In October 2017, this young lady participated in the Arab-Fest Traditional and Modern Fashion Show hosted by the Arab American Club of Knoxville (AACK). She proudly represented her beloved country Palestine, by wearing the traditional dress (thob) of the Ramallah region, north of Jerusalem.
The embroidery (tatriz) on the Palestinian thob is unique and rich in color, texture and history. Thus, Palestinian women have expressed their sense of regional identity and pride in the designs and colors of embroidery in their dresses. There are distinct differences in dress style between the north and south, and between village women, city women and Bedouin women. Religion also influences clothing as does class and women’s social status, as being single, a married woman, or a widow.
The Ramallah dress is made of white or black cotton or linen fabric called Rumi or Ruhbani. The embroidery is in cross-stitched using silk thread. The dress she is wearing is a modern style; made of tall loose black cotton fabric stitched in dark red thread specified for the Ramallah area. The chest and collar panel (qabbeh) are characterized by the density of its embroidery; stitched in an organized pattern of geometric shapes and abstract motifs that appears symmetrical when assembled in an integrated pattern. The sleeves are long, wide, and embroidered on the middle and the wrist rim. Usually, belts (zunnar/ ishdad) are worn around the waist of the dress, but in this dress particularly, the belt is embroidered onto the fabric with an adjustable tie in the back. Also the front of the dress is lined with longitudinal strips of organized stitches in the same patterns to the rest of the dress.
Along with the Thob, women wear a distinctive headdress, often embellished with gold or silver coins. In Ramallah, women wear (smadeh, wiqah) a horseshoe-shaped headpiece padded roll with a row of large silver or gold coins attached, called (saffeh, shakeh). The smadeh is embroidered in multi colors cross-stitch and covered with either a squared white veil made of silk fabric called (khriqa), or an embroidered dressy shawl with tassels. The style of the veil depends on the occasion. Mainly, married women wear this headpiece from their bridal apparatus to show their wealth status. The more coins they have, the greater the wealth and prestige of its owner. Here, she is wearing a modern style headband ornamented with fake gold coins.
Today, in order to protect the Palestinian heritage and authenticity form extinction, Palestinians are taking the traditional embroidery into modern clothes. They are doing so by applying the traditional embroidery engraving on other than dresses like jackets, vests, shawl, blouse, fashion jewelers, purses, household objects, and many more.