The Key Tips for Looking the Part in Your Thobe

At Islamic Impressions, we offer a range of men’s thobes. You already know that this is a staple garment for men in the Islamic world.

But what we want to talk about is how to ensure that you look great in your thobe!

In this article, we share some useful tips that will ensure you look the part in any thobe that you buy.

Tip #1 – It All Starts With Finding the Right Size

No item of clothing can look great if you don’t have it in the right size. Go too big and the clothes will look baggy and won’t complement your body type at all. To small and you have to deal with uncomfortable tightness and some potentially less-than-inspiring bulges of flesh.

Now, a thobe is a fairly loose garment. However, that doesn’t mean you can get away with buying something that’s approximately the right size. Instead, follow these steps to measure yourself up, so you can feel sure that you’re getting the right thobe:

• Measure the circumference you’re your neck using a flexible tape measure. The key here is that you don’t want this to be too tight. You should leave enough space to slide two fingers between your neck and the tape to get the appropriate size.
• From here, move onto measuring your shoulders. Relax your arms completely and have somebody use a tape measure on you. Have them start on the left-hand side, at the point where your arm drops from your shoulder. They should run the tape underneath the nape of your neck, finishing at the same point on the right-hand side.
• Now, it’s time to focus on the arms in a little more detail. You want to measure both the length and width to ensure your thobe fits correctly. For the length, start at the same point as you did when measuring your shoulders. Only this time, you’ll measure down the length of your arm up to your thumb joint. Keep the arm relaxed and follow the natural curve.
• For the width, you’re measuring two things – bicep and wrist. Again, keep your arm relaxed and wrap the tape measure around each to get measurements. Repeat for your other arm as the measurements may not be exactly the same.
• You’re nearly there! Next, take your tape measure and wrap it around the widest point of your chest. This typically means it goes over the top of your pectoral muscles. That gives you your chest measurement.
• And finally, keep your body relaxed and wrap the tape measure around the widest section of your stomach.

The good news is that you don’t really need to worry about leg length. You can measure them, but you should find that your thobe fits your legs well as long as you’ve got the upper body measurements right.

Now, you’ve got a garment that fits. From here, it’s all about finding ways to ensure it looks the part when you’re wearing it.

Tip #2 – Colour Depends on Occasion

White is the traditional colour for a thobe and you’ll certainly look the part if you opt for this colour. However, you may also find that it’s not the best choice if you’re going to spend a lot of time outdoors. A sheer white thobe will show up every fleck of dust or dirt that hits it, which may make you look a little less than your best if you’re out and about.

Darker colours tend to work best when you’re outdoors. Save the white thobes for formal and family occasions that you spend indoors.

Tip #3 – Take Care of the Fabric

Let’s say you do decide to wear a white thobe.

At its best, this type of thobe grabs attention with its dazzling brightness. All eyes will be drawn to you as you enter the room. How comfortable you feel about that will probably depend on how much you like the attention.

However, a white thobe that’s been allowed to fade will not have the same effect. It will look old and worn down, which isn’t the look that you want to go for.

That’s why it’s important to take care of the fabric. Machine washing isn’t recommended for a thobe as it makes the garment go through too much wear and tear. Instead, hand wash in warm water using a mild laundry detergent. It’s also a good idea to allow your thobe to air dry, rather than throwing it in the tumble dryer.

Basically, you’re looking to create longevity of colour here. Anything that puts the thobe though the ringer could fade it out. The good news is that handwashing will also protect the material, which means the thobe lasts even longer as well as looking better.

Tip #4 – Your Shoes Make a Big Difference

Generally speaking, your shoes will pretty much be the only other item of clothing that’s visible if you’re wearing a thobe. That is unless you’re wearing a thin white thobe that’s a little too transparent. Then, we might just be able to see the pattern on the t-shirt underneath, which is a big no-no.

But coming back to shoes, you have to make sure yours are appropriate for your thobe. For example, if you go for the sheer white look, a pair of black trainers really do not complement the garment at all. We’d even be a bit wary about black shoes, given the stark contrast.

Choose something that doesn’t take attention away from the garment. Contrast is fine as long as it’s not so eye-catching that it serves as a distraction. And by the way, this same advice works for any accessories that you might think about wearing.

The Final Word

If you follow these tips, you’ll end up with a thobe that fits and that looks the part when you’re wearing it.

And with your friends at Islamic Impressions by your side, you’ll find the thobe to suit you in no time. Just check out our catalogue today to see what options we have for you.