Moroccan Djellaba: 'Jedi Robes' Dominate Fashion Scene (VIDEO)

By Solana Pyne | GlobalPost

RABAT, Morocco -- Star Wars fans can't help but notice: Jedi robes are everywhere in Morocco.
These long-hooded cloaks -- known as djellabas -- come in stripes and leopard prints, silk and linen, traditional styles and more modern ones.

The djellaba is a traditional North African garment long worn by men in Morocco and adopted by women here around the time of independence in 1956.

Some claim Star Wars' Jedi and Jawa robes were inspired by djellabas in Tunisia, where the movie was filmed. A skeptical-sounding spokeswoman for Lucasfilm Ltd. said she was unaware of any connection.

But on the streets of Rabat, it's hard to see these confident, hooded figures without thinking that the force is indeed with them.

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Comments

[alibabasbazzar-dot-com]

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[marysandra]

thank you for this. My daughter is currently visiting friends in Morocco, I hope she brings me one of these wonderful garments..­I had a "hippie" dress in the 70's that looked a lot like this. The video gave me a little peek into what my daughter is experiencing.

[kimberlybarres]

This is so true! My husband is Moroccan and i have visited a few times and the first time i saw some of these outfits the first thing I thought of was Obi Won Kanobi!
Morocco is a wonderful country with a diverse and welcoming population­...

[TheyCalledMeSandN]

wow this is c r a p. umm "star wars robes"?? really!!
umm.. so now star wars in the tradition and the local atire is the trend?
i think this article/video is a joke

[MsIrisMG]

Perfect for wearing in 100 degree heat like we've been having, just wish it weren't so tight fitting.

[kittyonice]

I was in Morocco recently, unfortunately in the hospital with a bad fracture for most of my time there and couldn't do the shopping I would have liked, but my mother bought a Djellaba for herself, and I still regret that I didn't get her to buy me one. Most of the Djellabas that men wear are this rather ugly light-brown color, but the ones for women are made in all kinds of beautiful colors and fabrics. They are very comfortable, yet attractive to wear out on the town. They are great because one doesn't need to think about what to wear -- they are all purpose, and with the right accessories can be quite fashionable looking. Urban Moroccan women are very fashion conscious, and are very fond of western styles, but the Djellaba is easily adaptable, and as with any region, there is definitely a local look which blends western and eastern very attractively.

There is no doubt that Lucas got the outfit from Tunisia, but the Djellaba is most definitely a Moroccan creation -- and is typically Moroccan, just like the Moroccan slippers with the heal sewn in a flattened, open form. They are a casual, laid-back peoples, very similar to my laid-back west coast hippie-upbringing, and the traditional garments of Morocco reflect that laid-back, relaxed way of life (not anything like a hippie way of life except for being so casual).

[Liosliath]

Solana, really? I've read some of your other articles - you can do better.

[BlackYowe]

Solana Pyne didn't make much sense in this piece.. She forgot to explain how cool these are and how perfect they are for the climate. These are close to the kinds of garments worn in the Middle East since before the time of Moses. It is quite obvious these and other Middle Eastern and North African robes were the inspiration for the make beleive Jedi robes. I happen to own one of these robes.

[Liosliath]

Yeah, I probably have about 8 myself - I don't wear them anywhere but Morocco, of course, but they're perfect for the weather there, true. Keeps you cool and the sun off you at the same time.

[Ohioan730]

So, they've been wearing this style for centuries and someone thought it was clever to compare them to a 30 year old George Lucas movie? Ok.

[GravitonX]

Ok, what's new here? I didn't see anything new that I haven't seen hundreds of times in Morocco.

[RazeTemple]

Wow, what a nice and slightly offen.sive label you put on a traditional way of dressing for many people. How insensative can you get?

[taliesnin]

i will say something as a tunisian and a star wars fan. jedi robes are clearly inspired by tunisian djellaba.
in tunisia it's called burnus and the color of a traditional burnous is brown like a the jedi robe.
they shot tha tatooine scenes in the south of tunisia, it's impossible that they didn't meet some people wearing that cape.

[mat3]

Beats wearing a man dress.

[gbrooks]

I think some of 'em look pretty cool.

My grandmother traveled all over the world and used to wear things like these, sari's and all kinds of ethnic stuff.

[GeorgeP922]

Man what a shame, this isn't even funny or make any sense.

The majority of educated people don't look at a culture and say "Hey, what they have been wearing the last 50 years looks just like the people in this movie, let me write a blog about it"

Its not ignorant, its just weak journalism.

[PKatherine]

agree with you.

This is not funny, it's offensive.

[AZterritory]

Morocco was first.