One of the things I love the most about my Moroccan heritage is the dreamy Moroccan Kaftan, aka the Moroccan caftan dress. Its embroideries. colors and designs always make my eyes sparkle.
In Morocco, every woman, and every little girl, have at least one Kaftan dress in their closet. The Kaftan is the first traditional dress a girl will wear in her life, and the dress she will be excited to wear in every next celebration.
Moroccan Kaftans are a Moroccan Woman Best Friend
The typical Moroccan caftan has a wide cut from the bottom, decorated with embroidery and sometimes stones and accessories. Depending on the designs, the chest, waist, bottom, and sleeves can also be embroidered and decorated. A beautiful belt, either in gold, silver, or made from the same materials as the dress completes the look.
Moroccan Kaftans are usually worn with high heels and accessorized with a clutch bag and/or a few jewelry pieces, which can be either discrete or dramatic.
A Moroccan bride will often accessorize her caftan with a mix of large traditional jewelry pieces, including a tiara or crown. The more, the better.
In Morocco, Moroccan women can design their Kaftans from scratch with the help of a tailor, which I did many times and loved doing. The process takes a little longer, but the result is literally the dress of your dreams!
When it comes to colors, there are really no rules. Moroccan Kaftan dresses can be in either pastel, dark or flashy colors, or even a mix of the three.
Where to Buy Moroccan Kaftans
The best place to buy Kaftans from is Morocco, especially if you are looking for an artisanal piece handmade and hand embroidered. As I detail in my Morocco shopping guide, the best is to shop them directly from a respected traditional Moroccan tailor who can customize an existing piece or create one for you from scratch.
How to Design a Moroccan Kaftan
If you don’t know me yet, I used to spend most of my childhood years in my aunt’s traditional sewing shop in Morocco. My aunt was a traditional artisan in the field of Kaftans and traditional Moroccan clothing. I grew up seeing her create unbelievably beautiful Kaftan pieces for women and brides. That made me very sensitive to the quality of fabrics, the beauty of embroideries, and how a be-spoke caftan dress empowers a woman and makes her feel like a queen.
I have spent the last couple of years researching traditional Moroccan clothing in every region of Morocco and helping hundreds of women create their Caftan dream pieces. If you have any questions about the process of creating a traditional kaftan dress, reach out to me here. I’m always happy to help.
Thank you for your help, Safa, I can’t be happier
Safa, you made my wedding day! For the record, I was short on time and needed a caftan dress for my wedding day. I only had one month left and Safa was so so so nice and helped me design the piece and create it with the help of a Moroccan artisan. The Caftan was perfect! It fit me like a dream. The colors and embroideries were amazing and I just can’t thank her enough. Everyone asked me how I could manage to create such a beautiful caftan in a short period of time. Safa, thank you!!!
Response from Moroccanzest
aww thank you, Rania! I was so happy to help you design a caftan for your wedding day. You were fantastic in the pictures and the Caftan fit you like a glove! I’m glad I was able to contribute to this unbelievable day. Wish you all the best for your marriage, love, prosperity, and thousands of blessings. xx
designing my own caftan
thank you so much for the tips. I followed your advice and I got in touch with a Moroccan tailor in Marrakech. I’m now in the process of designing a customized caftan with his help and I’m so excited. I combined a Turkish pink fabric my husband gifted me years ago with a cream Moroccan silk fabric. The ensemble will have embroidery in the center and pearls at the bottom. I can’t wait!
Response from Moroccanzest
Your kaftan will look A-MA-ZING! I’m so excited for you, Jessica!
My favorite moroccan dresses
My mother is Moroccan and I remember she used to have 2 stunning kaftan dresses. I used to watch her wear them with her gold jewelry and she was so beautiful in them. Thank you for this beautiful article
Response from Moroccanzest
Oh, I feel you! A Kaftan is made to make every woman, whatever shape and age, look stunning!
Recommendations
Hi. I find Moroccan kaftans alluring and elegant. I would like to buy one myself for a formal family occasion. However, I live in Switzerland. Could you please recommend some online shops selling good kaftans.
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Maneha, I no longer recommend websites as many of my readers have had disappointing experiences buying Kaftans online – Unfortunately, I have no control over the quality of kaftans these websites offer and I know how frustrating it is to receive a highly anticipated kaftan dress that finally looks cheap or that doesn’t fit. I sent you an email with more information about the process of working with a Moroccan artisan Morocco who can help you find or create a beautiful traditional Kaftan dress that fits your body. Hope that helps. -xx
where to buy Moroccan kaftan
I’ve been searching for days and I couldn’t find a shop to buy Moroccan kaftans. Do you have any recommendations? I’m looking for traditional kaftan dresses that I can wear at a summer dinner party or a beach vacation. Thank you
Response from Moroccanzest
Hi Ashley, It’s in fact very hard to find. I will work on a few links and update the article accordingly. -xx
