What was early Islamic clothing like?

What did people wear in early Islamic Baghdad?

A group of women look out from a balcony over a mosque. — Image caption,
Some Muslim women still wear clothes like those from the early Islamic civilisation, including headscarves or veils.

In early Islamic Baghdad, people wore clothes that reflected their wealth and the climate.

Men wore long garments, with a cloak and turban.

Women wore tunics (a long shirt or dress that goes down to your knees or ankles) and headscarves or veils.

Wealthy people could afford silk and damask (cloth with patterns on it, often shiny and smooth) while poorer people wore plain wool or cotton clothing with fewer layers.

Important words

Important words about clothes in the early Islamic Civilisation.

Keyword	Definition
Damask	Cloth with patterns on it, often shiny and smooth.
Embroidery	Patterns or writing sewn onto fabric using thread.
Modest	Clothing that covers the body in a way that is respectful.
Trade	Buying, selling and exchanging goods.
Tunic	A long shirt or dress that goes down to your knees or ankles.

What did people wear?

A man wearing a thawb and taqiyah. — Image caption,
A man wearing a modern day thawb (long tunic) and taqiyah (cap).

Men started wearing a long one-piece garment with sleeves called a thawb. This was a long shirt that went down to the ankles. Over this, they sometimes wore a cloak (ridā). Men also wore turbans (a long piece of cloth wrapped around the head). One reason for this was to protect themselves from the sun.

In the Umayyad Caliphate (AD661 - 750) designers started making them patterned or striped.

Like men, women wore long tunics (qamīs) that reached their ankles, made of linen or silk for wealthy women. Many women wore a headscarf or a veil to cover their faces

Wealthy people in Baghdad could afford high-quality, patterned clothing. These were made from silk, brocade and damask (a patterned silk named after Damascus in Syria). Their clothes were brightly coloured or patterned.

Poor people would have worn cheaper fabrics like wool. Their clothes would be plain and have no bright colours or patterns. They would also wear fewer layers than wealthier people.

During the Abbasid Caliphate (AD751 - 1258), Caliph Al-Mansur made court officials wear black robes for special events. Black became the official colour of the Abbasids. People in China called them the “black-robed ones”. Black became a popular colour for clothes because it represented wealth and high status.

In the early Islamic civilisation, it was traditional to dress modestly (clothing that covers the body in a way that is respectful) and cover the body. It was disrespectful if your clothing trailed on the ground or if under garments were past the ankle in length.

What were clothes made from?

The weather in cities like Baghdad was hot and dry, so people needed clothes that kept them cool and protected them from the sun.

Common fabrics were linen, cotton and wool.

A silk loom. — Image caption,
Silk was a luxury fabric and came from as far away as China and Persia.

Shoes and sandals were made of leather.

Trade from other countries brought new fabrics to the Islamic world.

This included silks from China, which was very expensive.

Silk and brocade also came from places like Persia and Central Asia and were very fancy.

Cotton came from India and was soft and comfortable.

Linen was used for everyday clothes, especially in hot weather.

Wool came from sheep and camels and was used by nomads (people who move from one place to another).

Because the Islamic Empire was so big, these fabrics travelled long distances, making Baghdad full of different types of clothes and styles.

What clothes were special?

A piece of textile from the late 9th–early 10th century showing a tiraz. — Image caption,
An example of a tiraz from the late 9th–early 10th century.

The word tiraz comes from a Persian word that means embroidery (patterns or writing sewn onto fabric using thread). Tiraz was a band of fabric sewn onto clothing with patterns or writing on it.

On tiraz robes, these bands often had the name of the caliph, blessings or messages of loyalty, making the clothes special and showing who wore them and why. They were given to important people who worked with the Caliph as a sign of honour.

They were made of linen, wool or cotton and some were dyed yellow, green, or brown. Many had diamond patterns, and the writing would have been embroidered (sewn) onto the fabric.

What made perfumes special?

Image caption,
An Islamic glass perfume bottle from the 8th - 9th Century.

Perfumes were very popular, especially among the wealthy.

People had access to many spices and oils to make perfume.

Popular ingredients included roses, orange blossoms and water lilies.

Scientist Al-Kindi experimented with plants and oils to create new scents (smells).

He wrote a book on perfumes. It was full of recipes for fragrant oils, creams and perfumes.

Perfumes were used on clothing, hair and skin, and sometimes during religious ceremonies.

They were often stored in beautifully crafted glass bottles.

Think like a historian

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