A history of the Moroccan caftan, from royal court to souk

The caftan is one of the few garments in the world to have passed, almost without a break, from the royal court to the street, and then from the street to the international stage — keeping its original silhouette at every step: a long straight tunic, open at the collar, falling to the feet.

An origin at court

The word caftan travels from Persia and the Ottoman Empire, where it names a robe of state worn by men of power. It reaches Morocco through Muslim Andalusia and Mediterranean exchange. By the 16th century, under the Saadians, it is found at the court of Marrakech: worn by dignitaries, given as diplomatic gifts, cut from imported silks and embroidered with precious thread.

At that time the caftan is a marker of rank. The colour, the richness of the embroidery, the presence of spun gold all speak of the standing of the person who wears it.

Fez, Tetouan, Rabat: the schools of embroidery

Over the centuries, cities specialise. Fez develops a dense, geometric embroidery, tarz fassi. Tetouan, shaped by the Andalusian legacy, works fine floral motifs. Rabat is known for its polychrome silk-thread embroidery. Salé and Meknes have their own hands and stitches too.

These schools still exist. When a workshop says it is working a “Fassi” or “Rbati” embroidery, it names a grammar of motifs and a way of holding the needle passed from one embroiderer to the next.

The move to the city

As silks become more available, the caftan leaves the sole sphere of the court. Well-off city families adopt it for weddings and big celebrations. The takchita — the ornate caftan worn over a plain dress and closed with a belt — settles as the bride’s outfit.

The souk plays its part here: it is where cloth is sold by the cubit, where the sfifa is negotiated, where the master artisans are found. Many of today’s caftan houses, ours among them, were born from a counter in those lanes.

The 20th century and the international stage

In the second half of the 20th century, the caftan draws foreign couturiers passing through Marrakech and Tangier. It enters European wardrobes as a hostess gown, then returns, transformed, in contemporary Moroccan haute couture. Moroccan designers make it a runway piece, playing with volume, cut and material, without ever abandoning the original straight line.

Today: a living garment

What strikes you is the continuity. The caftan sewn in Marrakech today has the same structure as the one from the Saadian court: the same proportions, the same opening at the collar, the same logic of braid and buttons. What has changed is the range of fabrics available, the speed of execution, and the fact that a customer in Casablanca, Paris or Dubai can order remotely.

But the piece remains what it has always been: a garment you have made, that you keep, and that you hand down. That is the story we tell in The House.

To get the vocabulary straight (caftan, takchita, jellaba…), read our glossary.