Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Old Traditions vs. New Styles



A few weekends ago, Stacey and I engaged in some scarf experimentation which we documented through photos over an entire weekend. While this entry comes somewhat late in the game it is entirely necessary and long overdue! This weekend-long fashion escapade was not long after my return from Israel where I got to observe several traditional Arab men wearing the Kafiya, a traditional headscarf, most commonly found in a white/black combination.

In the past few months, there has been an upsurge of a new observable trend in which several hipsters in urban American cities have been seen wearing the Kafiya around their necks. The scarf which is also a symbol of Palestinian nationalistic pride has taken on a whole new form of use and interpretation. It has evolved as a Western trend and the only implication for these young style-conscious individuals to wear it is fashion-based and not political. This appropriation of a traditional style is not only limited to men; several women have also been sporting the scarf. It has also been reproduced in a variety of bright colors including red, magenta, teal, and purple.

Below are some of the different ways in which the Kafiya can be worn.







I want to give a shoutout to my amazing model for letting me tie a Kafiya around her in more ways than I ever thought existed. Next time you think a style is limited or dated, i urge you to give it another look and dig a little deeper!

To find out more about the origins of the Kafiya please click on the link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keffiyeh

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