Arab-style gowns trending this Ramzan in Mumbai

Cloth vendors in the lanes along Mohammed Ali Road, which is a hub for Ramzan shopping, said that the gowns are finding many local buyers this festive season

Thobe or thawb, an ankle-length Arab garment with long sleeves, has become a clothing of choice this Ramzan among young men.

The garment is now being sold at half the price as compared to around four years back, making it accessible to more members of the community. (HT PHOTO)

Cloth vendors in the lanes along Mohammed Ali Road, which is a hub for Ramzan shopping, said that the gowns, which were made in India for export, are finding many local buyers this festive season.

Navid Ahmed, the owner of a shop at Mandvi, said, “Lately more people are travelling to the Middle East and having an exposure to the fashion there. Earlier only well to-do members from the community could afford to pay for Haj, now that isn’t the case. As a result of which, they associate the garment with the life there and want it,” said Ahmed.

For members of the community, the switch from a kurta to a thobe is a matter of choosing an outfit that is comfortable during prayers.

“It is easier to bend and get up while one is praying, which is why people are opting for thobe,” said Adil Patanwala, a city-based manufacturer of thobe.

However, religious heads had a differing view.

MA Khalid, general secretary of Milli Council said, “Though thobe is made in India, a lot of Indians wouldn’t wear it earlier. But because one is expected to cover oneself completely during namaaz, more and more people now prefer the outfit.”

Maulana Yasoob Abbas, spokesperson of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, said, “There is no specific dress code for namaaz, it’s just that the garment has to be clean. However, people going abroad are forgetting what Indian culture is. Some of them come for namaaz wearing a coat and tie. Instead of following other cultures, one needs to stick to kurta or sherwani, because that’s what our culture is.”

Khan also added that the garment is now being sold at half the price as compared to around four years back, making it accessible to more members of the community.