Thawb

A thawb (alternatively spelled thobe, thaub, or thob)[a][b] is a unisex garment traditionally worn in the Arab world.

[2] Outside of the Arab world, the garment has been adopted in a number of Muslim-majority areas, particularly in the Indian subcontinent, where it is commonly referred to as a jubbah[3][4][5] and is frequently worn by those who regard it as sunnah (i.e., something practiced, spoken, or observed by Muhammad, the founding Islamic prophet) due to its modest appearance.

While there is scant information about the actual cuts of the robe, a thirteenth-century manuscript from Iraq shows drawings of women in close-fitting gowns that differed from the previously common wide-sleeved thawbs.

[11] Thobes commonly worn by men and are considered as symbols of national and cultural identity, and are appropriate attire for formal occasions and religious ceremonies.

[12] In some Gulf countries, thawb sleeves and collars can be stiffened to give a more formal appearance, front pockets and embroidery could be added and placket buttons can be covered, exposed, or replaced by zippers.

The tobe's origins date back to the late eighteenth century when prosperous merchants in Darfur clothed their wives and daughters in large swaths of fine imported linen, muslin, and silk as a sign of their wealth and prestige.

According to H. R. P. Dickson,[22] Bedouin women would mount a brightly coloured thawb on a pole in front of a tent in order to welcome home a traveller or an important person coming to visit.

[1] Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan and the first Palestinian-American woman elected to that body, wore a thawb to her swearing-in ceremony on January 3, 2019.