What Is a Caftan?

Where does the caftan come from?

Sources differ on where the caftan began: Encyclopaedia Britannica gives it an ancient Mesopotamian origin, while FIT’s Fashion History Timeline describes it as an ancient Persian long, loose tunic. Britannica adds that it has been worn throughout the Middle East.

The word reached English in the 1590s, for a long tunic worn by men in Turkey and Egypt. The Online Etymology Dictionary traces it to Turkish qaftan, from Persian khaftan. Both spellings are current. Britannica and FIT head their entries “caftan” and give “kaftan” as the alternative; the V&A and the Smithsonian’s Ottoman exhibition write “kaftan”; UNESCO’s Moroccan listing writes “caftan”.

At the Ottoman court

The Ottoman sultans’ kaftans are the best-documented historical group. The core of the Smithsonian’s 2005–06 exhibition Style and Status came from the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul, which the Smithsonian calls the largest repository of Islamic textiles in the world. Its robes date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The exhibition calls silk the empire’s most potent and visible symbol of power and wealth, and among the most prestigious robes of honour were those made of cloth of gold (seraser) or Italian velvet.

A kaftan also carried a message. Robes of honour (hil’at) were given to mark occasions such as a prince’s birth, the success of a military campaign or Muslim holy days, and served as diplomatic gifts and rewards for service. The number of robes, their fabric and whether they were lined with fur showed how much honour was conferred. Religious dignitaries received wool instead, because they disapproved of silk as a sign of vanity. Layering mattered too: the number and type of layers signalled social and economic status. When a sultan died, most of his clothing was tagged and stored away.

In Morocco

In Morocco the caftan is living ceremonial dress. UNESCO’s listing describes a long tunic with a central opening and buttons, worn with or without a decorative belt. People of all genders and ages wear it at weddings, coming-of-age rituals, festivals and other social and religious events. Weavers produce its brocade, velvet and silk; tailors shape it; other artisans make the buttons, braids and embroidery, which often includes beads and sequins. The skills pass down within families, through workshop apprenticeships and in training centres and fashion schools.

As of 2026, “Moroccan Caftan: art, traditions and skills” is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It was inscribed in 2025.

In Hasidic dress

Britannica notes that the black frock coat worn by Hasidic Jews is also called a caftan or gaberdine.

In Western fashion

Western dress borrowed the caftan in stages. FIT’s Fashion History Timeline dates Western use to 19th-century “orientalist” fashions and, citing Helms (2018), says Christian Dior and Cristóbal Balenciaga showed caftan-like styles in the 1950s and 1960s. Britannica records that by the mid-20th century an ankle-length, coatlike dress with wide sleeves had become fashionable women’s evening wear under the same name.

In Laura Helms’s account of the 1970s, quoted by FIT, women entertaining at home wore the caftan dress, while young people who had travelled the hippie trail from North Africa to Afghanistan brought more traditional silhouettes into Europe and the US. The Jerusalem-born designer Thea Porter began designing after moving to London in 1964. Her printed silk caftans were often patchworked with brocades; the V&A holds one from 1970. That year Rudi Gernreich also showed a floor-length, loose silk caftan meant to blur the line between men’s and women’s clothes.

What makes a caftan a caftan?

A caftan is long, loose and has long, wide sleeves. Britannica describes the traditional form as full-length and open at the front, often bound with a sash, and usually made of cotton, silk or a blend of the two. FIT compares its cut to the T-cut tunic. It hangs from the shoulders instead of following the waist.

How it closes depends on the tradition. Britannica’s traditional caftan is open and sashed; UNESCO’s description of the Moroccan caftan specifies a central opening with buttons.

Caftan vs maxi dress vs abaya

• Maxi dress: a maxi dress is defined by its length alone. A fitted floor-length dress is a maxi dress but not a caftan, which also needs the loose cut and wide sleeves.
• Abaya: the abaya is a separate garment with its own traditions. In at least one museum record the names overlap: the V&A catalogues its 1970 Thea Porter piece as both a kaftan and an abaya.

What are the main types of caftan?

The four main types are the Ottoman court kaftan, the Moroccan caftan, the Hasidic caftan and the Western caftan dress. They differ in purpose as much as in cut.

How do you tell a well-made caftan?

A well-made caftan hangs straight from the shoulders, has a hem you can barely see from the outside, and keeps its print matched across the front opening and seams. Long, unbroken panels show every fault.

Fabric and label

Read the fibre content first. Traditional caftans are cotton, silk or a blend; the Moroccan ceremonial caftan uses brocade, velvet and silk. On a sheer chiffon caftan, like the printed chiffon in the V&A’s Thea Porter piece, the seam allowances show through the cloth, so look at the seams from the right side in daylight.

Hem and seams

A floor-length caftan has a very long hem, so check all of it. New Mexico State University’s guide to judging garments asks for a hem of even width. Its stitches should be evenly spaced and inconspicuous from the outside. Seams should be smooth, with a finish suited to the fabric; overlocked seams should lie flat with no ladders or puckering.

Print matching and grain

The same guide lists careful matching and placement of plaids or stripes, and correct grain lines. On a caftan, look where a large print meets itself at the centre front and the side seams. Then hang the garment and look down the side seams: they should fall straight rather than twist towards the front.

Buttons, braid and lining

Buttons should be securely sewn, with a shank where needed; give each one a gentle pull. On a Moroccan caftan the buttons, braids and embroidery are a craft in their own right, made by specialist artisans, so that is where workmanship shows. In a lined caftan, the lining should lie smooth without adding bulk or wrinkling the outer fabric.

Red flags

• Puckered seams, or overlocking with ladders in the thread
• Hem stitches visible from the outside, or a hem that changes width
• A large print chopped off at the centre front or side seams
• Side seams that twist when the caftan hangs
• Loose buttons, or a lining that wrinkles or pulls the outer cloth

How do you wear a caftan?

Match the cloth to the occasion: plain cotton for heat and the beach, silk or a bold print for evening, and a ceremonial Moroccan caftan for the celebrations it is made for. A light cotton caftan goes over swimwear such as a bikini and suits resort wear. A silk caftan dress follows the mid-20th-century use of caftans as evening and at-home wear.

Because the cut is loose, proportion does the work. A sash or belt defines the waist, as in the traditional sashed caftan and the belted Moroccan caftan; worn unbelted, it falls straight from the shoulders. When the caftan carries heavy embroidery or a large print, keep jewellery and shoes plain.

The Moroccan ceremonial caftan is cultural dress with its own occasions, worn at weddings and festivals. UNESCO notes that it provides income for many people who make and sell it, so if you are invited to wear one at a Moroccan celebration, buy from Moroccan tailors and makers. The Hasidic caftan is religious community dress, not a fashion garment.