Keffiyeh Scarf

[tylw]

^you're welcome. glad i can help!

[tylw]

you know, i doubt many people in the middle east would ever make an assumption about your political allegiances if you wore a keffiyah. they are so commonplace. they may, however, assume you are some loud-mouthed foreigner if you make such a big deal about it.

and why pigeonhole it as a political symbol, when it has been a part of bedouin culture for centuries more? should we get mad at people for wearing tartan plaid or houndstooth and not knowing about the scottish highlands?

for what it's worth, i find the keffiyeh effortlessly chic and practical. beyond this, it seems like the private concern of the individual why they wear it.

[jun3machina]

well said!!

[melfreya]

tylw karma!

[tylw]

thanks jun and melfreya for the karma! i just realized that houndstooth is from the scottish lowlands

i hope we can agree that there is a basic, unshakable aesthetic foundation to fashion, and ignoring that in order to push forward a political agenda is just as devastating as not realizing the plight of middle east peace. who knows maybe this keffiyeh trend will inspire people to know more about that region.

[sakina]

this trend kills me. i saw a keffiyeh inspired scarf with pacman and skulls ystrday.

my dad gets a kick every time he sees someone wear them though because at home, in syria, only his 80 yr old uncles still wore them.

[expedition]

Originally Posted by KhaoticKharma

See, my issue with the Keffiyeh is not the politics, per se, but the culture of it. To me, it would be like random Swedish girls wearing saris, or American ladies in kimonos. While there could be a few into the history and culture of the garment, the majority of them wouldn't be. I personally think that fashion should be able to offer something a little less vacuous than just looking good; it should also contribute to the wearers knowledge of other places and people, and sort of be an overall learning experience. It upsets me to see people just following trends, and I wish more people would jump at the chance to broaden all sorts of horizons with their wardrobe selections.

And if an American woman wears a kimono or a Swede wears a sari? Who cares? It's beautiful. If culture (fashion included) can spread across oceans, lets embrace it. And if they don't know what it represents, that's okay too. It doesn't mean they are ignorant. Everything started somewhere. Let's just be happy that people from everywhere can appreciate beauty!