Vintage Afghan Velvet Dress - Robyn

Afghan Kuchi dresses are traditionally associated with the nomadic Kuchi and Pashtun people of Afghanistan and were worn by everyone regardless of wealth, and depending on the design and fabrics, they were worn as anything from everyday wear to wedding dresses.

However, during the 1960's, and 70's when Afghanistan was a popular place on the "Hippy Trail" westerners adapted the traditional dresses of the area to suit the hippy image, which mixed embroideries and fabrics from various places.

Some of the most striking Siesta vintage dresses are made from a mix of velvet combined with beautiful traditional embroidery, whilst others mix cotton with the embroidery. We also have some Afghan velvet waistcoats with the same style of embroidery adornments. We have more designs available in our shop on the high street if you would like to see them up close… you really should!

Please be mindful that this is a vintage piece of clothing, therefore some imperfections in the embroidery panels are to be expected, and as there are no sizing or washing labels attached, we would recommend dry cleaning only.

Sizing:
UK up to size 14, or L
Measurements: Chest: 36"/ 91.5cm, Waist: 40"/ 102cm, Hips: One Size
Please note, there are ties to pull in at the waist, but no give in the material, elastic or zip, so please take this into account when considering fit.

This item is part of our 'Siesta Vintage' range

When Siesta began in the early 1980's there were few wholesalers of ethnic clothing. However, we found one very good supplier in Portobello Road who was sourcing beautiful clothing from remote areas of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Siesta was lucky enough to be able to sell these often hand embroidered and handmade items, but as time passed the world changed and the supply dried up. Today it is virtually impossible to visit many of these areas and these garments are no longer made.

After over 30 years of not seeing this supplier, we learnt that they were still in business but were closing down. However, they still had a few items of original stock left. We visited them and managed to get a few pieces of genuine vintage clothing from the last century to offer to our customers. Once we sell what we have there will be no more!

As each piece is at least 30 years old some imperfections are to be expected. Please treat this item with respect and we recommend dry cleaning only.