Akhalat (Persian: خلعت, fromArabic:خِلْعَة,romanized: khilat) is a loose, long-sleeved outersilk orcotton robe common inCentral Asia andSouth Asia and worn both by men and women, although in differing styles.
Historically, richly adorned khalats have been used asrobes of honour.Khilat was also used to denote the ceremony of awarding the honorific robe. Suchsocial aspects of clothing have been known in many societies. By the 19th century inBritish India the wordkhilat had come to mean any gift of money or goods the Government of India awarded in return for service from tributary princes, khans and tribal leaders.
Central Asian khalats can be thin, decorative garments or thick, full-length robes that provide good protection from exposure to heat, light, and cold.
Khilat is one of many borrowings inRussian, wherekhalat has become a generic term for various robes.
In Romanian the word ishalat is used, meaningdressing gown,bathrobe,smock,camouflagecloak, etc. A similar garment is known asChapan in Turkic.
The khalat (Yiddish:כלאַט,romanized: khlat) was alsoworn by Ashkenazi Jewish men in Eastern Europe before the early 20th century. These were long, close-fitting coats withshawl collars and pockets. Khlats were cotton garments meant for everyday wear; more luxurious versions were made of velvet or silk and worn forShabbat or otherholidays.[1]
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