Ghawazee or Turkish Folkloric

Coat designed and sewn by Tinkerbell.

All photos on this page by Dana Myers.

Note: Only after I finished sewing this coat did I learn my pattern was not historically accurate. The sleeves should not have that flap on the back. The sleeves should be bell-shaped and come to a point. Fortunately, the sleeves are detachable. I made another set of sleeves in the correct style

The incorrect sleeve shape with the squarish flap on the end come from style misinterpretations of old Egyptian and Turkish paintings and drawings by Orientalist artists.

In real life, Ghawazee sleeves were tight fitting around the bicep area, but came to a long point and were either bell-shaped or split up to the elbow so as to fall open and create more flowing movement with the costume. My new long sleeves are not split. Other Ghawazee and Turkish style dancers wear a tight-fitting coat sleeve and a blouse with bell-shaped sleeves under the coat, or they tie scarves at the elbows, again to create motion with the costume.

In Banat Casablanca, we refer to this look as Ghawazee, while other dancers may call it by a different term. According to troupe sister Aysu, a member of S.C.A., authentic Ghawazee coats and vests are not cut under the bustline, which makes this coat more of a Turkish style. The striped pattern fabric would be appropriate for Ghawazee costuming in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the troupe, we incorporate the turban, harem pants, and tassel belts with our Ghawazee look. Other dancers will wear a pillbox hat and scarf under the chin for their Ghawazee style. We vary the look depending on the venue at which we perform. If we attend a Renaissance Faire event, we wear peasant blouses and no coin bra on the outside to pass for accuracy. Ren faires are more fantasy than history, so we can get away with this look. When we perform at a theater, then we incorporate the coin bra and tassel belts into the Ghawazee look.

The harem pants, choli, coin bra, and turban are elements of American Tribal Style costuming. Harem pants are not a period costume piece. Aysu explained that Egyptian, Persian, and Indian style pants are baggy at the thighs and then tight at the ankles. Tassel belts are not period, as they are part of modern A.T.S. and tribal fusion costuming. Flashy coin scarves and coin bras are not period either, but are elements of modern cabaret and tribal dance. The brass cuff bracelets are from the Kuchi Tribe, nomadic people on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Women sell their jewelry for extra income and also to appear more Western in their fashion when they immigrate to other countries. Tribal dancers are keen to find authentic Kuchi and Afghani tribal jewelry, which is often snatched up by importers and sold at high prices. Good sources for tribal jewelry and ethnic clothing are yard sales in predominantly Asian neighborhoods.

Tribal fusion and American Tribal Style incorporate clothing elements from various tribal cultures in India, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, and many countries in the Middle East. The facial "tattoos" are inspired by Berber tribal tattoos for women to mark which tribe they belong to. The bindi is from India, to represent the Third Eye chakra. Ghawazee and Berber tribeswomen often wear bright, flashy jewelry with semi-precious stones and glass accents. The coin bra is made with pressed aluminum costume coins with an Egyptian motif.

Each Kuchi cuff weighs nine ounces. They are made of brass. The Kuchi rings are lapis lazuli stones set in silver. The turban drape is really a necklace with bells, a common belly dance accessory. The necklace is many strings of glass beads. These pieces are not authentic tribal jewelry, but work well with folkloric costumes.