Muslim clothing usually consists of a head cover set and long shirt which covers all the way down to the ankle. This type of clothing is very popular in the Middle east and other Islamic countries. The style may vary slightly from country to country.

The headdress consists of three things: the Taqiyah, the Ghutra,and the Iqal. Some men may choose not to wear the Iqal.

The Ghutra

Ghutrah, which is a part of the headdress worn by Arab men, is a square scarf made of cotton, and is worn folded into a triangular shape with the fold in the front over the Tagiyah. Gutra usually worn in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE comes in either pure white or a combination of red and white (also called smagh / shmagh). In Kuwait and Bahrain, pure white Ghutra is the choice. Contemporary black-and-white headpiece, called Kofiyah / Kaffiyeh are popular in Palestine , Jordan, Syria & Iraq. These lightweight cotton and rayon scarves with the black and white checker pattern that popular figures in Islamic culture have made famous -- pattern is similar to the Kufiyyeh worn by Chairman Arafat, among others. Other name variations include Keffiyeh, Keffiyah, Kaffiye, Keffiya, and Koffiya.

The igal

Iqal is a doubled black cord that is used to secure the Ghutra in place. Modern Igals are generally made of tightly woven black goat-hair and sheep's wool. An old style Igal, which is gold in color and sometimes ornated, is still available. The Igal is usually worn sitting on top of the head just to hold the ghutra in place and is not suppose to be wrapped around the forehead like a hat. Name variations include Igal, Egal, Agal and Aqal.

The Taqiyah

The Taqiyah is a small white cap that keeps the ghutra from slipping off the head. In some places like Egypt, Sudan and other African countries, Tagiya is worn by itself with no other headcover. When worn by itself, Tagiyah can be of any color, while when worn under a headcover, it is always white. Taqiyah comes in different styles, some with perforations, and some without.

Bisht / Aba

The Bisht or Aba is the loose robe worn on top of the Thob by Arab men. The Bishts are either made of cotton or camel/sheep wool. Bishts are always trimmed with beautiful golden embroidery, called Mogasab in Arabic. Bishts are popular in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Palestine. Bishts are sometimes called Mishlah / Meshlah.

Dishdasha / Thobe

Saudi men wear a traditional dress called a Thobe. Sometimes known as Dishdasha, thobs are loose garments and they cover the whole body down to the ankle. Wearing the thobe expresses equality and is also perfectly suited to the hot climates in Saudi Arabia and its neighbouring countries. During warm and hot weather, white thobes are worn by men and boys but during the cool weather, wool thobes in dark colours are common. Thobs also come in earth colors like brown or green. They are usually worn with loose white trousers underneath called Sirwal / Sarwal.

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