Introducing the 280 Resort Kaftan

May 01, 2024 3 Comments on Introducing the 280 Resort Kaftan

I wanted to give a little background on our newest pattern, the 280 Resort Kaftan. We are happy to have it available to you and are looking forward to sewing up a couple for ourselves in the next few weeks.

Folkwear has a small selection of original garments that have been collected over the years with the thought that they may potentially be the start of a pattern.  It was about a year ago that we were looking at a kaftan that was in the collection.  An employee had put it in because she loved the vintage garment.  It was from the late 1960s/early 1970s and was made of a lightweight cotton in a vintage print that fell in stripes down the dress.  It was easy to overlook this garment, and even to think that 1960s isn't vintage.  But, I have been assured repeatedly that the 60s and 70s (and even 80s) is now vintage according to the next generation.  And people are looking for iconic sewing patterns from the era.  I kind of fell in love with the original kaftan.  It looked so comfortable, cool, and easy to wear, and so very vintage.  It also looked fairly easy to sew!  So I drafted a pattern based on this kaftan.  Amazingly, the original kaftan was made with one piece of fabric that wrapped from front to back (gathered in places), and had no side seams at all.  The bodice was inserted. We added side seams for ease of construction (and to give a place to add pockets), as well as to make it easier to print in larger sizes.

The original kaftan on a dress form in our studio.

Our 280 Resort Kaftan pattern has a faced V-neck bodice that gathers into a high partial waistband, and has elbow-length sleeves.  The flowing dress falls to ankle-length and is loose and airy.  This pattern is perfect to sew as a beach or poolside cover up, but it is also stunning as dress to wear out in the evenings.  Fabric choice is key - a lightweight cotton or a sheer silk or cotton to wear over a bathing suit, or a slinky silk or chiffon for evenings.  Add embroidery to the waistband or neckline or armholes for a special touch.  

Back and front line drawings of the 280 Resort Kaftan

We knew that the 1960s and 70s style kaftan had its roots in folk wear from North Africa, and it was interesting to research its history.  The history of the kaftan (or caftan) goes back to nearly the beginning of civilization (and perhaps before). It is one of the simplest and earliest garments worn by humans – basically a loose robe, closed or open in the front, with holes for the head and arms. What we think of as a kaftan today is thought to have originated in Turkey between the 4^th and 6^th centuries AD. This style of kaftan spread, often at the same time as the spread of Islam, throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Regional and cultural styles developed in different areas and the garment took on different names such as thawb (Arabian Peninsula), jellabiyas or galabias (Egypt and Sudan), and thobe (Palestine). 

The kaftan style that developed in North Africa was for a flowing, closed-front garment with a slit neckline, worn by men and women. This design is helpful for staying cool in hot desert temperatures as well as protecting the body from the sun.

The kaftan eventually came into popularity in European and American culture in the 20^th century.  At first, designers like Paul Poiret riffed on the Moroccan kaftan with his loose fitting and flowing dresses (a big change from the previous corseted fashions).  Dior and Balenciaga also adapted the kaftan to evening wear in the 1950s.  In the 1960s and 1970s, “hippie” culture also embraced the kaftan style, as interest grew in folk cultures, fashions, and styles from India to North Africa.  And cultural icons from Cass Elliot to Diana Vreeland began to wear the style.   Designers and the fashion industry used these street styles to create kaftans for evening and everyday wear. 

Elizabeth Taylor in an elegant blue evening kaftan (Pinterest image).

By 1970, the kaftan was part of mainstream American fashion. Elizabeth Taylor’s signature look was based on the style of kaftan that had made it to America. She loved the comfort and inherent femininity of the dress. She even wore a kaftan as her wedding dress to Richard Burton in 1975.  By the end of the 1970s, the kaftan was out of (mainstream) fashion, but was still associated with resort wear. 

Today the kaftan is still associated with tropical vacations, though it is worn more and more as day wear, and still appears as formal wear at times, especially when trends are giving the style a nod. It  makes a lovely and easy-to-wear dress to don poolside or out to dinner. 

We love this new pattern! It is is forgiving and flattering, easy to wear, feminine, flowing, and fun. It is a classic! 

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