Takchita

What is a moroccan takchita?

The Moroccan Takchita is a two piece dress. The first layer is called Tahtiya, which resembles a simple traditional Caftan, without ornaments. The second layer is a Fouqia or Dfina, something like an open and transparent Caftan with a lot of beautiful embroidery and embellishments.

Takchita is usually worn with a Mdamma (belt), whether silk, gold or silver decorated with precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. While we can trace the Kaftan origins to older cultures and societies, the Takchita is a 100% Moroccan Dress, a modern version of the Moroccan caftan, revisited by Moroccan stylists, allowing the caftan to be explored, redefined and exported all over the world thanks to new modern forms.

The Takchita is therefore a dress born in Morocco and which allowed the caftan to escape around the world by adopting new forms all in modernity. The takshita (Arabic: تَكْشِيْطَة, alternate spellings: taqchita, tackshita, tackchita) is a Moroccan traditional women garment that, like the Moroccan Kaftan, is worn for celebrations, particularly weddings. It is composed of two pieces, a dress as a first layer called "Tahtia", often of fine but not ornately decorated fabric, and a more elaborate second layer or over-dress that often buttons up the front using the traditional sfifa and akaad closures and it is called "Dfina".

The upper layer is often richly adorned with embroidery, beading or sequins. What is the history of takchita? History tells us that it is Sultan Ahmed Mansour Eddhabi who is at the origin of this version, and yes still a man who revolutionized a feminine outfit: Ahmad al-Mansour who is called Ad-Dhahbi («the golden one» in Arabic) is the sixth sultan of the Saadian dynasty, in Morocco.

He is the one who introduced the idea of superimposing a transparent tunic on the caftan which gave life to: the Takchita. The geo-historical expansion of Islam has largely contributed to the propagation and progressive transformations of the caftan - also called Takchita - over the centuries.

Trade and the arrival of tissues from other countries have allowed the transformation of the old caftan to the one we know today: The Moroccan Caftan. Other than that, we can spot another major difference in the accessories, as the Takchita is worn with a belt known as the Mdamma, made of silk, gold or silver and adorned with precious stones, tightening the dress and giving it that majestic look. When it comes to Takchita there are endless style options, after all the whole dress was made to add a touch of modernity and creativity to the Kaftan.

What does a moroccan takchita look like?

The royal family is known to be very proud of the Moroccan caftan and Takchita, mostly in international events where the cameras are pointed. The majority of Moroccan Princess Lalla Salma consider to be the most shining star of the royal family that represents the culture of Moroccan Caftan worldwide.