Keffiyeh Capers

Since beginning the Tinker Tailor series I have been quite amazed at the number of letters we have had about the Arab keffiyeh. Many thanks to all of you who took the trouble to write in. I am no Freya Stark but I will attempt to answer your questions with a composite response. Your questions have basically been:

Where can you by them?
Are they actually functional?
Can they be used as a fashion accessory?
Isn’t wearing them also a political statement?
What do you wear in The Middle East?


Where can you by them?
The keffiyeh is widely available throughout the Middle East and is available in several colours and different materials. I have been wearing them since I was fourteen when my parents took me to Egypt and I must confess my preference is for the traditional black and white Palestinian keffiyeh.

Like most things these days keffiyehs are mass produced in China although they have neither the weight or the craftsmanship of the real thing. As far as I know only one workshop remains open in Palestine and that is Hirbawi Textiles, although from what I can see none of their product is exported due to the cut throat competition from Chinese look-a-likes. There are however plenty for sale on e-Bay although you may need to look hard for an authentic Arab scarf. Again not terribly authentic but they do come in a range of colours.


One final note: The best ones always have lovely tassels

Are they actually functional?
They are extremely functional in hot climates and they are available in cotton and cotton wool mixtures the latter help keep you warm in the cold of a desert night. I tend to wear mine only when I’m in the Middle East although occasionally I will wear one at home during our winter.


They can be used to keep the sand out of your face…


Or as a shawl

Can they be used as a fashion accessory?
The simple answer is yes. They are widely worn by young people and models.






Isn’t wearing them also a political statement?
Whether the scarf is seen as a political statement is usually in the eye of the beholder. The meaning given to it is as much by the viewer as the wearer. On a personal level I have a great deal of sympathy with the Palestinian people, but so do I with Israeli people. I would wish to see them both living in harmony.


In fact I like to see them as a symbol of friendship.

What do I wear in The Middle East?
Many people who visit the Middle East will claim to have suffered from ‘Nile Tummy’ or Pharaoh’s Revenge’ blaming it on something they have eaten. Half the time they are sick it is because they are on holiday and have drunk too much alcohol and have run around half naked. Sun can be very dangerous. Unless I’m on the beach I cover up totally. I wear Craghopper solar proof lightweight trousers and shirt and a combination of my Canadian Tilley hat (guaranteed for life- even if you lose it) and my keffiyeh to keep the sun off my neck and shoulders. The keffiyeh also comes in handy as a shawl when going into places of worship. Sometimes I will wear a cool cotton jilbab or galabeyah which usually feature some very pretty embroidery.



Some of my kit is shown in the above photograph including the little ring the aghal that the men wear to keep the keffiyeh on their head, mine as you can see still has the label on.