer wear the traditional clothing, but it is still a sort of an unwritten societal rule that a Caftan be worn at weddings and other special engagements. For everyday wear, the young generation has all but abandoned the djellaba and the fez hats.
The youth of Morocco are conscious not only of fashion trends, but of the way they themselves look. Most Moroccan men will not leave the house until their clothes are pressed, and they have completed all the necessary grooming. Moroccan men believe that showing skin displays a lack of style and fashion awareness. Tank tops, shorts, and even flip flops are not worn out of the house.
Moroccan women have also stepped away from traditional clothing. But while men have almost free rein, women are still very much influenced by societal standards. Most women have been brought up to believe that showing skin is not proper, and that self-respecting women do not show too much of themselves. Clothing that is too tight or shows a lot of skin is considered indecent. Still, more and more are embracing Western style despite it being frowned upon. Shorter skirts and fitted jeans are becoming increasingly commonplace in the larger cities.
Fashion styles are rapidly changing in Morocco as the younger anti-establishment generations grow up to become prominent in the society. There is irony in the Moroccan desire to imitate Western styles, while Westerns hold a renewable fascination with the Moroccan style. Fortunately, designers have learned to blend the best of two (or more) worlds for a look that appeals to people from both.
