[bold] Long an accommodating menswear staple in many parts of the world, the easy, breezy men’s garment is undergoing a revival in designer circles [/bold]
Stored deep in the entrails of Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is an 8th-century caftan from the Caucasus region. It’s an indication of how long people have been turning to these lithe, single-piece slips to deal with warmer temperatures—modestly. Cut from airy material to sit off the body, a caftan is one of the coolest things to put on when you must wear something. In 100 degree-plus weather, said New York fashion consultant Nick Wooster of the billowy caftan’s appeal, “the last thing you want is [clingy] clothes on your body.”
Though variations on the caftan have long been worn by both men and women in places from Senegal to Southeast Asia, with a heavy concentration in the Middle East, guys who didn’t grow up in those cultures might find the shin-skimming open shape uncomfortably close to a dress. It wasn’t always that way. During the 1970s, male caftans were worn poolside in Palm Springs, Calif., and other similarly swinging places—a liberating garment for liberating times. “International Male,” a menswear catalog of the period, was filled with hunks in cleavage-revealing caftans, some with a considerable side-slit. (From the vantage point of 2019, some of the catalog’s earth-toned pieces have a “Game of Thrones” brothel vibe.)
Whether you’re ready to reveal your cleavage or not, the male caftan is having another moment among the fashion-minded. Damien Paul, the head of menswear at London-based retailer Matches Fashion, reports that the company now stocks about 20 versions. “[This] summer, we really went after them,” said Mr. Paul, citing the label Marrakshi Life as a driving force behind the trend. Javier de Juanas, the fashion editor at Spanish magazine Neo 2, was wearing one of the brand’s organic-looking unisex caftans when I spoke to him on a balmy day in Paris, France. “You can move, you can feel free,” he said of the piece, which he had nevertheless styled for the city with trousers and sneakers underneath.
Junny Ann Hibbert, an ESPN sales director-turned-designer, said she’s been fielding emails from men seeking her colorful caftans. Ms. Hibbert began producing flowy garments a couple of years ago, after being inspired by the prayer robes worn by African men in her Harlem neighborhood. “I try to tell people that in Africa they wear these robes and they wear them all year. Not only is the fabric cool, it’s durable as well,” she said.
Men who are new to caftans might best consider them as vacation wear. Holidays are a time of no judgment: You may choose to have that third cocktail, or experimentally forgo pants. While on holiday last summer in Capri, Italy, actor Chris Pine wore a knee-length caftan paired with espadrilles and a panama hat. The star looked very…relaxed.
