Modest evening dresses: how to choose a kaftan

A modest evening dress has four qualities: it reaches the ankles, its sleeves cover the arms down to the wrists, its neckline stays closed or can be covered by the hijab, and its fabric is opaque and falls without clinging to the figure. The Moroccan kaftan has all four by design: it is a long dress with sleeves, worn for celebrations for centuries. All that is left is to choose the neckline, the fabric and the colour of the hijab for the occasion, from the henna night to the wedding reception.

The four criteria of a modest evening dress

Length comes first. The dress should touch the top of the foot once your evening shoes are on, and stay covering whether you are sitting or standing. A side slit, common on Western evening gowns, can be closed with a few stitches or worn over fluid trousers in the same colour.

Then come the sleeves. They should stay long when you raise your arms to dance, to greet someone or to serve yourself at the table: that is the moment a sleeve that is too short reveals the wrist. The neckline is closed, or high enough for the hijab to cover it. Finally, the fabric must be opaque under the lights of a reception hall and heavy enough to hang straight, without clinging or outlining the figure.

Why the kaftan meets these criteria

The kaftan is a long dress with sleeves, open at the front and closed by a row of small braided buttons, the aakad. From the start it was conceived as a celebration outfit that every generation wears together: grandmothers, mothers and daughters all dress in kaftans at the same party. Nothing needs to be added to make it covering. You choose it; you do not adapt it.

Many dresses sold as modest start from a cut designed for bare shoulders, to which sleeves or a collar are added. The kaftan works the other way round: its ornament lies in the embroidery, in the sfifa braid running along the opening and in the choice of fabric, never in what it reveals. What makes a fine kaftan, from the cloth to the finishing, is explained in our guide to the Moroccan kaftan.

Mandarin collar or V-neck: what to do with the hijab?

The mandarin collar, a small straight collar that rises around the neck, is the easiest to wear with a hijab: the scarf sits over it and nothing shows. You will find it on some lace kaftans, such as the Caftan Turquoise Lagon, and on takchita jackets, which close high over a V-neck dress.

The V-neck is the most common: most of our kaftans open this way, then close up to the chest with the aakad. With a long hijab that falls over the chest, the question does not arise, since the scarf covers the opening. With a shorter hijab, or one tied at the back of the neck, slip a thin high-neck bodysuit or fine jumper under the kaftan, in the colour of the background or of the embroidery. Choose a light jersey rather than a thick knit, which would crease under the sfifa.

Flared sleeves call for the same attention. They give the kaftan its movement, but they open up when you lift your arms. For an evening of dancing, jersey sleeve covers in the background colour, worn under the sleeve, keep the forearm covered without showing.

Which hijab to wear with a kaftan?

Choose a light hijab: chiffon, crêpe or fine jersey. It then falls softly around the face and does not puff up above the collar. A very shiny satin competes with the embroidery; a thick knit weighs down the neckline. Flat-headed pins or small magnets hold it all evening without catching on the sfifa.

For the colour, pick up a shade from the embroidery or the braid rather than the background. On an emerald kaftan embroidered in gold, a champagne hijab lights up the face; on a midnight-blue kaftan embroidered in silver, a pearl-grey hijab extends the embroidery. Tone on tone, with the hijab and kaftan in the same colour, suits plain kaftans and gives a long, understated silhouette that works well for a dinner. What each colour means in Moroccan tradition is gathered in our guide to kaftan colours.

With the ears covered, jewellery moves elsewhere. It goes to the wrists, the hands and the waist: fine bracelets worn over the sleeve, a ring, and above all the belt, which becomes the focal point of the outfit. A discreet brooch can pin the hijab at the temple.

Which outfit for which occasion?

The same kaftan is not worn in quite the same way at a henna night, a wedding or for Eid. The piece, the fabric and the hijab follow the moment.

At a wedding, the guest's rules apply to everyone: leave the bride her colours and avoid being more adorned than she is. Our guide to what to wear as a guest at a Moroccan wedding covers them in detail, from the henna night to the reception. For Eid, from the morning prayer to the visits, see our article on Eid outfits.

Kimono kaftan and takchita: two more covering silhouettes

The kimono kaftan is a long, open jacket worn over a dress. It doubles the layer on the arms and the chest, and its straight line does not mark the waist. It is the easiest outfit to put together for a woman who wears the hijab: the dress underneath is kept simple, and the jacket carries the embroidery. Keep it on all evening, as it is the jacket that covers the arms. Our kimono kaftans are designed for exactly this.

The takchita layers two pieces, a dress and an overdress or jacket, joined at the waist by the mdamma belt. These two layers make it the most opaque and the most formal outfit: it is kept for wedding receptions and large family gatherings. What sets it apart from the kaftan is explained in our article kaftan or takchita, and our takchitas are gathered in one collection.

Loose without being too big: choosing your size

A covering dress is not a dress that is too big. The shoulders should sit in the right place, the sleeves should reach the wrist with the arms stretched out, and the length should be set to the height of your evening heels. A size above your own gives slipping shoulders and a gaping neckline, exactly what you want to avoid with a hijab.

Take your bust, waist and hip measurements and compare them with our size guide, from XS to 5XL. The ease of a kaftan comes from its straight cut and its sleeves, not from a size that is too big. For fuller figures, our guide to plus-size kaftans goes through this advice in detail.

Frequently asked questions