TRADITIONAL MENSWEAR

The red & white checked scarves that Saudi men wear are called shemagh

Traditional clothing is available in all sizes, even babies

The egal is worn on top of the head to keep the shemagh in place

 

Saudi Men's Traditional Dress

Saudi men have the option of wearing the traditional dress in public or they can choose to wear Western style clothing like jeans and t-shirts.  The traditional crisp long white tunic is called a Thobe. It's pretty much like a businessman's white dress shirt, except it goes all the way down to the ankles and it usually has a standup collar.  Most often it is made of cotton, but other fabrics are also used.

On their heads, most Saudi men typically wear a plain white scarf called Ghotra or the traditional red and white checkered scarf called Shemagh.  Both are a large square of fabric usually with a border around the edges. The large square is folded in half into a triangle shape. The black loop that anchors the Shemagh in place is called Egal.  

Sometimes a cloak is worn over the Thobe, often during colder weather or for more formal occasions like weddings.  The cloak is called a Bisht and it can be in almost any color and comes in different weights of fabric.  Quite often the Bisht has a wide decorative trim in gold or silver along the front opening.  

Many menswear shops sell gift boxes of Bisht kits that can also include things like the sword, Oud perfume, prayer beads, or the curved dagger called Khanjar with a belt and holster.  

 

Jeddah Souk Rainbow of Scarves

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TUESDAY'S TREASURES   

Saudi Man's Headdress Styles

The Saudi man's headdress can be worn in many different styles - up, down, flipped back, draped over the head, wrapped around turban style, one sided, two sided  - well, you get the picture.  The red and white patterned cotton scarf is most typically Saudi and is called "Shemagh" or "Keffiyah."  It is a large square shaped scarf with a border around the edges.  Design patterns can vary but they usually appear to be checkered looking - although they are not really a checkered pattern - and are more like a zigzag or chevron design. 

Scarves have been worn for generations by men in the Middle East for protection from the scorching sun's rays, as well as to protect the eyes and mouth from blowing dust and sand.  A small white cap (called taqiyah) is worn underneath the scarf to anchor it and keep it from slipping, and the black halo (called egal) also secures the scarf in place on the head.  Plain white scarves are also worn by Saudi men and they are called "Ghotra" or "Guthra."  To me, the plain white ghotra appears more elegant or formal than the red and white scarves.  Below are just a few of the ways the man's scarves can br worn. 

Linking to:  OUR WORLD TUESDAY   and  My Corner of the World 

The Saudi Man's Headdress

All over the Middle East, headgear is an important component of the traditional man's uniform.  Underneath the scarf is a small white cap called keffiyah which anchors the scarf and keeps it from slipping. Men in Saudi Arabia most commonly wear the red and white checkered scarf (shemagh) or a plain white scarf (ghutra), although there are many other colors and patterns available. They have been a part of the Middle Eastern man's fashion for a long long time, originally worn to protect from sandstorms and the hot sun.

The square scarf is folded in half into a triangle shape.  The scarf is then placed on the head with the two longer points on the left and right and the remaining point to the center back.  The black ring called egal is placed on top to hold the scarf down and keep it in place.

There are so many ways a man can style his scarf! Some wear it hanging straigh down, others like to flip the sides to the back, or maybe flipped up over the top.  There is not just one way of wearing it.

This post is linked to My Corner of the World. Do check out the other posts from bloggers from all over the world.

Shopping for Veils at the Souk

While most Saudi women who wear the face veil called "niqab" usually wear black,  they do come in a variety of colors.  I once ran into a friend of mine who was wearing all pink - a pink face veil, a matching pink head scarf, and a totally pink abaya.  She had to whisper her name to me because I wouldn't have recognized her otherwise!

City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers that share images of life in their cities around the world.  The first of every month is Theme Day  for City Daily Photo bloggers.  This month's theme is "Shopping."  Be sure  to visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day.

Scarf Shop Displays

Many shops here in Jeddah sell only one single product - like scarves.  I never was a scarf person, but I sure love the displays here, and now I own more scarves than I ever imagined I would.

Jeddah Men at Work

Countless small shops in Jeddah sell only scarves. They all seem to carry very similar styles and colors, so I don't know how they manage to compete with one another. Their prices all seem to be very similar as well. 

All of these shops are well organized and tidy - and they somehow manage to display as many scarves as they possibly can. 

Our World - Traveling in Style

Traditional Saudi dress is often worn by businessmen when working or traveling and by some men all the time.  The red and white checkered scarf worn by Saudi men is called "shemagh" and the black ring worn to hold it in place on the head is called "egal."  The white headscarf is known as "ghotra," while the name for the white dress worn is "thobe."

Thank you to my friend Jessica O'Kelly for allowing me to use this terrific photo she took while she was boarding a flight recently in Abha.




Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Traditional Saudi Men's Wear

You may have seen photos of Saudi royalty or dignitaries dressed in this type of clothing.  But do you know what each piece of clothing is called?

The white flowing robe with the gold trim worn over the white dress (Thobe) is called Bisht.  It comes in other colors too, like black, brown, or gold.

The red and white checkered scarf which is folded into a triangle shape and then draped over the head is called Shemagh.  The plain white one is called Ghotra or Ghutra.

The black hoop worn over the shemagh to keep it in place is called Egal.

The plain white dress worn underneath is Thobe.  

Our World: Swords and Scarves

Accessorize!  Traditional men's clothing stores in Saudi Arabia usually always also sell the swords which are part of the total look for formal occasions, like weddings.

 


Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Our World: Blind Old Man

While visiting the Turkish and Afghani souk area down in Old Jeddah, I captured this quiet old man resting, sitting on a rock.  Although weather worn, his clothes are clean and he seems well cared for.  In his hand he is holding a few riyals, given to him by passersby.

CLICK HERE for the link to a map of the location of Old Jeddah's Turkish and Afghani souk.

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Fashion in Jeddah

This woman caught my eye the other day at a mall.  Her abaya (the long black cloak that women must wear here in public) was quite flowy, like a cape.  And instead of wearing the usual scarf wrapped around her head and neck, she wore it turban style, which not many women here.  I thought she looked quite elegant, graceful, and stylish.

Our World: What Saudi Women Wear

 Even after five years of living here in Saudi Arabia, I'm afraid I am still not used to seeing women dressed in black cloaks from head to toe.  It still jars my senses - yet I am one of them!

These women are wearing the long black cloaks called abaya that all women in Saudi Arabia wear when out in public.  The two women on the outside wear a type of overhead abaya, which is all one piece and very loose, revealing absolutely none of the female form at all.  Most abayas that I've seen start at the neck and then the head scarf (hijab) is separate.   Many Saudi women also wear the niqab (veil) over their faces - although it might just be my imagination, but I feel like I am seeing more and more women without the veil lately.  The veil is not required by Islam.  Abayas with embellishments and colors are seen more commonly now too.  I wrote a post this past summer called "Embracing the Abaya" on my other blog, Susie's Big Adventure, with more photos of different abayas.  CLICK HERE TO READ IT.

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.