Growing up, I remember my mother going to the tailor to have her kaftan made. It did not come off a rack. Very few shops in Morocco sell ready-to-wear kaftans, and for most of the women I know, a wedding invitation has always meant the same thing: new fabric, a trusted tailor and a deadline.
Times have changed, and prices have changed with them. But the kaftan is still the garment a Moroccan woman wears when something important is happening in her family. If you have ever wondered what it really is, how it differs from a takchita, or why nobody seems to buy one in a shop, this is the guide I would give a friend.
What is the difference between a kaftan and a takchita?
A Moroccan kaftan is one piece. A takchita is two pieces, and sometimes three. That is the whole difference, and it is the one most people outside Morocco never hear about.
Morocco's director of heritage has described the kaftan as a long T-shaped dress, richly decorated, with a braided silk trim called sfifa running down the middle and a row of buttons called aakads.
The belt is its own vocabulary. When it is made of gold or silver, it is called a mdamma. When it is made of fabric, it is a hzam.
Is a kaftan the same as a jellaba or a kamiss?
No. A jellaba is everyday wear, and a kaftan is ceremony wear. The jellaba is what my mother wears to go to the souk, the market. The kaftan is what you put on for a wedding, an engagement (khotoba) or a baby celebration (sboue).
The kamiss is the one that confuses people, because it is so close. A kamiss is the kaftan when it is worn without the belt.
Men have kaftans too, although they are less common. Moroccan men lean towards the jellaba or the jabadour.
Why is every Moroccan kaftan made to measure?
Because a kaftan is ordered for a person and an occasion, and very few brands sell one ready to wear. Diamantine is one of the few names you will find. Moroccan girls start wearing kaftans at a young age, and at 13 or 14 they usually start having their own custom made.
Here is how it works.
1. Buy the fabric. The fabric comes first, and you bring it to the tailor yourself. In Casablanca, the two main places are Derb Omar and Hay El Farah. The choice is wide: mlifa, tlija, crepe, satin, jawhara, mwabra (also spelled mobra) and sari, the Indian fabric, which is also used to make kaftans here.
2. Choose the tailor, carefully. You generally go on recommendations from satisfied clients.
3. Agree the deadline first. Before anything else. Tailors are generally overbooked, and your kaftan has to be ready for the wedding you are attending.
4. Measurements, embroidery, cut, price. The tailor takes your measurements, you choose the embroidery and the cut, and then you agree on a price. Expect to haggle a bit.
5. Come back for the fitting.
6. Come back again to keep things moving. One more visit speeds up the process and reminds the tailor of the deadline you agreed.
7. Pay and collect. On the last visit, you pay and take your finished outfit home.
What are the main types of Moroccan kaftan?
Three names you will hear are the mekhzani, the ntaa and the kaftan with tarz rbati.
Mekhzani. The name comes from mekhzen, and this is the traditional cut, the one worn by princesses. It is wider, with larger sleeves and sides, so it looks bigger on the body.
Ntaa. Also written ntaâ. It can be any colour, but the embroidery is in gold filament. The Moroccan file submitted to UNESCO describes it in silk velvet, often black or dark green, embroidered with sqalli gold thread, with peacock motifs often on the panels. It takes its name from the tarz ntaa embroidery and is linked to the city of Fes.
Tarz rbati. This is the embroidery of Rabat, with floral and geometric motifs, usually in gold thread on dark velvet in garnet, green or violet.
What do Moroccan brides and wedding guests wear?
Guests wear a new kaftan for each wedding, and the bride has 4 to 5 custom made to wear on the day. The negafa is the one responsible for carrying the ceremony and its protocol, and we will come back to her in another article.
Colours carry meaning. White is for the bride on the day she gets married. Green belongs to the henna celebration that comes before the wedding, where only women are invited.
Then there is one kaftan she does not order at all: the Fassi. It is green with golden lines, typical of the city of Fes, and now worn at every Moroccan wedding. You do not prepare it yourself. The negafa always brings it, for the ceremony only. The bride wears it on the amariya, the platform she is carried on, for a special dance, takes her photos in it, and then takes it off.
It is also very heavy. In my experience, brides hate it for exactly that reason.
How much does a Moroccan kaftan cost?
A simple, beautiful kaftan can be made for around 2,000 dirhams, while some pieces go up to 30,000. A high price is not what makes a kaftan beautiful. Fabric alone can reach 5,000 dirhams, so your choice of fabric and embroidery changes the bill quickly.
Renting is the other option, at 500 to 1,000 dirhams per day. Kaftans have grown more expensive since my mother's time, and renting is now part of the picture.
Caftan Week and the UNESCO listing
The Moroccan kaftan has its own annual event and a place on UNESCO's heritage list. Caftan Week in Marrakech has been organised by the magazine Femmes du Maroc since 1996. Its 26th edition ran from May 7 to 10, 2026, with the theme "Souffle de l'Atlas" and 13 designers. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet.
On December 10, 2025, UNESCO inscribed "Moroccan Caftan: art, traditions and skills" on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Frequently asked questions
Is a takchita a kaftan? They are close relatives, but not the same garment. A kaftan is one piece, and a takchita is two pieces, sometimes three.
What is the belt on a Moroccan kaftan called? A mdamma when it is gold or silver, and a hzam when it is fabric.
Can you buy a Moroccan kaftan ready to wear? Yes, but only from a few brands such as Diamantine. Most are custom made.
Can you rent a Moroccan kaftan? Yes, for 500 to 1,000 dirhams per day.
How much does a Moroccan kaftan cost? A simple one can be made for around 2,000 dirhams, and some pieces go up to 30,000. Renting costs 500 to 1,000 dirhams per day.
What is the Fassi at a Moroccan wedding? A heavy green and gold kaftan from Fes. The negafa brings it for the ceremony, and the bride wears it on the amariya for a special dance and photos.
Do Moroccan men wear kaftans? Some do, but it is less common. Most lean towards the jellaba or the jabadour.
What colour does a Moroccan bride wear? White on the wedding day. Green belongs to the henna celebration before it. She has 4 to 5 kaftans made for the day itself.
One more thing
There is nothing to buy from this article. I wanted you to know what you are looking at the next time you see a Moroccan kaftan, whether at a wedding, in a photo or at the tailor's door.
If you would like more of Morocco from the inside, the rest of our textiles and home decor writing is a good place to continue, and the newsletter brings new pieces straight to you.
If you had one made tomorrow, which colour would you choose? Hit reply and tell me.
Photos on Unsplash: Graphe Tween, Mezidi Zineb, Mohamed Omer, Chermiti Mohamed.
