Reinventing the thobe: Traditional Arab menswear gets a style upgrade

Saudi Arabian fashion designer Hatem Al-akeel is making his name by giving the traditional Arab thobe a makeover. Called a dishdasha in Oman and Kuwait, and a kandoura in the United Arab Emirates, the thobe is a long-sleeved, ankle-length tunic. Often teamed with a colorful cotton keffiyeh headdress, it’s standard formal attire in the Arabian Peninsula – the equivalent of a Western-style suit.

Hatem Al-akeel —

Hatem Al-akeel is bringing a modern fashion sensibility to the thobe -- the traditional long-sleeved, ankle-length tunic worn by men throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

Hatem Al-akeel —

Al-akeel was inspired to start designing thobes when he worked in banking and wore one every day. In 2006 he launched Toby, a thobe-focused fashion label.