Moroccan Caftan
The traditional caftan is made out of silk or cotton and can be worn both by women and by men. Below you can read about one of the types of caftans, the Moroccan version.
Moroccan caftan
The caftan is usually worn more by women in Morocco. The caftan is the name of a Moroccan dress. The garment can be used very formally, depending on the material that was used. The material can also be worn in various formal meetings. In the old ages this material was worn by sultans and it was one of the most appreciated garments. Many generals also used it. Caftans have been used with long sleeves and usually under the Ottoman regime. The colors represented a strict order among hierarchies. Depending on the position of the individual, he would wear various patterns, buttons and colors. It represented the ranking of that person.
But eventually, it started to leave the tradition behind. By the 14th century the material had also spread to other countries and became very popular. In the 17th century they used precious fabrics named "Selimiye" fabrics. Fashion was becoming an industry there and there was a great need for new garments that would have a certain appeal. The world started to look for more exotic materials that would be different and very nice. The caftan was one of them. Most of the factories creating this garment were in Bursa and Istanbul. Some of them also came from Persia, India, Genoa and even China.
Depending on where they came from they had a certain name: velvet, canfes, gatma, gezi, aba, bürümcük, diba, hatayi, kutnu, kemha, seraser, tafta, serenk, zerbaft, and others. The most popular colors were Turkish red, violet, China blue and saffron yellow. After those years, as the industry developed, the number of available colors increased exponentially. Today the material is still appreciated and used in various fashion collections all around the world.