In recent years, most Afghans have turned to wearing Afghani clothes, particularly in wedding and engagement ceremonies. A number of Afghan shopkeepers selling Afghan traditional clothes say that Afghans have recently turned to wearing Afghan tradition clothes on particular occasions as weddings and engagement ceremonies. “Our customers are both Afghans and foreigners. There are different styles and samples of the Afghan tradition clothes. For example, Nuristani Pakol (hat), Chapan or coat (originated from the country’s north), Hazaragi Jackets, silky Shawl sometimes embroidered, Kandahari clothes usually embroidered and others Uzbeki, Turkmeni and Hazaragi clothes and dresses that are much common among Afghan citizens,” said Mohammad, a shopkeeper selling Afghan tradition clothes in Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw.
He said that wearing Afghan tradition clothes has now changed to a culture and mostly used in various occasions like weddings, engagement parties, birth anniversaries and others.
Hamida, 40 and engaged in providing Afghan traditional clothing for 20 years, says the Afghan tradition clothing which they are producing are mostly from different provinces of the country particularly Herat, Kandahar, and Bamyan provinces.
“Most of my customers are Afghans and even foreigners. I bring the Afghan traditional clothing to Babur Garden on Wednesdays and Thursdays for selling,” Hamida said, adding that the Afghan traditional clothing is mostly produced by Afghan women.
She asked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to pave ground for Afghan women to exhibit their handicrafts and products in exhibitions inside and outside of the country so that they could further develop the Afghan traditional clothing industry.
Jamila, who would like to purchase an Afghan traditional dress, says the price of the Afghan traditional dress starts from 5,000 – 50,000 AFG and they’re really beautiful. She said she would buy one for her wedding.
Najib, a shopkeeper in Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw, told The Kabul Times correspondent that he has always made effort to promote the real Afghan culture, adding that he would never let the Afghan real culture lose influence among Afghans. He said he would make further efforts to introduce the Afghan traditional and national clothing to the world with new Afghani clothing designs.
According to the shopkeeper, those who have turned to the Afghan traditional clothing are all mostly youth who would like to make use of the Afghan real and traditional clothing as the Afghani clothing is our national identity.
In Afghanistan, people wear both the traditional clothes and the western clothes; however, more people wearing Afghan traditional clothes. The traditional clothes that Afghan men wear are referred to as Shalwar Kamees which consist of large baggy pants and a long top that covers up to the knees. Most people refer to this kind of clothes as Peraahan-Tonbaan. They are made of soft fabric and are very comfortable.
Masouda Qarizada
Afghan tradition clothes representing our real culture
