The History of the Kaftan: From Ancient Robe to Modern Resortwear
Few garments have travelled quite as successfully through centuries, cultures and continents as the kaftan.
Loose, flowing and effortlessly elegant, the kaftan has appeared in many different forms throughout history. It has been worn by royalty and courtiers, adapted into traditional dress and, more recently, reinvented as one of the most recognisable pieces of resort and holiday wear.
Today we might associate a kaftan with sunshine, holidays and relaxed dressing, but its history is considerably richer.
Where did the kaftan originate?
Pinpointing one exact birthplace for the kaftan is difficult because variations of long, robe-like garments developed across the Middle East and Central Asia over many centuries.
The word itself is generally associated with the Persian qaftan, and the garment became particularly significant in Persia and the Ottoman Empire. Historical examples also demonstrate how widely this style of dress travelled.
One remarkable surviving kaftan or caftan in the Metropolitan Museum of Art dates from around the 7th–9th centuries and was found in the northern Caucasus. Made from linen, decorated with patterned silk and originally lined with fur, its construction even included slits that made it suitable for riding.
Over time, however, it was the spectacular kaftans of the Ottoman world that would become particularly associated with the garment.
Kaftans and the Ottoman Empire
During the Ottoman period, kaftans could signify considerably more than personal style.
Elaborate versions were worn at court, where luxurious textiles demonstrated status and wealth. Ottoman silk textiles were renowned for their large-scale patterns, rich colours and metallic threads, and were highly prized both within the empire and internationally.
A surviving 16th-century Ottoman child's kaftan held by the Victoria and Albert Museum, for example, is woven from silk and gold. Kaftans of this type were worn by princes and pages at the Ottoman court, and elements of their decoration could indicate rank.
Kaftans could also be bestowed as prestigious gifts. The Metropolitan Museum of Art notes that surviving Ottoman examples from the 17th and early 18th centuries were likely given to courtiers and dignitaries.
So the kaftan wasn't simply clothing. At various points in its history it could communicate wealth, rank and social position.
The kaftan travels
One of the most fascinating things about the kaftan is the way it moved between cultures.
From Persia and the Ottoman Empire, variations of the garment appeared across North Africa, Central Asia and beyond, with each region developing its own fabrics, decoration and way of wearing it.
The kaftan became particularly important in Morocco, where it developed into a distinctive form of traditional dress. The Metropolitan Museum of Art dates its arrival there to around the 16th century, noting that luxurious versions made from silk brocade or velvet were associated with special occasions.
By the 19th and early 20th centuries, Moroccan kaftans could incorporate imported European luxury textiles alongside local craftsmanship—a lovely example of how fashion has always crossed borders and absorbed influences from elsewhere.
The kaftan therefore isn't really the story of one culture or country. It is the story of a garment continually being adopted, adapted and reimagined.
From ceremonial dress to fashion
By the 20th century, Western fashion designers and travellers were increasingly looking beyond Europe for inspiration.
Loose tunics, robes and kaftan-style silhouettes began appearing in Western wardrobes, particularly as attitudes towards women's clothing became less formal.
By the 1960s and 1970s, the kaftan had acquired another identity.
It became associated with travel, bohemian style and glamorous holiday dressing. Its relaxed silhouette offered an alternative to more structured clothing, while colourful prints, embroidery, beading and flowing fabrics made it ideal for the increasingly fashionable idea of resortwear.
And that is perhaps where the modern kaftan really found its sweet spot.
Why has the kaftan endured?
Fashion has an impressive ability to make something indispensable one decade and almost unwearable the next.
The kaftan has somehow escaped that fate.
Part of its longevity comes from its simplicity. The basic idea—a loose garment that drapes over the body—can be endlessly reinvented.
It can be long or short, minimalist or highly embellished, worn over swimwear or styled with jewellery and sandals for dinner. The loose silhouette also makes it wonderfully comfortable in warmer climates.
Perhaps most importantly, the kaftan doesn't demand that the body fit the clothes. The garment works with the body instead.
That feels surprisingly modern for a style with such an ancient history.
The modern kaftan
Today, kaftans have become firmly established as part of contemporary holiday and resort wardrobes.
Throw one over a swimsuit for the beach. Add sandals, statement earrings and a beautiful bag and the same piece can take you to lunch or drinks. Longer or more embellished versions can become eveningwear in their own right.
Yet underneath that modern versatility is a garment with centuries of history.
And that's one of the things we love most about them.
Kaftans at Mango Luxe
At Mango Luxe, travel and the stories behind the things we wear have always been part of our inspiration.
Our collection of kaftans takes that wonderfully relaxed silhouette and brings it into the modern holiday wardrobe—easy pieces designed for sunshine, travel and those days when you want to look put together without feeling overly dressed.
Wear yours over swimwear, style it with flat sandals for sightseeing or add some of your favourite jewellery for a relaxed summer evening look.
Because perhaps that's the secret of the kaftan.
Centuries later, we're still finding new ways to wear it.
Our latest Mango Luxe kaftans are available from our Etsy shop.
Comments