Jordanian Traditional Dress

Jordan is an Arab and Islamic country with the vast majority of the population being Muslim. The living habits of the local people are basically the same as those of other Arab and Muslim countries. Jordanians are more particular about their clothes. In formal occasions, men generally wear suits, and some wear headscarves or Arabian robes and headscarves. Ladies generally wear suits, and some wear headscarves or Arabian robes and headscarves, but do not cover their faces. Women can generally participate in various social activities with men. Men can shake hands with women, and women can shake hands or give each other a face-to-face salute.

Jordanian Clothing Profile

Jordanian costumes include modern costumes represented by suits, as well as national costumes such as robes. Rural people like to wear short-sleeved robes and cloaks of various colors, patterns and shapes, and wrap a headscarf around their heads.

Bedouin men wear "Aba", and women wear loose cloaks in black, brown or black and blue, and wear clothes with long hem and various sterling silver accessories. The clothing of urbanites tends to be modernized.

Visitors to Jordan can wear light clothes in summer and sweaters in winter. In order to socialize, men had better prepare suits. But in terms of color, Jordan is an Arab country, and some taboos of Islam must be observed in Jordan, so yellow is avoided, and it is believed that yellow symbolizes death.

1. Arabian Robe

The arabesque first appeared in Roman times as a wide, ankle-length, one-piece robe worn by pilgrims to Mecca, so it was sacred. As the basic clothing of Arab men, robes are related to various factors such as geographical environment. The deserts in the Arabian region are widespread, and the climate is hot, dry, and dusty. On the one hand, the robes cover the entire body to avoid direct sunlight, and on the other hand, the interior is integrated to form a ventilation pipe to allow air convection. In addition to the cooling effect, the special design of the robe can also resist sand and dust. In addition, wearing a robe is convenient for activities, especially when bowing and kowtow in worship, it can better cover the buttocks, and it is more elegant. In summer, robes are generally made of cotton, but also silk, etc. In winter, they are made of woolen and cashmere and other warm materials. There are various colors and styles of robes now, and there are different characteristics between countries and regions. Arab men must wear robes on Muslim prayer days, engagement ceremonies or other official social occasions, and it has become one of the symbols of Arab culture and dignity.

2. Turban

Arab men usually wear a square kerchief folded in half on their head. Before the advent of Islam, wearing a hijab was already one of the habits of the Arabs. This is to protect against sun, wind and sand in summer and wind and cold in winter. In the past, there were only beige and white, and there are various colors such as black and white jacquard, red and white jacquard, usually white turbans in summer and dark turbans in winter. It is not only clothing, but also has political and cultural significance, and has become a symbol of masculinity, maturity and nationalism. Bedouins usually get their headscarves from their fathers at the age of 15 as part of traditional enlightenment education.

3. Headband

The headband is worn over the turban, which has been around for 4,000 years. There are different opinions on the origin of the headband, but it is generally agreed that its prototype is the shepherd's whip. Before the discovery of oil, the Arabs were mainly nomadic, herding sheep and camels, living by water, carrying a shepherd's whip with them, and rolling it up and putting it on the top of the head when not in use, which evolved into the current headband. The headband is made of camel hair or wool, in the shape of a ring, mostly black, and occasionally white.

4. Cloak

The cape is the open garment worn by the Arabs over the robe, ranging from sheer capes for summer to wool, camel hair and woolen capes for winter. Cloaks have appeared before the Islamic period, and the most commonly used are black, white and brown. In the eyes of the Arabs, the cape is a festive dress, and it is more masculine to wear it over the robe.