The national outfit of Oman is truly elegant. This is a country of the Arab world, so the folk clothing here is rather modest and typical for the Muslim culture. Although Omani men’s traditional attire might be one of the most graceful and stylish in the whole Middle East. Take, for example, these blindingly white robes, a charming khanjar dagger in its silver and encrusted scabbard, a lovely male turban of just the right size, not too big and not too small, and so on. Any man seems taut and slender in this apparel.
The traditional male outfit in Oman includes a long collarless robe called “dishdasha”, a turban called “muzzar”, a belt with a traditional dagger called “khanjar” tucked into it, and a cane or stick called “assa”.
The dishdasha robe is long, ankle-length, buttoned in the front, with long sleeves. Most often, a dishdasha is snow-white, but it can be also brown, black, or lilac. This garment is typically made from cotton, because this fabric is perfect for the hot Middle Eastern climate, although other fabrics are used as well, including synthetic cloth (still, it’s not very comfortable to wear synthetics in the local weather conditions). A dishdasha is often worn belted so that a man can tuck his traditional ornate khanjar dagger behind it, but a belt is not obligatory.
The muzzar turban looks nice. It’s not too big and not too small. There are many ways of draping it and every man chooses the one he prefers. And the color of this turban can be so diverse – from plain white or brown to checkered to printed (a lot of beautiful prints are used, often colorful and bright).
A khanjar dagger is the local ceremonial dress knife. It is short and a bit curved, but the scabbard is curved a lot – it looks like the letter “j”. This shape of a dagger and scabbard is very typical for Middle Eastern countries. A khanjar is a special dagger and it is always ornate, beautifully crafted, adorned with gems, enamel, silverwork, goldwork, and other embellishments. This dagger is a matter of pride for any Omani boy or man.
Another interesting Omani traditional accessory is the assa – a cane or stick carried for formal occasions. It can have a different shape, thickness, can be made from various materials (not only wood), can have a decorative or simple knob, etc. Sometimes, this cane is so thin it can’t be used to support the man’s weight and serves just as a pretty accessory. The assa is often used during traditional dancing as a dance accessory.
