10 BEST Arabic Clothing Online Stores (2022) + Islamic Fashion Guide

Arabic Clothing in Morocco

Most Moroccans still wear the djellaba, a flowing and comfortable unisex hooded tunic with long sleeves.

Part of the national heritage, djellaba, is made in bright colors for women and earth tones.

Moroccans might accompany the tunic with traditional slippers – called balgha.

Traditional balgha are mostly yellow, but nowadays, you can find them in almost all colors.

Moroccan Women Clothing

• • Kaftan: an overdress similar to the djellaba but without a hood. It is usually worn on festive occasions or weddings and is not used in daily life.
  • Moroccan Men Clothing
  • Pandora: most men wear Pandora, a short-sleeved robe, much lighter than the djellaba described above.

Arabic Clothing in Tunisia

Spotting traditional Arabic outfits in Tunisia may be quite challenging, particularly in big cities.

But, a trip to the medina in Tunis or attending a wedding should give you a rare chance to admire the beauty of traditional Tunisian Arabic clothes.

Tunisian Women Clothing

• • Safseri: while not that common, older women still wear this white, long veil. Head for the old part of Tunis if you want to see one.

Tunisian Men Clothing

• • Chacha: a symbol of Tunisian traditions, older men still wear this flat red hat made of wool.

Arabic Clothing in Algeria

Much like in Tunisia, Western culture influences Algerian Arabic fashion.

Thus, seeing teenagers wearing typical Algerian attire might be difficult.

However, older men and women continue to wear two typical items of Arabic clothing, as below:

Algerian Women Clothing

• • Karakol: a traditional embroidered jacket that’s mostly worn on noteworthy occasions and weddings.

Algerian Men Clothing

• • Pandora: apparel typical to Algeria, usually made of brown or white wool.

Arabic Clothing in Libya

Nowadays, young Libyans tend to wear jeans and t-shirts.

However, if you leave the city and visit rural areas inhabited by the Berbers, you’ll see original Libyan attire.

Lybian Women’s And Men’s Clothing

• • Haik: this veil, almost forgotten in Algeria, is still worn by some Libyan Berber women.
  • The veil is made from a large white piece of cloth that covers one’s entire body.
  • Holi: a white cloak wrapped around the body and usually worn with the taqiyah.

Arabic Clothing in Egypt

Walking through the streets of Cairo is a great way to see a wide range of Arabic clothes and attires.

From women wearing a niqab to full hijabi girls, up to ladies who don’t cover their hair at all.

Equally, in Cairo and other big cities, it appears that Egyptian men do not wear classic Arabic clothing but polo shirts and jeans.

However, fellahin (farmers) and people living on the periphery of Cairo still prefer traditional and breezy attires.

Egyptian Women Clothing

• • Jalabiya or “galabeya”: Similar to the djellaba and the gandoura, the galabeya is a long tunic without buttons or a proper neck.
  • It comes in colorful and embroidered variations for women and more neutral colors for men.

Egyptian Men Clothing

• • Taqiya: this skullcap is usually worn in some Levant and Gulf countries under the ghutrah (men’s headscarf).
  • The uniqueness of the Egyptian fashion style is that some men wear this kind of cap on their own, without ghutrah.

Arabic Clothing in Jordan

In Jordan, western-style clothes are widespread, in particular in the western part of the country’s capital, Amman.

However, it is common to see more traditional and conservative attires in downtown and eastern Amman, and of course, in the smaller towns.

Jordanian Women Clothing

• • Combinations of niqab, hijab, jilbab, jeans, t-shirts, and khimar.

Jordanian Men Clothing

• • Shemagh mhadab – a red-checked keffiyeh widespread in the Gulf particularly in Saudi Arabia.
  • The color is typical of Jordan, recalling the Bedouin culture and values.
  • The more significant the tassels, the higher the social position and importance of the wearer.

Arabic Clothing in Palestine

Like in Jordan, traditional Palestinian clothes have been replaced with an American-European mix.

Palestinian Women And Men’s Clothing

• • Most men in big cities such as Ramallah or Jerusalem wear jeans and t-shirts, and women wear some soft westernized jilbabs and clothes.
  • However, the country has a specific chequered type of headgear that now represents the country on a global stage, thanks to Yasser Arafat.
  • Black & white keffiyeh – this color pattern has always been unique to Palestine, and it even became a fashionable item in America and Europe in the early 2000s fashion.

Nowadays, it represents support for the Palestinian cause.

Arabic Clothing in Lebanon

Among all the Arab countries, Lebanon deserves, arguably, the title of most fashionable and stylish.

Women tend not to wear hijabs, in particular in the capital city, Beirut.

Lebanese Women And Men’s Clothing

• • Serial – baggy and comfortable trousers also seen in the Gulf countries but under a dishdasha.
  • Serials are one of the very few traditional garments still worn by Lebanese countrymen. However, Lebanese wear them on their own, without a thobe.
  • Serials are so fashionable that even female versions were created.

Arabic Clothing in Syria

Much like the other Levantinian countries, Syria sees its men and women opting for Western-style clothes.

Older women wear hijabs, jilbabs, abaya, and niqabs.

Similarly, some older men can still be seen with keffiyeh and long tunics.

Traditional Syrian clothes of high quality are ornated with beautiful embroideries in black and red.

However, these traditional Arabic garments are now worn in the countryside on special occasions.

Syrian Women Clothing

‘That’ – Dyed black and red and often accompanied by a belt of the same color, the Syrian ‘that’ is a garment for women.

Syrian Men Clothing

• • Long, loose, and in black or other neutral colors, serial trousers are, just like in Lebanon, a key part of the traditional Syrian attire.
  • Men’s thobes share the same colors, red and black, in Jordan and Syria.

Arabic Clothing in Saudi Arabia

Saudi men and women are still wearing traditional Arabic clothing.

In RSA, adherence to Islamic clothing and moderate dressing for both sexes is an absolute must.

Saudi Women Clothing

• • Niqab – not very often worn in the Levant and North Africa, niqabs are predominant in Saudi Arabia.
  • Only in cities such as Jeddah and Dammam are women allowed to walk around without the face veil.
  • Gloves – it is not uncommon to see women wearing black gloves to cover their hands and arms.

Saudi Men Clothing

• • Shemagh – is the Saudi name for the typical Jordanian keffiyeh, worn by Saudis in the winter as a replacement for the ghutra.
  • Dishdasha – a typical Saudi thobe that resembles a long shirt.
  • tight, with cufflinks (Kabak), it comes with a two-buttoned neck.

Arabic Clothing in Qatar

Even if only 25% of the 2.1 million inhabitants have Qatari origins, there is a robust national identity expressed through clothes.

Qatari fashion is similar to the Saudi Arabian one, but it is more colorful, especially on the women’s side.

The most common garments are:

Qatari Women Clothing

• • Al-Darra – some Qatari women wear this local version of the black abaya described above.

Qatari Men Clothing

• • Shemagh – the Qatari shemagh is typically white and has an African feeling thanks to the two tails on the back and the stiff front part, which resembles a cobra snake.
  • Dishdasha – the Qatari dishdasha comes in shiny fabrics and usually has a pocket.

Arabic Clothing in Kuwait

The 1.4 million Kuwaitis differentiate themselves from the 2.3 million ex-pats that live in the country because of the language they speak and the way they dress.

Here are the typical Kuwaiti garments:

Kuwaiti Women Clothing

• • Dara’a – the name is the same as the Qatari dress, but it comes in a more colorful version and different models.
  • It is often seen at weddings, formal meetings, traditional dance events, and so on.

Kuwaiti Men Clothing

Shemagh: the Kuwaiti shemagh is white and characterized by a scale shape when observed from the front.

Dishdasha: Similar to the classic one, the Kuwaiti dishdasha has a distinguishing one-button collar.

Arabic Clothing in Bahrain

Bahrain might not be as known as Saudi Arabia when it comes to Arabic clothing and culture, but it is nothing short regarding history, biodiversity, and, of course, fashion.

Bahrain’s traditional clothes are in line with other Gulf countries but have some unique features which differentiate them from the neighboring countries.

Bahrani Women Clothing

• • Abaya – lookout for red abayas with golden embroideries because they are worn only on special occasions.
  • Red – is the national color, and it is not unusual to see women wearing accessories of this color on important days.

Bahrani Men Clothing

• • Shemagh – white is the most widespread color. Worn loose, it lets the head move freely.
  • Dishdasha – the Bahraini thobe is very comfortable, loose, and is usually paired with a shirt collar.

Arabic Clothing in UAE

The UAE has a highly complex Arabic clothing fashion panorama.

While Dubai is the most progressive state among the Emirates in terms of clothing, all other areas remain conservative.

Westernized fashion has evolved here incredibly fast.

In the past, sirwal and burqa were must-wear for women.

However, these pieces of classic Arabic clothing have been replaced with abaya in recent years.

Moreover, the classic white thobe now comes in various colors.

Emirati Women Clothing

• • Abaya – Dubai is the land of fashionable and trendy abayas decorated with sequins, embroideries, and ribbons.

Emirati Men Clothing

• • Shemagh – Mostly white, but often found in the renowned Jordanian red & white pattern.
  • It is styled quite loose, over the shoulders.
  • Kandora – is the UAE name for dishdasha, a collarless and features a long tassel called tarboosh.
  • More recently, it is fashionable for men in the UAE to wear American-style baseball or trucker hats with their white or brown Kandora.

Arabic Clothing in Oman

The southern sultanate is very mindful of its culture and national heritage, Arabic clothing included.

That’s why traditional dress is compulsory for all employees in the public sector in Oman.

Western-style clothes have no space in the country, except for tourists, of course.

Traditional Omani attires could not be complete without:

Omani Women Clothing

• • Abaya – the black abaya with some colorful details is most common in the capital Masqat.
  • Dishdasha – just like Omani men, Omani women of rural areas wear this traditional tunic in a great variety of colors and with rich details. Very often, you’ll see it matched with loose-fitting sirwals.
  • Lahav – a typical headscarf wrapped around the head.

Omani Men Clothing

• • Kumma – there is no space for the shemagh in Oman.
  • Here, the shemagh is substituted by the traditional cap, which comes in different colors and has holes to keep the head cool.
  • Muzzar – a turban wrapped around the head, with or without a kumma underneath. Dishdasha: it can be white or in earth tones such as brown or grey.
  • It sports a short tassel, too.

Arabic Clothing in Yemen

This country has preserved an extraordinary heritage in terms of history and traditions.

Yemeni clothes are just another expression of how much Yemenis follow their customs.

As such, Yemeni’s Arabic clothing choice is a clear indication of the region they come from, be that the mountainous North, the coastal area of the West, or the tribal area of the South.

Still, it is not uncommon for men to wear Western clothes in the cities.

Let’s see what makes Yemeni’s attires different from all the other Gulf countries:

Yemeni Women Clothing

• • Balto – is the Yemeni version of the abaya, and it remains quite widespread in urban areas.
  • Lithia – more or less the Yemeni version of the niqab.
  • Sitara – literally, “curtain” is the traditional dress of the capital Sana’a. Nowadays, only older women wear this colorful piece of cloth, covering them from head to toe.

Yemeni Men’s Clothing:

• • Shawl – a headscarf, similar but somehow different from the shemagh, is wrapped around the head just like a turban, and it comes in many different colors.
  • Thobe – while the white thobe is very common in the North of the country, all coastal areas wear a skirt called ‘futa.’
  • Jambiya – it is not unusual to see a dagger hanging from men’s belts, especially in the northern areas.

Arabic Clothing in Sudan

The fashion style of Sudan is unique and easily recognizable.

Sudanese wear many Arabic garments widespread in the rest of the Middle East.

But, usually, Sudanese clothing has a brighter and more colorful version, which suggests us of other African countries.

While Western clothes are found in big cities, some people still prefer traditional loose-fitting pieces.

Let’s see what items of clothing you cannot miss if visiting Sudan:

Sudanese Women Clothing

• Thobe – Different from the Gulf, this big piece of Arabic clothing is designed especially for women. According to the occasion, it is wrapped all around the body and the head, and it comes in varying patterns and colors. Older women generally don it as the younger generation wears alternatives such as abayas, long skirts, and dresses.
• Hijab – being a Muslim country, all Sudanese women wear a headscarf, sometimes underneath the thobe.

Sudanese Men Clothing

• Jalabiya – just like the Egyptians, Sudanese men like being comfortable clothes, such as loose-fitting tunics.
• Sudanese tend to supplement it with a decorated scarf.
• Taqiya – the skullcap is worn without the keffiyeh to keep the head cool, again, just like in Egypt.