A Heady History of Caftans
Part l
Here we are on the precipice of summer. What better time to deep dive into one of my favorite summer staples, the caftan. This is the first of a three part series. I have a lot to say on the subject, not to mention the plethora of inspiring visuals.
To kick off this caftan party let’s start with its heady history. When I say history, I mean in fashion years which start with what else but Diana Vreeland’s 1960’s!!!!
Caftans have been around for millennia. In the early twentieth century Paul Poiret introduced caftans to fashionable society women as a welcome alternative to corseted gowns. From there western fashion ran with it hitting the epitome of chic in the 1960’s when jet-setting stars and European society donned them at parties or while elegantly lounging in off times. Diana Vreeland sealed the deal with now iconic editorials shot for Vogue by Henry Clarke in the 1960s. Since then they’ve been a perennial favorite showing up in designer collections and fast fashion alike.
The crazy thing about caftans are they look good on everyone regardless of size, gender or age. Liz Taylor famously relied on them in her later years when she was not so svelte as did Grace Kelly. And in this age of ambiguous gender identity kaftans are perfectly androgynous. In my opinion there’s no sartorial problem a good caftan can’t solve.
Praise be the caftan! They can be sexy (see Liz) or modest, restrained or exuberant but never boring.
Stay tuned for Part ll where I pay homage to a legendary caftan devotee. Keep those comments, likes and subscriptions coming, and if you like what you see why not share it with a friend!
Until next time,
xxx Jolain