Moroccan menswear is built around a small number of garments that get confused with each other constantly, largely because English borrowed all of their names and spelled them inconsistently. This guide covers each one, what separates it from the others, and when it is worn.
The quickest way in: thobe is the umbrella word for a long men's robe. Kaftan, gandoura and djellaba are three specific Moroccan versions. Sleeves, collar and fabric weight tell them apart.
The thobe
Thobe, also written thawb, is the general Arabic term for the ankle length robe worn by men across the Arab world. It is a category, not a single design.
Gulf thobes are typically white, closely tailored, often with a collar and cuffs like a shirt. Moroccan thobes are looser, usually colored rather than white, and finished with embroidery down the center of the chest rather than with tailoring details.
When someone says Moroccan thobe, they mean one of the three below. We compare them directly in Moroccan thobe vs gandoura.
A jalabiya, also written jalabiyya, galabeya or galabiyya, is the Egyptian and Gulf name for the same kind of robe. Straighter through the body, plainer at the neck, and no hood. The Moroccan equivalent is the gandoura.
The kaftan
Also spelled caftan. The dressiest of the three, and the one most associated with Morocco internationally.
Long sleeves, a mandarin collar that stands upright, and embroidery running from the collar down the chest, usually with a concealed zip at the neck so the line stays unbroken. Cut closer through the shoulders and chest than a gandoura, which is what makes it read as formal.
Worn for Eid, weddings, Jumu'ah and evening gatherings. Sizes M to 3XL, $85.99.
Full detail: what is a kaftan, and how a Moroccan kaftan should fit. Shop the kaftan collection.
The gandoura
Also spelled qandoura. The everyday Moroccan robe, and the one most men own first.
Three-quarter sleeves ending below the elbow, a V neck with an embroidered placket and small buttons, and a roomy cut through the body. Lightweight and breathable, which is the whole point. It is not sleeveless, despite what a lot of listings claim.
Worn everyday, for Jumu'ah, for warm weather Eid and for travel. Sizes S to 2XL, $65.99.
Full detail: how to style a gandoura. Shop the gandoura collection.
The djellaba
Also spelled djelleba and jellaba. The hooded robe, and the most distinctly Moroccan of the three.
The hood, called a qob, is traditional, attached, and large enough to pull up over your head. Cut long and full, and in winter versions made from heavy cloth. It has no pockets, only two side slits, because it goes over your other clothes and you reach through to your trouser pockets.
Worn as an outer layer in cold weather. Sizes S to 2XL including M/L, $119.99.
Full detail: what is a djelleba, and best winter djellebas. Shop the winter djelleba collection.
Comparison at a glance
| Gandoura | Kaftan | Djellaba | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hood | No | No | Yes |
| Sleeves | Three-quarter | Long | Long |
| Neck | V neck, buttons | Mandarin collar, zip | Button loops |
| Weight | Light | Medium | Heavy |
| Pockets | Two | Two | None, side slits |
| Season | Summer | All year | Winter |
| Worn | On its own | On its own | Over the others |
What is worn with them
- Babouche. Backless leather slippers, usually pointed, in yellow or white traditionally. Easy to slip off at the mosque, which is the point.
- Kufi or taqiyah. The short rounded cap worn for prayer.
- Selham or burnous. A hooded cloak without sleeves, worn over everything on formal or very cold occasions. Rarer now, and largely ceremonial.
- Fragrance. Attar or oud, traditional for Friday prayer and for Eid.
The spelling problem
Almost every one of these words has two or three English spellings, because Arabic does not use the Latin alphabet and transliteration has never been standardized.
- kaftan and caftan
- djellaba, djelleba and jellaba
- gandoura and qandoura
- thobe and thawb
- jalabiya, jalabiyya, galabeya and galabiyya
- babouche and balgha
None of them is wrong. If you are shopping online, search more than one spelling, because many sellers only tag their products with a single version and you will miss the rest.
Where to start
If you are buying your first Moroccan garment, buy a gandoura. It is the least expensive, the most forgiving to fit, and the one you will wear most. Add a kaftan when you want something for occasions, and a djellaba only if your winters are genuinely cold, since it assumes you have something to wear underneath it.
Browse our full range of Moroccan thobes for men, or start with the gandouras.