Afghan coat

An Afghan coat is a sheepskin or goatskin coat made with the fleece on the inside and the soft suede-like leather on the outside. It is a development of the traditional overcoat of the Afghan people, which could be anywhere from jacket- to ankle-length, with full or partial sleeves.[1]

Meher Baba in an Afghan coat, Quetta, 1923

Modern Afghan coats originate from Ghazni province, situated between Kabul and Kandahar. The coats were made from sheepskins that were fully cured and tanned, colourful and finely embroidered with silk thread. They are ideal for the climate in Afghanistan, which is extremely cold and severe in the winter.[2]

The Afghan coats were first imported to the United Kingdom in 1966 by Craig Sams, who sold them through hippie boutiques including Granny Takes a Trip on London's King's Road. The Beatles visited the shop and emerged wearing the coats. Photographs of them in Afghan coats appeared in print media.[1] They also wore them, inside out, for the cover picture of the Magical Mystery Tour LP. Demand took off and the artisanal makers of Ghazni could not keep up. Crude imitations from Iran and Turkey flooded the market. These coarsely embroidered and poorly cured imitations gave the 'Afghan Coat' its undeserved reputation for smelliness. John Lennon's coat is now in the Julian Lennon Collection.[3]

Imitations of the original design continued to be very popular in the 1970s and 1980s particularly associated with the hippie subculture.

History and cultural impact of the Afghan coat

The Afghan coat is a long, thick, sheepskin coat widely popularized in the 1960s and 1970s. Originating in Afghanistan, these coats became a staple garment among hippie counterculture movements and young people embracing ethnic clothing. Their loose-fitting cut and use of textures and embroidery embodied the casual, bohemian aesthetics of the era.

Afghan coats find their roots in sheepskin coats traditionally worn by nomadic groups in Afghanistan as protection from the cold, mountainous climate. Known as "postins," these coats were decorated with embroidery and designs unique to the various ethnic tribes in the region. During the 1960s and 70s, imported Afghan sheepskin coats emerged as a fashionable cold-weather garment among Western hippies and young people looking to distance themselves from mainstream fashion. Their exotic, ethnic look and use of textures appealed to the bohemian, anti-establishment counterculture movement.

Cultural Impact

Afghan coats came to symbolize the hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s and 70s through their rejection of mainstream Western fashion. To many youths, the exotic coats embodied their anti-establishment, freethinking philosophies and desire to reject their parents' lifestyles. The coats were also popularized by some celebrity musicians like Bob Dylan, who wore Afghan coats as part of their relaxed, bohemian images.

Some schools and authorities banned Afghan coats for promoting what they saw as overly casual, inappropriate or distracting attire. But supporters of the coats saw the bans as attempts to suppress counterculture and restrict students' rights to freely express themselves.

Popularity over time

The popularity of the Afghan coat rose steadily through the 1960s and peaked in the early 1970s. It became a widely recognized symbol of hippie and bohemian fashion during this period. By the mid-1970s, some began to view the coats as outdated or overly associated with earlier counterculture movements. Mainstream fashion moved away from the ethnic clothing boom even as Afghan coats remained staples in niche bohemian circles.In the 1980s and 90s, Afghan coats faded from mainstream fashion as new styles and youth subcultures emerged. However, the coats retained a cult following among vintage clothing collectors and remained part of the bohemian chic aesthetic.The coats saw some revival in the 2000s and 2010s with the rise of music festivals and renewed interest in 1970s fashion. Contemporary variations modernized the coats while retaining their signature long, decorative silhouette

Cultural significance

Analyze The Coats’ Lasting Cultural Impacts:

  • Association With “Hippie” Symbolism And Nostalgia For The 1960s/70s Counterculture
  • Debates Over Cultural Appropriation Of Traditional Afghan Garments
  • Enduring “Boho” Aesthetics In Fashion, Interior Design, And Music Festivals
  • Classic “Retro” And “Vintage” Style Revived Periodically

See also

References
  1. Tim Bonyhady (29 July 2021). "Friday essay: how 'Afghan' coats left Kabul for the fashion world and became a hippie must-have". Theconversation.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  2. jamil, Aweem (26 October 2023). "History And Cultural Impact Of The Afghan Coat". afghancoat.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Ian Jackson (7 June 2009). "Beatles Story Pier Head - White Feather: The Spirit of Lennon". Artinliverpool.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.


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