It has long been the costume of choice of hippies returning from Morocco who reckoned they looked Cool in the Caftan in Marrakech.
But stood out like a thumb in the chilly north of our wee island.
There is, of course, a practical reason why North Africans and those in the Middle East wear the long flowing clothes and headgear they do.
And because they have been donning these cool clothes for centuries then they look a good deal cooler than their imitators.
It will come as little surprise to hear that the kaftan, or long robe, originated in the Ottoman Empire and spread across the Arab world.
Although it also shows up in Jewish dress and Russian too.
Flowing robes
For our purposes, of course, we let somebody else do the heavy lifting, and that somebody is the temporary exhibition at Caftan Week.
Of course, the emphasis is on the fairer sex here, and really long flowing robes are really only ever best on a woman.
And a dusky North African or Middle Eastern beauty at that.
Of course if you happen to be in the Rose City now and want to put in the prep before Caftan Week between May 7-10.
Then you should think about heading to Histoire de Caftan by Diamantine.
Which showcases textiles stacked floor to ceiling with every colour of velvet, muslin, cotton and sequin cloth.
Needle & thread walk through the souk
We’re advised to take the needle & thread walk through the ancient souks.
Now anyone who has walked through the souks will know that you’ll need to avoid vendors trying to barter with you and thrust apple teas into your hand.
The well mapped-out trail will take you to several vibrant areas of the ancient medina from tailoring to dyers souks.
Now Diamantine, has been at the forefront of the atelier scene for 15 years.
This year’s Caftan Week is dedicated to the theme ‘Nefes El Atlas’, or ‘Breath of the Atlas’.
And pays tribute to the mountains and their culture, which has acted as a source of inspiration for local designers and fashion houses.
And the exotic Pink City is easily accessible from your local airport and we found an EasyJet return flight covering the dates of Caftan Week from £302pp for three nights.
