In the past few years, one of the main places in the list of fashion trends of all seasons has been clothing and accessories in ethnic style. One of these accessories is an Arab shawl. In Russia he is called arafatka. By the way, many have a question: "What is the name of the Arab shawl?" Of course, its real name sounds slightly different - shemag or kufiya. But in Russia he got the name “arafatka” due to the fact that he was worn by Yasser Arafat and his image is firmly connected with this large scarf in a slanting black and white cage. Therefore, the question of the name of the men's Arab shawl can also be answered. Arafatka as a fashion accessory appeared on the catwalk not so long ago, only a few years ago. And at first his appearance was timid, as if unsure of success. However, fashion connoisseurs immediately took note of this new product, which has become a wonderful highlight of fashion collections.
Arabic scarf design
Initially, the arafatka completely repeated its original design: an oblique cell of black or red color on a white background. And, of course, long tassels all around the scarf. But with the growing popularity of arafatki, designers, as if by agreement, significantly expanded the color range of Arab shawls, including men’s. Now we can choose a shemag for ourselves, based on the most capricious of our tastes. For example, a cell on a white background is not only red or black, but also blue, pink, green, yellow. In general, all the colors of the rainbow are at our service.
But fashion designers did not stop only on this concept: a colored cell is a white background. They went much further, presenting to us the vast collections of the Arab shawl - two-tone, leaving behind a white background. Therefore, you can often find arafatki of the brightest colors: black-yellow, red-orange, black-pink, etc. There are elegant color options when the cell and the background are a combination of two shades - light and dark - one color scheme. An Arabian scarf is usually worn either on the head or on the neck.
There are several ways to tie. Each of these methods can be considered universal, suitable for almost any image. We will talk in more detail about how to tie an Arabic scarf around the neck.
Classic way
In this way, the stoles and shawls, and silk scarves are tied. So, fold arafatka in half, diagonally. The result is a triangle. Throw the arafatka over your shoulders so that its angle is on one shoulder and the ends on the other. These ends do not need to be tied, they are simply fastened with a brooch. This is the most popular way to tie arafatki among women who prefer a romantic, feminine or classic style in clothes. So arafatka can be tied over a cloak, coat or dress over a cool summer evening.
A corner
An Arabic shawl tied in this way looks great with cropped jackets made of leather or denim, with medium-length down jackets, as well as with a coat and raincoats with a tight cut. To tie arafatka around the neck with a corner, again fold it into a triangle. Throw arafatka on your chest so that the triangle is in front and the ends are behind on the neck. Pull the edge of the arafatka to the middle of the face, and at the back, on the neck, overlap the ends of the scarf and lay them in front, under the triangle on the chest. Tie them into a loose knot, lower the edge of the scarf. The result is a free triangle that perfectly complements your image, and also protects from the cold.
Tie
Having folded the arafatka into a triangle already familiar to us, throw it on your shoulders so that the triangle is located behind, covering your back, and the ends hang freely in front. Throw one end of the scarf over the other. Get a free node. Then skip the end inside the loop, pulling it out from the opposite side. In other words, tie a classic knot to tie a tie. This method of tying arafatki looks great with any outfit.
Clamp
So, twist the scarf folded into a triangle into a bundle. He will be free or tight, you decide. It all depends on the style of the outfit. The resulting harness is wrapped several times around the neck, we hide the ends in the folds of arafatki. This arafatka collar complements any outfit very stylishly. Arafatka, tied with a collar, can be worn not only with outerwear, but also with a dress, suit, skirt and blouse, shirt and trousers. A lot of options.
The loop
This method is akin to the previous clamp. It is also based on arafat harness. We fold this tourniquet in half and put it on the neck: in front of one shoulder, a loop hangs, and on the other ends. We push these ends into the loop and pull them up a little, depending on personal preferences. Very often, arafatka loops complement outer clothing, tying it under the collar. Also, the loop looks great with jackets, jackets and shirts of strict cut.
One of the great qualities of arafatki is the material from which it is woven. Most often, they are woven from natural wool thread. This is an option for the cold season. Therefore, Arab shawls warm so well in cold and frost. But lite versions of arafatki are woven from cotton. It is cotton and worn in the summer. And so that the arafatka will serve you as long as possible, not lose its color brightness and keep the appearance of a new thing for a long time, it is very important to properly care for this accessory.
How to care for arafatka?
Wool arafatki should be washed by hand, in warm (not hot) water. Pour water into a container first, then add a little detergent for delicate fabrics. Stir it in water until completely dissolved. Put a scarf in the water and wash a little with light, squeezing movements. Leave the product in water for a few minutes, then rinse well with plenty of cold water. You can use a small amount of fabric softener. It is impossible to squeeze the shawl with twisting movements, otherwise it will stretch and lose its shape. It is better to dry arafatka by spreading it on a table, on a towel. At least the first few hours. Then it can be hung on a rope. Cotton arafatki are also washed in warm water, by hand. You can dry immediately by hanging it on a rope for drying clothes. When the arafatka is almost dry, it can be ironed delicately.