|
We still have only limited information on Saudi garments, but we have acquired some information. The saudis are amomg the best dressed people in the wirld due to thehuge oil wealth. There are both traditional and modern Western garments. The traditional garments are essentially the dress common on the Arabian Peninsula, meanijng also Yemen, Oman and the Gilf states and not limited to Saudi Arabia. Headwear is the most destinvctive Saudi/Arab garment. Male headwear has three components. First is the tagia, a small white cap that holds the gutra in place on the gead. Second is the gutra itself, a large square of white or red and white checked cotton cloth. Third is the cloth. Third is the igal, a doubled black cord that also helps holds the gutra in place. The square gutra is folded in half, forming a triangle and then centred on the head. Men and boys of all classes wear the traditional dress called a thobe or thawb, which is often referred to as 'Arab clothing' Many men wear this garment as standard dress, although increasingly with western dress underneath. . Boys are more likely to wear Western styles and adopt thobe only for special occasions. The thobe varies seaonally. For warm weather Saudi men wear white cotton thobes. For cooler weather, wool thobes in dark colors might be worn. Unless they come from wealthy families, boys commonly only hace white war-weather thobes. For special olccasions, men commonly wear a bisht or mishlah over their thobe. The bishit is along white, brown or black cloak which can be trimmed in decorative metallic thread, often gold colored. While all of this is now fairly standard, it is not the tradtionl dress of the common people, but what the Arab elite tradionally wore. Before the discovery of oil, the Arabin Peninsula was one of the poorest places on earth. Few people, let alone the boys were dressed fashionably. Historically what was worn was the futha which we see here (figure 1). This was the most inexpenice garment possible, just a length of cloth with no added worked/sewed features at all. It was a cloth wrapped around the waist. They might have head bands and most went barefoot. Some audis today dress up in futha, but it is today more common in poorer areas like Yemen. Western dress today is increasingly common and almost universal among boys. We note Saudi boys wearing sweaters and sweatshirts for a birthday party.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1890s]
[The 1900s]
[The 1910s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Knicker suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]
[School smocks]
[Sailor suits]
[Pinafores]
[Long stockings]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Page
[Return to the Main Saudi page]
[Return to the Main country page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
