How One Afghan Woman Is Embracing Her Traditional Dress

Afzal notes that Afghan dress varies from ethnicity to ethnicity, each with their own rich history. After all, Afghanistan is a diverse nation and recognizes 14 different ethnicities, ranging from Pashtun, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkmen, and Tajik, all of whom have their own version of traditional dress. (Some of these ethnicities, such as the Hazara, are considered an ethnic minority and are in danger of being persecuted by the Taliban.) “We have different tribes and ethnicities,” she says. “Each ethnicity has different clothing. There is not one Afghan dress but different types of dresses for region and ethnicity.”

Afzal’s style of Afghan clothing hails from her father’s side, who is part of Afghanistan’s Pashtun people, specifically the nomadic Kuchis. Like many ethnicities of Afghanistan, Kuchi women have long worn garments made from silk and velvet, adorned with embroidery and metals, typically in the form of bells. “The women make their own dresses,” she says. “They work on it for years and that is their wedding dress.” Many current dresses are made from several older dresses that have been altered or upcycled into new dresses. “This is why you will never find the same dress twice,” says Azfal.

While Afzal is currently in Belgium, she nevertheless hopes that the posts of herself in vibrant, traditional Afghan clothing will educate the world about her country’s rich history. “I am happy that we are getting the world’s attention that Afghanistan has such beautiful clothing,” she says. “This is our own culture.”