Arab Dress. A Short History

Salem, the Prince of Tombouctou: A North African Model in Nineteenth-Century Paris

“…From the beginnings of Islam it consisted of "an undergarment, a body shirt, a long dress, gown or tunic, and an overgarment, such as a mantle, coat or wrap, footgear and a head covering." [93] The izar, a long sheet-cloth worn as a mantle, waistcloth, or loincloth, was the basic undergarment for men in Arab traditions even before Islam. [94] Known also as a m'izar, it later became associated in northern Africa with the draped costume known as a haïk.…”

“…[93] The izar, a long sheet-cloth worn as a mantle, waistcloth, or loincloth, was the basic undergarment for men in Arab traditions even before Islam. [94] Known also as a m'izar, it later became associated in northern Africa with the draped costume known as a haïk. [95] This dress continued to be worn in North Africa into the nineteenth century.…”

“…[94] Known also as a m'izar, it later became associated in northern Africa with the draped costume known as a haïk. [95] This dress continued to be worn in North Africa into the nineteenth century. When Carl Hagenbeck arranged for an "ethnographic display" of Nubians at the Paris Jardin d'Acclimatation in 1878, the Africans' dress was described by H. A. Mazard of the Société d'Anthropologie de Paris: "They are uniformly dressed in loincloths and an unbleached cotton drapery that usually leaves the upper part of the body uncovered."…”