Keffiyeh Scarf

[iluvaar]

lots of ppl are wearing them here in Sydney, whether or not they know the meaning behind this scarf or what it symbolises is another story....

 

[KhaoticKharma]

I think they look pretty cool, but at the same time they're kind of like colorful jeans and leggings- so painfully trendy that, unlike skinny jeans, the wearers are really going to regret their get-ups twenty years from now... that said, I do already wear colorful jeans and leggings!




Heidi Klum
[celebritybabyblog]




Justin from the pop/r&b band NLT
[nlt-fan.com]

 

[orang3leaves]

I love this style! Yeah I heard it's popular in Australia too and here in the US I've seen people wearing it too on my campus.

I've been looking everywhere for this to buy; I checked Urban Outfitter's and they have it, but they don't have the cute colors anymore, so I bought a pretty light blue one off eBay fairly cheap. TopShop has some too, but I wasn't a big fan of those colors either.

 

[PetitPuppy]

I used to wear them too. Well, until the German tv series 'Popstars' started that huge hype and every little girl is wearing it now...
Just some of the trashiest examples:

prosieben.de

That's the reason why I'm really not able anymore to wear them...

 

[r_r_r]

^those pictures are just unacceptable...

The Keffiyeh scarf is such a beautiful piece of fabric and its sad that some people have to destroy it's natural essence...

 

[orang3leaves]

Well there's always dumb people everywhere who ruin everything; just because they look stupid doesn't mean that everyone who wears it appears to be a "thug" or whatever like them. I know the meaning behind the scarf and it carries positive connotations for me.

 

[orang3leaves]

They've become more trendy and I don't really mind that. If it brings awareness to political causes like justice in Palestine (which I'm for) or even some kind of awareness about Arab culture then I'm all for it.

These are from fabsugar.com and justjared.buzznet.com

 

[orang3leaves]

LOVE the way this girl wears it. credit: Satorialist

Just because you don't support Palestine, doesn't make it wrong if I do. Everyone has different political views. I think it's wrong to silence dissenting opinions and just label them as all "bad" or "good" because things aren't that black and white in real life. And opinions and free speech and free expression and free fashions should not be silenced.

 

[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.

 

[jun3machina]

coudl someone please summarize the meaning behind these?

 

[meowmix]

i see these all over new york... cultural, etc significance aside, i'm just tired of the way people are wearing it all over. the dumb hipsters wear them all the time and they always look unwashed, like they smell bad

 

[jun3machina]

i see these all over new york... cultural, etc significance aside, i'm just tired of the way people are wearing it all over. the dumb hipsters wear them all the time and they always look unwashed, like they smell bad

hehehe smelly hipsters!

 

[tylw]

^^historically, they are a just headdress for arab men. they evolved into a symbol of palestinian nationalism, with yasser arafat being its most recognizable wearer. many non-arabs wear them to express solidarity with the palestinians.

the b&w ones are usually associated with arafat's fateh party, and the red ones with more socialist/rural causes, but these color associations are fairly lax and do not necessarily point to any particular political ideology. people wear them freely in the middle east, though it is rare to see an arab female with one.

the best ones are made in Syria, in my opinion

 

[tylw]

TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) in his plain white keffiyah



wikipedia

 

[jun3machina]

thank you so much! karma!!!

 

[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.