Clothing style in Afghanistan

We can call Afghanistan a country of very eventful history. Its past to a great extent affects its current lifestyle. In this regard the topic we are to discuss, namely the cloths worn by Afghan people, is not as much a subject of fashion, rather a matter of tradition. The clothes are very much defined by the religious believes and the postulates of Islam. Thus similarly to other Muslim countries in Afghanistan there are strict restrictions imposed as it comes to dress code. And this not only concerns festive events or official celebrations, but rather refers to the everyday appearance of all: both women and men.   In general women could be observed to wear the following common set: a dress “parahaan”, beneath which they have trousers “tombaan” and on their head they place a scarf piece “chaadar”. The pants are made of cotton or silk-like material and are covering the legs up to the ankles. Most often they are white; however they might be matching with the overdress. The “parahaan” s made of silk, satin or cotton, usually in bright colors or darker for elderly women. Floral elements are a common pattern used. In the cities women tend to prefer the long skirts, of course, again with pants underneath, but along with a jacket. The modesty is the key element in the dressing. The long sleeves are a must. The exception is the ¾ sleeves length, but shorter than that is unacceptable. Married women should be even more conservative for on their outfit depends the honor of their husband. Darker colors or black is recommended as an overcoat as they go out in public.   Women who are single and relatively younger tend to wear jeans and a long coat (covering their hips). However the general rule is to wear clothes that are more loose and do not reveal your skin and parts of the body.   Men are allowed to wear suits, but no shorts or sleeveless shirts are advised. They also wear “tombaan”, however their shirt is called “payraan”. Sometimes they could choose to wear a vest “waaskaat” and a hat “kullaa” or “pokool”, on a less pleasant weather they could apply a “shaal”.   If you are to travel to Afghanistan do not forget to find cheap international calls rates in order to keep in touch with your close ones.