Keffiyeh Scarf

[vanilla fairy]

Originally Posted by pinksatin

So I've read a little of what it symbolizes. And I get that it's sometimes seen as support for Palestinians. But that it's also been worn for ages with no political connotations. I am curious though, would you wear this if you were Jewish? I am and I was wondering if it isn't the exact opposite of supporting Israel, is it not?

I would like to wear it b/c i think it's pretty and where I live the streets aren't saturated with them and I like to find new and different things to wear, but I asked my mom if she knew where to get one and she said she "didn't think that's something you'd want to wear if you're Jewish".

Could I maybe portray it like a symbol of peace? Like "yes, I support Israel and I'm Jewish but I know Palestinians are people too and violence is overrated"?

any thoughts? TIA

now thats a nice idea!


u guys, the kahfiyah\ shemagh or whatever u wanna call it doesn't by anymeans sympolize Palestine or any religeon per say, it's just a mid-eastern inspired fashion.. i know the arab jews in Yemen and Palestine\Isarel and Iraq still wear it, so i don't think it's religeon related as much as it's a cultural thing, just like cowboy hats and the japanese kimono

p.s. if u like this trend, wear it and show us
i really like red one with mono colored outfits, it gives a nice tocuh

[fezbatik]

It's been touch and go, wearing it in and around Toronto.
I haven't seen too many around.
I am educated on the message I may appear to be sending. That's all I can do. I think it is a really nice looking scarf, period.

Fact is - fashion is only a political statement if you make it one.
And i don't.

I disagree with PinkSatin though to a degree.
If someone takes issue with my fashion choice, I do welcome friendly discourse to discuss their feelings and such as I realize i may seem offensive.
That is my problem.

All you can do is educate people.

Then march on wearing your choices in peace.

[fash ho']

interesting discussion.

it really illustrates the layers of meaning in certain items of clothing and how you wear them. i have a t-shirt with an arabic symbol for 'peace' on the front which usually garners an interesting conversation. also my boyfriend sometimes wears a t-shirt that says "black is beautiful" from the Harlem museum in new york - totally non-politically but it always draws some attention (not always positive).

^^^^^^^^^digression

i don't know what i prefer - that someone wears it because its 'cute' or because they want to make some half-baked signal that they are 'political' and therefore trendy. neither is right or wrong, but i do think that they are just so ubiquitous here - kind of like those awful fake mcqueen skull scarves. my tendency would be to archive it until its fashion moment is over (whether you wear it as fashion or political statement)

[James1057]

i really like them...ive seen alot of people recently wearing them. Does anyone know where i can purchase one in the UK?

[CelineChic]

Originally Posted by missy-t1

well:
from the don that is wikipedia
The keffiyeh is almost always of white cotton cloth, but many have a checkered pattern in red or black stitched into them. The plain, white keffiyeh is most popular in the Gulf states, almost excluding any other style in Kuwait and Bahrain. The black-and-white keffiyeh is most popular in the Levant. The red-and-white keffiyeh is worn throughout these regions, but is most strongly associated with Jordan.

....

In the 1930s, the keffiyeh became a symbol of Palestiniannationalism, as a result of its association with rural areas (as opposed to the city-dweller's fez). It was adopted by many of the Palestinians who supported Grand MuftiAmin al-Husayni during the Great Uprising. The British attempted to ban it in Jenin, and at one point, a British army chief went so far as to propose jailing any Palestinian who wore it, but he was overruled by his superiors. It would later become a trademark symbol of Yasser Arafat, who was rarely seen without a keffiyeh. Arafat would wear the keffiyeh in the traditional manner, around the head and wrapped by an agal, but he also wore in the neckline of his military fatigues.
Another Palestinian figure who is associated with the keffiyeh is Leila Khaled, a female member of the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Several photographs of Khaled circulated in the Western newspapers after the hijacking of TWA Flight 840 and the Dawson's Field hijackings. These often included Khaled wearing a keffiyeh in the style of a Muslim woman's hijab, wrapped around the head and shoulders. This was unusual, as the keffiyeh is associated with Arab masculinity, and many believe this to be something of a fashion statement by Khaled, denoting her equality with men in the Palestinian armed struggle.
Since the outbreak of the First Intifada and the emergence of Hamas as a rival to the Palestine Liberation Organization in the Palestinian Territories, the colors of the stitching in a keffiyeh are now associated with Palestinians' political sympathies. The iconic black-and-white 'Palestinian' keffiyeh is associated with the PLO and Fateh. Green, as the colour associated with Islamism, is also associated with Islamic Jihad. Red, often associated with socialism, also has a pan-Arabist association in the Arab world. It is often worn by militants of the PFLP, PFLP-GC, and DFLP. Red is also the color often worn by civilian supporters of Hamas, though militants generally wear ski masks.

Wikipedia is a bit off sometimes. I'm Saudi and I do notice more men wearing the all white keffiyeh with an agal. But the color really has nothing to do with the geographic location in the middle east. I occasionally see the red-checked ones too.

My grandpa wears the white one because he thinks it keeps his head cool in the sun.

[susannah]

This trend hasn't appeared in Australia yet but I have been wearing long cotton scarves worn very similarly for a few years now. I think it is quite easy to acheive the same look for those that are worried about the political ramifications. Think about the possibilites: florals, batiks, houndstooth, paisley...

Today I'm wearing a charcoal and light grey one I bought in Vietnam.

[Umm Zain]

Originally Posted by LUMANAcom

I was looking through the models street style and noticed a lot of models that were wearing the kahfiyah, I was wondering if this is a major trend recently. As I live in Palestine, I see them everywhere anyway but thought it was interesting to see so many on the models. Who else here is wearing the scarf?

I love these scarves. I love the way they look wrapped around the neck. I am well aware of the political association as well and since I support the Palestinian cause (AND a peaceful resolution in the region which insha Allah can be achieved one day sooner rather than later), I wear it with no qualms. Should anyone ask... I know the meaning of my fashion statement.

Originally Posted by missy-t1

whats a djellabea?

A djellaba is an outer garment that both men and women wear over their "regular" clothes when out in public. As far as I know the word "djellaba" is Moroccan, but the concept is Middle Eastern (ex: the abaya for women). This pic (from http://www.desertstore.com) is a good example of a common djellaba you would see in Morocco and is a woman's version (note the tassel on the hood that the man's version would never have). I have one that is similar, but with beautiful white details embroidered in the fabric. I wear it when visiting Morocco (my husband is Maghrebi), but I never wear it in the US. However it would not surprise me to see them on the streets here in the States one day. There are some BEAUTIFUL djellabas out there and they can look really pretty on if done right.

Originally Posted by lick1987

^ where exactly can i buy them in the uk? i really want one...they look so good! topshop??

You could most likely buy the kahfiyah (scarves) in almost any Islamic store in the UK that sells scarves and accessories (at least that's the case here in the States). But, you can buy them online too. Here are some links:
http://www.desertstore.com/products-...SA-ght-01.html
http://www.islamicboutique.com/prodd...p?prod=0208001
This site has a nice variety of colors: http://www.halalco.com/kefiya.html
There are more, but you just have to look around a bit.

XOXOXOXOXO

[morgan38]

Originally Posted by pinksatin

I am curious though, would you wear this if you were Jewish? I am and I was wondering if it isn't the exact opposite of supporting Israel, is it not?

I really really doubt too many Jews are going to be hopping on the Kahfiyah bandwagon. Though I don't think you can exactly pinpoint a true meaning of the scarf ( and I realize that many argue it has no political connotations), generally people see it as support for Palestine.
I think it's an attractive scarf, but generally I stray away from wearing clothes that may come off as "culturally insensitive" to certain people...especially if I'm in a professional setting.

[Lena]

Originally Posted by morgan38

I think it's an attractive scarf, but generally I stray away from wearing clothes that may come off as "culturally insensitive" to certain people...

thats how i really feel about this myself..

[ETROsexualJ]

At Movida in NYC

pic by me

[StellaMare]

I saw these at Urban Outfitters and thought of this thread, personally I'm not a fan of this "trend." picture by me.

[Diorling]

UO = Kiss of death

[Umm Zain]

So for everyone that likes the style, but not the message, I found this article about a Kaffiyeh Yisraelit. I think it's a pretty scarf not to mention that the model's eyes are gorgeous!

http://jewschool.com/?p=11485

[lucy92]

i also saw the the scarf at urban outfitters. can anyone give a good explanation on how the scarf is tied? is it simple?

[vanilla fairy]

http://jewschool.com/wp-content/uplo...likaffiyeh.jpg
wow. thats smart! the pattern is very well done