Traditional Dress of Bedouin Women

• The traditional garment of Bedouin women consisted of a thawb, a foot-length long gown, with large winged-
like sleeves made out of dark or white fabrics. These could be sewn by hand, by machine or bought in markets,
and depending on the seasonal conditions, the robe could be either produced with cotton for everyday wear, with
wool for winter cold seasons or with silk for ceremonial and religious events. In the latter, the thawb was also
adorned with embroidery at the neckline, the sides and the chest. The gown could also be decorated using
patchwork in different colours and materials and was usually girded with a belt.
• For females, the sleeves served as an instrument which could “be tied behind the back in such a way that they
form a bag for carrying shopping and (or) a young child”
• Women also covered themselves with a coat or saya with wide sleeves and slits on the sides made with dark
fabrics and decorated with appliqué ornaments in the neckline and the chest. Similar to the thawb, the side slits
on the coat could also be tied in front of the chest to form a pouch to transport and carry objects.
• For Bedouins, headdresses were some of the most important elements of their costumes, since they could be
used as protection against sandstorms, or to maintain body heat. Women tended to use a margruna: a piece of
cloth folded into a triangle, rolled and tied around the head to hold the veil or shambar kreshe. The veils were
used to differentiate association to tribes and to distinguish married women from singles.
• Each tribe had its unique style and patterns. All women’s dresses used large quantities of embroidery on both
the front and the back.