The Djellaba

The Djellaba, a typical robe that you cannot miss from the very first few seconds after arriving in Morocco. According to the many people we have met who have professed to be experts in many areas, there are three basic types of djellaba for men and two basic everyday options for women. For both sexes, the machzania or "government" djellaba is the most common throughout the country. For the men, there are also the northern and the southern djellaba, and for the women there is the kaftanlamic religion of Morocco is also a key factor in the way that Moroccan people dress. The djellaba covers the whole body and is therefore an acceptable modest outfit.

Djellabas come in different shapes and colours, and are worn in different forms. The djellaba is a long, loosely fitting hooded outer robe with full sleeves,that men and women pull over their garments. They are made in many different shapes and colours; generally men wear light colours, which is important as this helps reflect the strong Moroccan sun. Light colours are also available for women to wear but despite this, women choose to wear brighter colors such as pinks, blues and even black. The hood is of vital importance for both sexes as it protects the wearer from the sun and in earlier times was used as a defence against sand being blown into the wearers face by strong desert winds. Djellabas are made of a wide variety of materials, from cotton for summer-time djellabas to coarse wool for winter djellabas. The wool is typically harvested from camel,goats or sheep living in the surrounding mountains and then a long process of turning the wool into yarn is carried out and it is then woven in the fabric to create the garment.

Djellabas are worn by both men and women; the men's style is generally baggier, of darker colors, and plain. Women's djellabas are tighter and can sport elaborate decorative stitching in a variety of colors. Women sometimes add a scarf. Almost all djellabas of both styles include a baggy hood called a 'cob' that comes to a point at the back. Traditionally Djellabas reach right down to the ground but nowadays they are becoming slimmer and shorter.
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