gutra (or kafiyeh)
the flowing cloth worn over the head
This is often white, but can also be colored, or have fancy embroidery or a pattern. The gutra is a square of fabric about 4 feet wide. My gutra is made of a polyester gauze that looks like silk. The nice thing is that you can tuck it into the side of the egal when you want to see to the right or left side.

In this photo, you can clearly see the taqiyah poking out from underneath my gutra, which is kind of a no-no.

WEARING A GUTRA
To wear a gutra, you fold it once diagonally into a triangle, place it over your head with the long side against your forehead, pull the two long ends down to equal lengths, then put the egal over it to hold it in place. This is surprisingly sturdy, even on blustery days (20-30 mile gusts).

The gutra is practical for two reasons: 1) it's white, so it reflects the sun, and 2) it's gauze, so you can breath through it even if it's wrapped up around your face.

egal
the rope that holds the gutra to the wearer's head
I've only seen these in black, and I've heard they are made of camel's hair. Since I can't read Arabic, I have no idea what mine is made of but it's definitely natural material.

My egal has two long dangling ropes that hang down to my waist with a fancy silver decoration, though most I saw in Dubai were shorter, ending a few inches below the wearer's neck. These need to be sized just as you would a hat. The one I bought cannot be adjusted.

taqiyah
a small cap worn underneath the gutra
You don't normally see the taqiyah, since it's covered by the gutra. Mine is white crocheted cotton with an intricate pattern. In the US, it's sometimes called a "kufi," which I believe is the African name.

NOTE: I've wrongly been calling the taqiyah a "kafiyeh", which it turns out is another name for a "gutra".

kandura
a neck to ankle-length robe with sleeves, that buttons down the chest

Kanduras are measured by neck size and neck to ankle length. Since most Westerners don't know the latter, have them measure you at the shop. You put them on over your head, much like an anorak.

Kanduras fluoresce under black lights.

MATERIAL
Both of my kanduras are made of polyester, which makes laundering easy. The fabrics vary from fairly course (similar to sailcloth) to silky smooth. The latter feels great, but tends to snag.

WEARING A KANDURA
You cannot take big steps while wearing a kandura, and you have to pull it up a bit when navigating stairs.

faneela
a special undershirt beneath a kandura
My faneela soaks up sweat and make the kandura look whiter. Mine is a modern version which looks exactly like a regular white t-shirt, although the cotton is of finer quality.

woozar
the "underwear" worn beneath a kandura
I've heard this described as "a simple cloth" so I thought it would be similar to a Japanese "fundoshi", but mine look more like baggy white boxer shorts. These are also made out of polyester. See a trend here?

Kandura Options

As with a Western business shirt, kanduras come in a variety of styles. You can choose the material, the color, the collar and sleeves, pockets, fasteners, etc. His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai sometimes wears them in pastel colors, and looks fantastic.

Kandura #1
My collar-less kandura has a long kerkusha, which is the long knotted tassel that hangs from the front of the kandura's collar. Mine has 11 knots, which may have a religious significance (similar to a Jewish tzitzit prayer shawl). The sleeves are plain with no cuffs and the material is rather thick polyester is stiff like sail cloth, so I wear this one more often.

DO NOT wash your kerkusha in a washing machine or it will self-destruct as mine did. Remove it and handwash it.

Kandura #2
My collared kandura has no kerkusha, but it does have cuffs, a straight collar (like a Nehru jacket), a chest pocket, and is made from a much silkier polyester. Unfortunately, as I was born with a short neck this kandura is very uncomfortable to wear, so I save it for special occasions.

The kandura I bought for my boyfriend is a very silky polyester with a sheen. I can't imagine wearing real silk in 110F degrees (it's dusty and windy in Dubai).

Several articles I read about kanduras mentioned that the locals change kanduras many times a day, which probably explains how they remain spotlessly white in a dusty desert landscape.

bisht
The ceremonial robe worn on top of the kandura

I didn't mention this earlier because I don't own one (yet). The ones I saw in the store were quite fancy and pricey, so I didn't get one. Actually, they weren't fancy enough since I've seen versions with zari embroidery that was breathtaking.

I've read that these are sometimes worn during cold weather, but that doesn't quite sound right given the winter temperature in Dubai (23 C). I don't think they're really necessary, unless you're planning on wearing your kandura through a Chicago winter.

na-aal
sandals
These are special sandals you can buy, but I chose not to. In retrospect, this was a big mistake, since wearing other shoes looks odd (I normally wear cowboy boots). Prada loafers, however, look just fine.