Forget short shorts and budgie smugglers, for summer I have long kept my cool in an easy, breezy kaftan. As have scores of style experimentalists before me. It might sound a little out there, but kaftans have a rich history in men’s style and aren’t as outre as you might expect, especially against the lapping waters of Patmos or the coral skies of Puglia.
Originally worn by the Ottoman rulers and Moroccan royalty, they’re a much overlooked item as we contemplate the last days of the warmer months. A combination of style and comfort, they suit all shapes, sizes and ages. You just have to know how to wear them.
I caught my first glimpse of one during a trip to Tangier in my teens, several decades ago. I haggled for it in a dusty souk, mainly for a bit of fun, but as the temperatures soared and my heavy jeans and stuffy polo shirt clung to me in the humidity, it developed serious appeal. Its effortless, lightweight nature won me over, and my family looked on as I wore it every day for the rest of the trip.
Kaftans are gloriously unstructured garments, which allow for an ease of movement and circulation of air in hotter climates, which means they’re the perfect choice for summer dad bods, and middle-aged men with a little middle-aged spread. When lounging at home I wear the lightest cotton kaftans from Birkenstock’s Tekla range. These organic poplin versions have long sleeves and an oversized fit, which make them a liberating alternative to pyjamas or a night shirt.
There’s a rich history of our men’s style forebears donning kaftans in the off-duty months. For the beach this year I took my inspiration from Rudolph Nureyev, who along with fellow savant, the film director Franco Zeffirelli, brought the kaftan style to the Amalfi Coast. After Nureyev bought the spellbinding Li Galli (the small archipelago in front of Zeffirelli’s Villa Treville in Positano – the pair could virtually wave at one another from across the blue yonder) they would often hit the beach together wearing coordinating creations, accessorising with their beach towels as turbans.
The benchmark for kaftan style for men will always be Yves Saint Laurent, however. The late French fashion giant was first intoxicated by the exoticism of Marrakech in the 1970s, and it became a motif throughout his fashion career, informing some of his most memorable collections. The Red City was a complete contrast to his more restricted professional life in Paris. It was where he slept in the day, partied by night, grew his hair long and revelled in the freedom of his hippie-chic creations, exemplified by evocative images from that era.
As editor Ben Cobb enthuses, “Yves never looked more relaxed or freer than in Marrakech, dressed in a white kaftan, because the man behind the most wondrous flights of fashion fancy understood the simplicity of the kaftan is its sartorial superpower.” If you’re tempted and perusing the souks, Marrakech is a kaftan treasure trove. Wear it over trousers, enjoying a drink, as you take in the rooftops of this magical place.
This summer in Ischia – close to Li Galli, as it happens – I chose an oversize lightweight V-neck style from Marrakshi Life, preferring a fine stripe over a thicker one (who wants to look like a deckhand or a deck chair?) A solid white or cream in a light linen or cotton is also a great option, paired with leather sandals or a woven leather belt (it’s rather biblical for a beach look, yet I think ideal for the mythological Aegean islands).
Kaftans are also viable options for sultry late summer evenings. Nureyev would don silk ikat and brocade kaftans, often with embroidery, for cocktail hour. Again, it might sound rather daring, but a short silk kaftan with tuxedo trousers and gleaming black shoes can look rather debonair; I recommend The Turkmen Gallery and Joss Graham Gallery in London (the former has an excellent online shop).
The next generation of bohemian men-about-Marrakech are also getting in on the kaftan act. Creative consultant Carmen Haid, founder of Atelier Meyer, mentions that her three teenage sons have “embraced a laid-back, free-spirited kaftan style” every summer “from a very young age.” They wear theirs with sneakers, no doubt inspired by the likes of Jared Leto, Harry Styles and Lenny Kravitz, who have all been spotted wearing exotic kaftans.
Fausto Puglisi, creative director of Robert Cavalli, also appreciates the louche appeal of the breezy kaftan. “Life is more beautiful with kaftans. In linen or with print or embroidery, they are always fun and perfect for holidays.” They’re also brilliantly unrestrictive for dancing, if the beach bar heats up at sunset.
Of course, there are some guidelines to getting the kaftan right. If you’re rangy and slender, a longer silhouette with a Nehru collar exudes an everyday elegance. Choose one cropped at the calf, and wear over slim linen trousers.
If you’re shorter in stature, choose one that tapers to the knee instead or do as The Telegraph’s Men’s Style Editor Stephen Doig does and tuck the front into shorts or trousers at the front, allowing the back to billow. It is also a way to stop the length dragging you down. Unless you’re in swimwear by the pool, shorts underneath are a must, lest it become too flyaway in those Cyclades winds. If you’re particularly athletic, kaftans can flatter too, thanks to that deep V in the chest area. If you’re still unconvinced, a shirt that’s “kaftan coded” can work well in the heat – a longer, more flowing cut with a grandad collar that can be undone.
As for me, whether I’m in Lidl or Lindos, there’s always something seductive about the languorous ease of a kaftan.
Oliver linen kaftan, £99.87, Linen bee
Tekla x Birkenstock organic cotton kaftan, £177, Farfetch
Cotton elongated shirt, £32, Next
Cotton poplin shirt, £150, P. Le Moult
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