Traditional pieces of the male and female national costumes in Morocco: abaya, baboush, balgha, burka, burnoose, cheich, deraa, dfina, djellaba, fez, gandora, haik, hijab, kaftan, melhfa, niqab, tagelmoust, tarbouche, tahruyt, tahtia, takshita, taqiyah, and qandrissi.
Abaya – female outer garment worn in the public. It is a long and wide cloak with long sleeves, often worn on top of any other clothes to cover the body. In many Arab countries, women wear black abaya cloaks, but in Morocco, it can be made in different colors. The abaya is a garment popular among Muslim women.
Baboush – traditional Moroccan shoes. These are leather slippers, they are more common among men than women. They can be made in a variety of colors and embellished with embroidery.
Balgha – traditional Moroccan shoes. These are leather slippers, they are more common among men than women. The most popular color of balghas is yellow, but they can be black, white, etc.
Burka (burqa) – Muslim female large veil. It covers the head and body fully. Only palms are visible, sometimes not even them. There is a grille that hides the eyes of a woman. This piece is today rarely worn by Moroccan people, it was even banned by government in 2017.
Burnoose (burnous, bournous, or barnous) – traditional Berber hooded cape or cloak. It is usually made from wool, and the color of the fabric is light (white, beige, cream, etc).
Cheich – Moroccan traditional male turban, indigo-dyed. It is worn in the desert to protect the head from the sand. This turban is practically always dyed with blue indigo dye. Another name for this item is “tagelmoust”.
Deraa – male loose robe similar to gandora but open at the sides for additional ventilation. This garment is typical for Moroccan part of the country in Sahara desert. A deraa robe can be blue (for daily use) or white (wedding clothing).
Dfina – female dress, component of takshita festive attire. It is an over-dress and is always very ornate, adorned with embroidery, beading, sequins, gems, and other decorations.
Djellaba – Moroccan outerwear, long and loose robe worn by both men and women in Morocco. This garment has long sleeved and a pointed hood (called “qob”), it is always worn over other clothing. Usually, djellaba is made from cotton or wool.
Fez – male headdress in Morocco. It is a small truncated-cone-shaped skull-cap, often made from felt and adorned with a tassel on top. Another name for this cap is “tarbouche” or “tarboosh”.
Gandora (gandoura) – similar robe to djellaba but with shorter sleeves and no hood. It can be used by men and women.
Haik – delicate white cloak used by Moroccan women in rural areas. It covers the whole body of a woman. The size of this cloak is 6 meters by 2.2 meters.
Hijab – Muslim female headpiece. It is a headscarf worn around the head and neck. It is often worn together with an abaya cloak by Muslim women.
Kaftan (caftan) – female flowing robe, usually, richly decorated. It is a festive garment worn for special occasions. It can be made from cotton, wool, silk, or velvet. A Moroccan kaftan is a main dress rather than outerwear, and it is often belted with a matching decorative belt.
Melhfa – female loose garment, it is closer to a very large veil (about 3.5 m by 1.6 m) wrapped around the body to protect it from the sun and sand. It can be brightly colored or printed. This outfit is typically worn in South Morocco.
Niqab – Muslim female headpiece. It is a black veil that covers the women’s head and face leaving only the eyes uncovered – there is a small opening for the eyes. It is worn with other traditional Muslim clothes.
Tagelmoust – Moroccan traditional male turban, indigo-dyed. It is worn in the desert by some local ethnic groups to protect the head from the sand. This turban is practically always dyed with blue indigo dye. Another name for this item is “cheich”.
Tarbouche (tarboosh) – male headdress in Morocco. It is a small truncated-cone-shaped skull-cap, often made from felt and adorned with a tassel on top. Another name for this cap is “fez”.
Tahruyt – Berber traditional headscarf. It is large (covers the head and shoulders or even the whole upper body), consists of two pieces of dark cloth, and is richly embroidered with traditional patterns.
Tahtia – female dress, component of takshita festive attire. It is an under-dress made from fine fabric but without embellishments.
Takshita (tackchita, taqchita, or tackshita) – most formal Moroccan women’s dress for very special occasions. It isn’t used in daily life. A tackchita is a 2-piece dress consisting of an under-dress called “tahtia” and an over-dress “dfina”.
Taqiyah – Muslim male headpiece. It is a small round cap, often white but can be colored, and it is popular among Moroccan Muslim men.
Qandrissi – Moroccan men’s baggy trousers. They are very popular because they’re comfy in the local hot climate.
