The Thobe is traditional Islamic men’s clothing

Humans all over the world like to have and maintain their individual identity. The clothing forms the most important part in creating this identity. The climate of the country they reside in also plays a major role in defining the clothing patterns. Religion is also an important issue in such matters. You find the Islamic people following their religion and customs wherever they reside. Hence, you have men in the predominantly Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia wearing the long overflowing tunic-like piece of clothing. This Islamic men’s clothing is known popularly as ‘Thobe’.
 
Let us see the characteristic of thobe and look at its utility. This piece of clothing has many variants. This is because the Islamic people living in other parts of the world have their individual version of the thobe. We shall have a reference to such variants as well in this article.

 
The Thobe is purely a male dress. Women wear their own version but they do not call it the thobe. The thobe is a long overflowing robe, usually white in color. Starting at the neck they extend up to the ankles thereby covering every part of the body except the face and the fingers. What is so special about this thobe that it has become a kind of a traditional Islamic dress?  
 
Islam is a conservative religion that does not profess exposing the human body to the outside world. This explains why you find the women following this religion covered from head to toe in a special contraption known as ‘Burqa’. The Burqa is traditionally black in color though you have them in varying colors as well in recent times. The men have this equivalent of the Burqa in the Thobe.
 
Saudi Arabia has a predominantly hot climate with the day temperatures reaching uncomfortable levels. It can become virtually impossible to survive wearing other clothing such as shirts, pants, and T-shirts alone. This thobe for men is an additional garment that can be worn over your regular clothing. You can use the thobe as your main clothing garment as well.

 
The Saudi Arabian region is a desert with the temperatures varying a great deal in the day as well as night. Therefore, you have the traditional thobe white in color. White has got the quality of reflecting the heat and light. Hence, wearing white clothing does not allow the atmospheric heat to affect the body. It helps in keeping the body at normal temperatures. Similarly, the nights in the deserts can become very cold. The same principle applied here as well. The white color does not absorb any kind of heat from the exterior. Hence, it does not allow the heat from the body to escape to the exterior thereby maintaining the optimum temperature of the body.
 
This is why you find the Arabs preferring to have white thobes. However, today, the younger generation loves to experiment with colors. Therefore, you have the modern day thobes in a variety of colors ranging from blue, green, gray, and other attractive shades.

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