Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2009 - 34

the Pentagon in 2003. It depicts the same style that first caught
the media's attention in 2001. The image shows Karzai in an
ensemble that is dominated by his over garment, a coat called
a chapan that is traditionally worn in the north of Afghanistan.
Under his chapan he wears a Western-style suit coat over loose
fitting piran tunban, garments worn by people in southern Afghanistan. On his head he wears a karakul hat in a style that
originated in northern Afghanistan. He also wears Western-style
black leather shoes that compliment his suit coat.
Typical clothing for a man of Karzai's status and ethnic
background would likely be a two-piece suit, or as documented
in photographs of Karzai before his appointment, piran tunban
and a turban. Afghanis living in the country and abroad believe
that his current clothing choices are a calculated move. In an
article discussing Karzai's appearance, Mohammad basheer, a
research associate at the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the
University of Nebraska at Omaha "recall[ed] an encounter with
Karzai in 1997 in which he wore a suit, shirt and necktie, and
no hat." He believed that it was only after his appointment that
Karzai made the conscious decision to dress in this manner
(Givhan 2002).

Khalat were typically worn in layers;
multiple layers indicated higher status.
The wealthy wore up to ten robes;
however, three to four, especially in
winter, were more common.
Karzai's chapan is a garment that can be historically linked
to the Turkman and Uzbek ethnic groups who predominately
reside near the northern border of Afghanistan. In the third
quarter of the nineteenth century and again in the 1930s, large
numbers of Turkmen and Uzbeks migrated south into northern
Afghanistan. by the mid-twentieth century they made up much
of the population of those areas (Gibbon 1999, 77). These immigrants brought with them the knowledge of silk manufacture
and weaving techniques. As the fabrics they produced spread
throughout the region, so did their style of dress. The t-shaped
robes worn by men, women, and children can still be seen
across the region.
The chapan is one of three specific types of open robes,
or khalat, worn in the region. The term khalat originated from
the Arabic word khil'at which denotes a robe that opens down
the front (Gibbon 1999, 156). The other two types of khalat are
yatak, a thin, lined cloak, and chekman, a sheepskin or camel
hair coat lined with cotton or silk (berinstain 2001, 59).
Khalat were worn by a variety of social classes. They were

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typically worn in layers; multiple layers indicated higher status. The wealthy wore up to ten robes; however, three to four,
especially in winter, were more common (Gibbon 1999, 156).
All but the very wealthy belted their under-robe or robes and left
the outer-robe hanging loose. This outer-robe was often worn
draped over the shoulders without the arms in the sleeves. In the
region today it is common to find men dressed in these layered
styles. Often their best robe is layered under one of lesser quality
in order to preserve it for religious observances or celebrations.
The type of fabric used in the construction of the khalat
also indicates status. Chapan are made from wool, silk, cotton, or a combination of these fibers. Early Muslim authorities
believed that pure silk was too luxurious to be worn next to
the skin; thus, cotton and silk were often combined to produce
an acceptable fabric for garments that was also less expensive. However these religious mandates were not completely
successful in halting the wearing of silk, especially among the
wealthy. Pure silk garments persisted and were highly prized.
Silk robes could be used as commodities and were often given
as prestigious gifts. The chapan favored by Karzai have a sheen
that indicates a high silk content in the fibers of the fabric.
Chapan are a lightly padded garment, a feature that distinguishes them from other types of open robes. Winter chapan
are often quilted for extra warmth. This quilting creates a visible texture on the surface of the chapan. The chapan worn by
Karzai are only lightly padded and not quilted. Figure 2 shows
Karzai shaking hands with President bush, offering a glimpse
of the cotton lining on the interior of his chapan. A facing of a
different fabric runs along the hem and center front opening
on the interior. This facing is often made of silk in a color that
contrasts with the other fabrics of the chapan (Gibbon 1999,
156). The color of the facing on the interior of Karzai's chapan
in figure 2 is a subdued brown, which creates a stark contrast
with the bright green-and-blue striped outer fabric. The contrast is more subtle between the border and the muted grey
tones of the lining.
Zhiak, the woven or embroidered braid applied to the
outside edge of the chapan, adds another opportunity for color
contrast and decoration. Narrow zhiak adorns the hem, the
cuffs of the sleeves, the front opening, and both sides of the
collar. In figures 1 and 2, the zhiak is red and white, a contrast
to the blue-and-green color of the outer fabric. It is this small
detail that makes it possible to distinguish the seemingly identical chapan in figure 1 from the chapan in figure 2.
Another element that defines khalat is their long sleeves
that cover the hands. In many cases the actual length of the
sleeves becomes inconsequential because the garment is
worn draped over the shoulders like a cape, which leaves the
sleeves to hang at the sides. Figures 1 and 2 show Karzai wearing his chapan in this fashion. Karzai's chapan sleeves are extremely long and would fall well past his fingertips. Extra-long
sleeves have been used in clothing in Asia and Central Asia for

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2009