Kurdish traditional clothing

Kurdish traditional clothing, also known as Kurdish dress (Kurdish: جل و بەرگی کوردی, Cil û bergên kurdî), refers to the folk costumes of the Kurdish people. The traditions typically vary across different regions and tribes of Kurdistan, but it has some common elements. Historically, Kurdish clothing was more complex and varied, but it has evolved to a simpler form over time. It is also prominently worn during festivals and special occasions such as Newroz.
One of the earliest description of Kurds having a particular way of dressing is attested by 13th century historian Ibn Khallikan. The Kurds were described to have dressed a clothing made of cotton, and wearing the mandil hat. The mandil hat is a long piece of cloth that is rolled several times around the head to form the turban, or handkerchief that replaces it.
The traditional clothing of Kurdistan can be categorized into three main types for men.
Traditional northern Kurdish clothing is tight-fitting and resembles rural Turkish attire as well as Balkan costumes. The trousers feature tight lower legs and a loose, baggy crotch that can extend to knee length. Neck scarves are commonly worn, and waistcoats over shirts are typical. The headgear varies, with options like loose turbans, skullcaps, or a mix of both, and is generally modest in size. In some tribal groups, the shirts have distinctive funnel-shaped sleeves.
The traditional Central Kurdish clothing, known as Şal û Şapik, is widely recognized in Iraqi Kurdistan and southern Turkish Kurdistan, including Hakkari Province And south of Kurdistan, the Urmia Plain. It is also named after the region where it is worn, such as Badinani, Hakkari, or Rewanduzi. This style consists of a fitted collarless jacket, open to the waist, tucked into gathered trousers that flare to the ankle. The suit is often embroidered, with colors ranging from striped browns and creams to self-colored stripes. The white shirt with funnel sleeves is often worn, with the sleeves usually wound around the outside of the jacket arms. A sash, often large but now less substantial, is worn around the waist and can be tied in elaborate ways, traditionally storing small personal items. Headdresses vary by tribe but usually consist of a turban made from a coiled chequered scarf around a skullcap, available in many shapes and colors. The turban has no hanging tail and can be removed and replaced without untying. Favored scarf colors are black, gray, and white, except for the Barzani tribe and Yezidis, who wear red and white check.
The most common outfit, southern Kurdish clothing, is now widely used as a standard Kurdish costume across different regions. It was commonly worn by the Peshmerga. The attire includes baggy trousers, gathered at the waist and tapered at the ankle. The jacket is similar to the Central Kurdish style but lacks embroidery. The suits are usually in solid colors, sometimes with pinstripes. A sash of varying lengths and widths is worn around the waist. Headdresses vary by region but typically include a skullcap and a large, fringed square scarf worn as a turban. The scarf is often draped loosely, with a tail hanging down and fringes covering part of one eye.
The traditional clothing of Kurdistan can be categorized into four main types for women.
The Kurdish East Anatolian costume type is now rarely found in modern Turkey but still exists among the Kurds of Khorasan in Iran, where certain Northern Kurdish tribes were deported in the seventeenth century. This is the only female costume featuring a short dress. It includes the typical baggy trousers under a knee-length dress, worn in layers with aprons, all in various colors. The trousers are usually made of cotton at the top, lined with cotton, and gathered at the ankle. A sash is worn at the waist, along with a short jacket, though sometimes a long coat is also seen. The hair is typically fully covered with tight triangular scarves, secured by another scarf tied across the forehead.
The Badinani or Hakkari costume is worn in parts of Southern Turkish Kurdistan, including Hakkari province, in the Badinan region of Iraqi Kurdistan and often around Urmia in Iran. It features the usual trousers and a plain, above-knee underdress or petticoat worn under a typically sheer dress with a gathered waist and flowing funnel sleeves. A long-sleeved coat with a wide scoop front, fastening at the waist, is worn over the dress, with a wide gathered skirt that doesn't meet at the front. The dress is rarely worn without the coat, and the sleeves are usually tied behind the back. Traditionally, the same fabrics were used as in Southern Kurdish clothes, but now, solid colors are more common, with sheer fabrics used for the coat, revealing the heavier dress underneath. Regional headdresses, like turbans wound with wool tassels, have mostly been replaced by non-local headscarves.
The predominant Kurdish costume, known as Sorani dress, is widely worn. It includes trousers and a petticoat under a floor-length, funnel-sleeve dress. Over this, a short waistcoat, long coat, and/or short jacket are worn. Traditional materials include chiffon voile or cotton for the dress, and velvets and brocades for the waistcoat, coat, and jacket. Nowadays, synthetic fabrics and sequinned materials are popular for coats. Traditional jackets and coats featured cotton linings and wadding. Sashes are occasionally worn around the waist. The traditional backcloth and headdress, now worn only by elderly women, includes a velvet skullcap held under the chin with a beaded chain, often decorated with jewelry and ornaments. The skullcap anchored the cloth covering the back of the neck, and multiple scarves and tasselled fabrics could form a tall turban, which was commonly worn by married rural women before. However, the items needed for these headdresses are now hard to find. As in other parts of Kurdistan, ordinary headscarves, either triangularly folded or long and narrow, have become the most common form of headgear.
The Mukriyani costume worn in the region around Mahabad and Saqqez is notably different from other Kurdish costumes. It includes more voluminous trousers without cotton tops, worn with a short vest top under a sheer straight-sleeved dress, gathered at the hips. A large sash is worn on the hips, and a waist-length coat. Traditional headgear features a decorated velvet or brocade pillbox hat, topped with a large triangular shawl crossed over the chest, with the ends hanging down the back. This hat is now mostly worn in villages during weddings, while a turban similar to that worn with the Sorani costume may still be seen in rural areas and among older women.
Modern Kurdish women's dress is traditional. It is, however, still fashionable amongst the Kurdish community. Kurdish women and men often have a large collection of Kurdish clothing and frequently seek out new designs and fabric. They usually buy the fabrics of their choice and then have clothing tailored, as there are tailors who specialise in Kurdish clothes. Recently these respected tailors have turned into designers, creating variations on the conventional structure of the dress. In villages, women usually tailor for their entire family after everyone chooses their fabric.
There are many different styles of the Kurdish clothes, and in recent years there have been several fashion shows, showcased for a Kurdish and international audience. Shows have been held in Vancouver, Canada; in Melbourne, Australia, at the Kurdish Film Festival by the Kurdish Women's Society; and at the Hackney Museum as part of their Kurdish Cultural Heritage Project.
Media related to Kurdish clothing at Wikimedia Commons