Christian farmers from the Bethlehem region in Palestine - c. 1890s
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Men’s clothing was more straightforward than the richly decorated women's dresses and included a shirt (thob), an overcoat, a jacket, a waistcoat, pants, a belt and headwear.
Shirt
In the nineteenth century, the thob was man’s essential attire made from white or blue cotton or fine natural wool. Over the thob, men wore a qumbaz coat with long, narrow sleeves made of colored plain and striped cotton and Syrian silks. The finest coats were worn by grooms for their weddings and were made of white roza or ghabani silk.
Overcoat
Over the thob and qumbaz, men wore an overcoat called abayeh made of coarse hand-woven wool that protected the wearer against rain and cold. In the nineteenth century, abayehs were made from blue and white and later from brown and white striped wool. More luxurious abayeh were made of fine wool in black, brown or cream with embroidery around the neck in gold or silver thread.
Jackets and waistcoats
Over the thob, men wore a jacket (damer) and a waistcoat (sidriyeh) made of cotton or satin. The long-sleeved coat was worn over the sidriyeh.
Pants Along with the qumbaz, village men wore baggy pants (sirwal) made of white, black or blue cotton fabric. The pants were tight on the lower leg and broad at the waist.
Headwear
Headwear used in Palestine varied from region to region and village to village. Several types of headwear were popular in Palestine, including the hatta and agal, used mainly in villages and small towns; turban (laffeh) made from Syrian fabrics of either cotton or silk in different colors; and the tarbush.