Thobe

The thobe or thawb is an item of cloth commonly worn by Muslim men. A thobe is a long robe which flows to the ankles and a thawb will generally be worn as an outer garment. For Muslim men a thobe will be loose and not form fitting in accordance with the Islamic faith and a thawb will be worn with trousers. The thobe will generally be short sleeved allowing a thawb to be worn over long sleeved shirts and other clothing. The thobe originated in Arab countries but the thobe design spread and now the thawb has various interpretations in many African countries. In the subcontinent the basic thobe design was altered into the popular shalwar kameez although the thawb can be seen in the more metropolitan cities of the continent.

Thobes were worn in pre-Islamic times but was adopted by Islamic culture and now the thawb is commonly associated with Arabs and the Islamic faith. The popularity of the thobe is its ability to meet Islamic requirements on clothing and modesty. A thawb must be long and loose and thobe should not reveal the shape. Thawbs are worn today due to the thobe’s ability to be seen as an artist’s canvas whereby all manner of thawb can be created with wonderful colourful patterns and differing textures.

The longevity of the thobe design lies in the fact it has so versatile in design and the thawb’s adoption by many countries across the globe. In Arab lands the thobe is most popular in brilliant white but for everyday wear thawbs are available in elegant stripes or patterns and in dazzling array of colours. Indeed the common African thobe is a beautiful mix of daring colours and bold designs. African thawb will be slightly shorter than the Arab thobe due to cultural preferences but both types of thawb are widely worn by Arab and African men.

Even though the thobe design is many centuries old the thawb is still incredibly popular in its lands of origin and increasingly the UK. Young Muslim men have greatly taken to the thawb and a thobe’s loose design means a thobe can be easily worn over jeans and a shirt. Indeed, the thawb makes an ideal gift for Muslim men and the variety of thobe available make it popular among young men. In dazzling white such thawbs are ideal for wedding occasions and religious festivals while a coloured thobe is appropriate for general wear. A thobe is usually made from cotton allowing the thawb wearer to keep cool or stay warm through layering above a thobe which can easily be removed.

A thobe is easily found in the UK and thawbs available in high street shops. When purchasing a thawb the wearer must make sure the thobe is not tight fitting and that the thawb does not hug the wearer. In the UK the thobe to be worn over western clothes may mean the thawb should be bought in a larger size.