Men's clothing
لباس الرجل
Forms, materials and names of traditional Moroccan menswear — the lines of the Mashreq, the Gulf, the Ottoman Empire and Persia — and the clothing system specific to Dar al-Hiraf.
For what a resident actually wears over the course of the day, see the Riad's dress code.
IN THE HOUSE
A way of wearing, not a uniform
In the daily life of the Riad, traditional dress is the norm, not the exception — a way of wearing, not a uniform.
MAGHREB
The Moroccan wardrobe
المغرب
جلابة
Djellaba
ǧallāba · jellaba
Long, loose-fitting robe with a pointed hood (قب, qob). Everyday and outdoor piece: cotton or linen in summer, wool in winter. The hood protects from sun and cold. The backbone of the Maghrebi men's wardrobe.
جبادور
Jabador
ǧabādūr · jabador
Ceremonial set: straight tunic closed by a row of hand-braided spherical buttons (عقد, ʿaqad / aakad), matched with serwal trousers (سروال, sirwāl). Mdama belt (مضمة, maḍamma). Weddings, feasts, great occasions.
قميص
Qamis
qamīṣ · kamis
Straight, light tunic, without a hood, reaching the ankles. Cotton or white satin. Often worn with the taqiyah. Indoor variant: the gandoura (غندورة, ġandūra).
سلهام
Selham
silhām · selham
Wide wool cloak, open, sleeveless, with a hood. Worn over the djellaba in cold weather or on horseback. A sign of dignity and protection.
طربوش · طاقية · عمامة · شاشية
Moroccan head coverings
ṭarbūš · ṭāqiyya / taguia · ʿimāma / rezza · chechia
Tarbouche (Fez) — cylindrical cap of red felt, often with a black silk tassel. Ottoman and Maghrebi urban heritage.
Taqiyah (Taguia) — small round skullcap, closely fitted to the head. The simplest and most common piece, worn for prayer as much as in everyday life. In Morocco, taguia.
Turban (ʿimāma / rezza) — length of cloth wound around the head or the taqiyah. A more solemn variant, still present in traditional circles.
Chechia — a form close to the taqiyah, softer, sometimes in wool or felt. Everyday and prayer use.
IN THE WORKSHOPS
Work attire
Short-sleeved tunic, hard-wearing fabric, leather belt, belgha — the garment that accompanies the gesture of the craft. Not for show: the hand free, the body at ease.
Cotton or light linen, straight cut. The same logic as the qamis, adapted to work in the workshop.
تحت اللباس · الليل
Under the garment · Night
At home and at night — No codified pyjamas. Gandoura or fine cotton qamis.
Layers under the tunic — Izar or underwear → serwal → qamis / gandoura → djellaba or jabador.
ACCESSORIES
Belgha · Serwal · Mdama
Belgha — leather babouche. Serwal — loose trousers. Mdama — belt.
COMPARISON
Beyond the Maghreb
ما وراء المغرب
Gulf · Mashreq · Ottoman world · Persia
Thobe · Dishdasha · Kandura
ثوب · دشداشة · كندورة
Long everyday tunic. Ghutra held in place by the ʿiqāl.
Thobe · Keffiyeh
ثوب · كوفية
Long tunic with a keffiyeh (kūfiyya) draped over the shoulders — a variant of the Mashreq and the Levant.
Bisht
بشت
Ceremonial cloak, often trimmed with gold.
Salvar · Cepken · Fes
Salvar, cepken, kuşak, fez. No hooded djellaba here.
Qaba · Pirahan · Shalvar
قبا · پیرهن · شلوار
The qabā is the long coat, often open at the front.
DAR AL-HIRAF
Al-Kiswa al-Khassa
الكسوة الخاصة بدار الحِرَف
The system specific to Dar al-Hiraf
Beyond the Moroccan and Arab wardrobe described above, the students of Dar al-Hiraf wear a system of signs specific to the house — gandora, craft skullcap, rank belt, khirqa, and the other pieces of the system.
The terms on this page are gathered in the glossary of the house.