What is a djellaba?

When people picture a Moroccan in flowing robes, they're almost always picturing a djellaba — so let me define it precisely, because travellers mix it up with everything else. A djellaba is a long, loose, full-length robe with long sleeves and, crucially, a pointed hood called a qob. It's worn by both men and women, it falls roughly to the ankles, and it's genuine everyday clothing — not a tourist outfit or a ceremonial gown. Walk any medina on a chilly morning and half the people around you will be wrapped in one.

What I love telling visitors is how seasonal and practical the djellaba is. In winter it's typically thick wool, often in earthy browns, greys and creams, and that pointed hood isn't decoration — men pull it up against cold mountain wind and rain, and I've seen shepherds in the Atlas use it as a hood, a scarf and a pillow all at once. In the heat of summer it switches to light cotton or linen in paler colours, loose enough to keep air moving and skin shaded from the sun. The garment quietly solves the Moroccan climate.

There's a whole social grammar to it that I enjoy pointing out. A plain, simple djellaba is what someone wears to run errands or work; a finer one in better cloth, sometimes with subtle embroidery down the front placket, comes out for Friday prayers, a visit to family or a modest celebration. Men's tend to be plainer and more muted; women's can be beautifully embroidered and colourful. You'll also see it paired with babouches (the leather slippers) and, on men, sometimes a tarbouche — a very classic, dignified look.

If you want one as a souvenir, the souks are full of them and they make a genuinely useful buy, not a gimmick that lives in a drawer at home — a light cotton djellaba is brilliant beach and summer wear, and a wool one is cosy. Try it on, check the hood sits well and the length clears the floor, and barter gently. I always tell guests it's one of the few "traditional" purchases you'll actually wear again. Just remember the name: hooded robe equals djellaba.