ASenegalese kaftan is apullover men'srobe with long bell sleeves. In theWolof language, this robe is called ambubb orxaftaan and in French it is called aboubou. The Senegalese caftan is an ankle length garment. It is worn with matchingdrawstring pants calledtubay inWolof. Normally made ofcotton brocade,lace, or synthetic fabrics, these robes are common throughoutWest Africa. Akaftan and matching pants is called akaftan suit.[1] The kaftan suit can be worn with akufi cap.[2] Senegalese kaftans areformal wear in all West African countries. In theUnited States, some merchants sell this robe as aSenegalese style dashiki pant set or afull length dashiki pant set. Men who are members of theHausa tribe, wear these kaftans to formal events like naming ceremonies and weddings. In theUnited States, a kaftan is one of three formal suits, equivalent to thetuxedo, thatAfrican-American grooms select for their weddings. The other styles being thedashiki pant set, and thegrand boubou, pronouncedgran boo-boo.[citation needed] There are various other formal robes that are worn throughout West Africa, and with the exception of theYoruba Gbarie robe, pronouncedbarry, most of these are a form of Islamic dress, seesartorial hijab. The kaftan is worn byChristians,African Jews,Muslims, and followers ofAfrican traditional religion. Furthermore, Senegalese kaftans are common among men ofAfrican descent in theAfrican diaspora. The Senegalese kaftan is men's attire. In West Africa, and the United States, this robe is not worn bywomen. The women's robe is called akaftan.
A white kaftan is worn for weddings.[3] The bride's attire is abuba and wrapper set or a woman'skaftan that is the same color as the groom's Senegalese.
Another robe that is occasionally seen in West Africa is the short-sleeved Maghrebi kaftan, also called athobe, dishdasha, orjalabiyyah. These kaftans are used as pajamas or lounge wear. In the home, they are worn on top of underwear. Some men wear the Maghrebi kaftan outside the home. When worn outside, it is customary to wear the Maghrebi kaftan over a long or short sleevet-shirt orturtleneck and a pair ofpants,jeans, orshorts. The Maghrebi kaftan can be worn with a knitted or crown stylekufi cap. InMaghreb, this robe is called agandora ordjellaba inMorocco,gandoura ordjebba inAlgeria,djebba orjebba inTunisia andjalabiya inLibya.[4] Although widely worn, Moroccan kaftans are not formal attire in any West African country. Recently, some tribes have started to wear the Tanzaniankanzu for informal occasions, including church services, orFriday prayers at the mosque.