The Saudi Thobe is a traditional garment worn by men in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the main component of the formal Saudi outfit. Because it is used widely in Arab clothing, it cannot count as being exclusively in the Kingdom. However, combined with other parts of the outfit, it distinguishes itself from similar clothing in the Arabian Peninsula.
Places to wear the Saudi thobe
Men in the Kingdom wear thobes on official occasions and in public. Wearing a Saudi thobe is obligatory for entering governmental institutions. Going out in public only in the undergarments of a thobe violates Public Decency Regulations in the Kingdom.
Characteristics of the Saudi thobe
The thobe is one of the easiest pieces of Saudi clothing to wear. The majority of men in the Kingdom tend to have their clothes tailored; a minority prefers to buy clothing ready-made. Thobe prices range from SAR100 to SAR600. The common local color of thobe is white, which often fades to darker colors in the winter.
The thobe covers the entire body in proportion to weight and height measurements. Its hem is sewn with a single cuff approximately an inch above the heel. However, there is no common measurement for the thobe's length; it is a matter of personal taste.
Saudi thobe details
At the top of the garment, circling the neck, is the collar. It is strong in texture because it is woven with two linings. It comes in three shapes, the most popular of which is the circular collar. It rests directly above the collarbone on the side of the neck. It surrounds the neck on both the right and left and is closed with two buttons.
Along the vertical extension of the chest circumference, in the middle of the thobe, is a rectangular strip in which four or five buttons are sewn. The thobe contains three pockets, two of which are sewn in a hidden pattern on the right and left sides of the hip; the third remains visible on the left side of the chest.
Traditional Saudi thobes have a basic sleeve that ends with one cuff at the wrist. The folding method has been improved to a more defined shape for the wrist, with the possibility of adding one or two buttons.
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