Burqas

The burqa is traditionally used to conceal an Afghan woman's face and most of her body. It is not required for women to wear this in Afghanistan, though many feel more comfortable with it outside their homes.

The visor for the eyes is made of drawn threadwork and enables women to see without being seen. The fabric is often a polyester blend, which makes it very wearable, washable and durable ­ since this is an item women wear every day in all seasons. It is also made in cotton and very rarely in silk.

All these burqa items are made from real burqas found in the markets of Afghanistan. All the colours used are actual colours that women throughout Afghanistan wear everyday. The most common colour recognised by many outside of the country is the 'Kabul' blue but this is rapidly changing.

Black is becoming more common as is the use of abayas, shaylas and other head coverings as found in other countries in the region. The burqa is always shorter in the front where the visor is, with an embroidered cap and full-length pleated fabric in the back.

Beshtar utilises all the pieces of a burqa for all the different styles of dresses, jackets, tops, skirts, trousers and bags. The variety of colours of the burqas are dictated by the season/year as well as the region.