Formal wear origins

The Arabic thawb and besht
The West African dashiki
The Japanese kimono The Hausa babbanriga
The Indian and Pakistanis sherwani
THE ARABIC THAWB AND BESHT
Across the Arabic world a man’s
ankle-length tunic is known by a
variety of names, including thawb, thobe,
dishdash, dishdasha, kandura or suriyah.
It serves the necessary purpose of
giving total coverage to protect against
strong sunlight, while with layered
undergarments it conserves body
moisture and heat. Under the thawb
is worn the sirwaal, long underpants
elasticated at the waist. Traditionally the
gown is made of cotton for the summer
and wool for the colder months. Highquality
English and other European
wool cloths are much treasured by
Arab gentlemen. There are regional
differences between the looks of the
gown. The sleeves can be short and
wide, or tapered like a European shirt,
and fastened at the wrist with cuff
links. A small stand collar can offer a
more formal appearance. The placket
can be embroidered. Thawbs in north
Africa sometimes have hoods but more
normally the man would wear a scarfheaddress
known as a ghutra, which is
secured to the head with a circle of ropelike
cord called an agal. Some people
regard a longer thawb as representing
royalty, status and wealth. Another
symbol of power and affluence is the
besht, a generous thick cloak worn at
night, and the mashlah, a fine lightweight
cloak sometimes bordered with gold and
worn at ceremonial occasions.
THE WEST AFRICAN DASHIKI
Dashiki means shirt in the language of
the Yoruba, the most populous ethnic
group of West Africa. A colourful
men’s garment covering the top half
of the body, the dashiki is widely worn
in the region.Typically it is a loosefitting
pullover garment, with an
ornate V-shaped collar, and tailored
and embroidered neck and sleeve lines.
In its most formal versions a tailored
dashiki is worn with drawstring pants
called sokoto (named after the Nigerian
city of Sokoto) and a matching cap
called kufi (after the city of Kufi in
Nigeria; the word means crown).
A white dashiki suit is the wedding
outfit for most West African grooms.
The traditional, short-sleeved, thighlength
dashiki is preferred by purists,
but the shirtscan be knee-length or
longer. In West Africa, a man’s tribal
affiliation governs his mode of dress.
When wearing African attire to a
formal event, any color is acceptable.
Today, some men prefer to wear
black with gold embroidery, or dark
blue with gold embroidery, to blend
in with the dark western tuxedos.
The most common non-traditional
colours for wedding suits are purple
and lavender (the colour of African
royalty) and blue (representing love,
peace and harmony).Pattern through
print, weave, embroidery and brocade
make the vibrant cotton dashikis very
flamboyant.
THE INDIAN AND PAKISTANIS
SHERWANI
The long sherwani tunic first appeared
in the 1700s during the British period
of rule and was a fusion of the local
shalwar kameez outfit with the British
frock coat. Originally dress for nobles,
especially Muslims, it was later adopted
by a wider population as a westernised
version of local dress. After its
independence in 1947, it was made
the national dress of Pakistan. In the
west, a short version of the sherwani
became known as the Nehru jacket (see
page 47), after Jawaharlal Nehru, the
prime minister of India from 1947 to
1964. Today most fashionable grooms
in India and Pakistan choose a sherwani
for their bridal outfit. One difference
is that Indians prefer to wear churidars,
or tight-fitting trousers, while their
northern neighbours prefer salwars,
trousers which are wide at the top and
narrow to the ankle. Churidars tend
to be much longer than salwars and
the excess length falls into folds at
the ankle. Collarless or with a small
stand collar, the tailored sherwani,
which drops below the knee, is lavishly
decorated for the groom, particularly
echoing patterns from northern
India. A cloth like raw silk provides
textural interest while like shiny beads,
precious gems, sequins, embroidery
and brocade on the collar, neckline,
front panel and at the cuffs indicate
wealth, status and celebration. A
flamboyant turban usually completes
the stunning outfit.
THE JAPANESE KIMONO
For most Japanese men the kimono is
a special occasion garment, worn only
at weddings, tea ceremoniesand other
very formal occasions. Professional
sumo wrestlers are often seen in a
kimono because they are expected to
wear traditional costume whenever
appearing in public. The word literally
means an “object to wear” and was
adopted at the turn of the 20 th century
to rename the kosode, a historic
Japanese robe that dates back at least to
the 1700s. Kimonos are open-fronted,
T-shaped, straight-lined, ankle-length
robes. They have attached collars
and sleeves that are wide and long for
women, but shorter for men. Kimonos
always are wrapped from the left over
the right side of body (except when
dressing the dead for burial). The gown
is secured by a sash, which is tied at the
back. Kimonos are typically worn with
traditional Japanese sandals. The main
distinctions between men’s kimono are
in the fabric. Commonly the kimono
is subdued and dark, in black, dark
blues, greens, and browns. Fabrics are
normally matte, although some have a
subtle pattern, and textured fabrics are
common in more casual kimonos. The
most formal style of kimono is plain
black silk with five kamon, or heraldic
devices, on the chest, shoulders and
back. These are usually paired with
white undergarments and accessories.
THE HAUSA BABBAN RIGA
The tall and striking Hausa people
of northern Nigeria are Muslim.
Organised into a hierarchical imperial
social order across seven Hausa states,
the males know the importance of
spectacular clothes that reflect wealth,
lofty status, religious devotion and
political power. The most splendid
manifestation of this approach is the
Hausas’ superbly embroidered great
robe, or babban riga, part of an outfit
that comprises of a riga (the outer
robe; a second, less full, gown in
worn beneath), a ceremonial turban,
and embellished leather slippers or
boots. The gowns are made of the
region’s luxury textiles, typically
finely spun cotton or silk woven on
narrowband looms and decorated
with embroidery – in keeping with
Islamic beliefs, the patterns will show
asymmetrical, non-representational
motifs. Reaching from the shoulder
almost to the ground, the vast gowns
are draped over long-sleeved shirts
and embroidered trousers.
44 I BESPOKEN BESPOKEN I 45
Eric Musgrave