Fruit of the Sea (Carole Frances Lung)
The caftan is the garment of the future. The caftan is a vision of change, a radical break from the business of fashion as usual: able to be worn by people of any gender, age, or size, in any climate.
The English word “caftan” comes from the Arabic, referring to a loose single-piece robe of Persian Gulf origin. Every culture has a version of this simply tailored garment, a woven rectangle with holes for the neck and arms (and sometimes sleeves): examples include the Japanese kimono, the West African boubou, the Chinese hanfu, the North African djellaba.
The caftan is a democratic garment: all-purpose clothing that is socially acceptable in a wide range of social contexts. A small number of caftans will serve the wearer well at work and at leisure.
The caftan is an ecological choice: its elegant geometry minimizes cutting and tailoring work along with the consequential fabric waste. As global temperatures rise, we would do well to look to garments that minimize resource use and are designed for desert conditions.
The caftan is suited to the contemporary nature of work. Employment is precarious and patchwork; the fashions of industrial work (coveralls, jumpsuits) or office work (suits, tailored dresses) no longer apply. The caftan rejects the discipline of the body through free movement and minimal restriction for the wearer.