HELEN TANSEY

My Caftan Is Swallowing Me Whole!

Bring back the chic with some cool styling tricks

Ask The Kit is the real-talk advice column you never knew you needed. Every week, writer Leanne Delap answers your pressing beauty and style questions. How can I find good plus-size options? How can I get shiny hair? How do I define my personal style? Send your Qs to ask@thekit.ca

“My girlfriends are all wearing caftans this summer. I love, love the look and they look so cool and breezy in the heat, but those women are tall and I’m not. I’m worried my caftan swallows me, and I also feel most confident showing off my curves: how do I get the proportions right? How do I accessorize so I feel polished and put together?” —Cathy in midtown

The caftan is a state of mind, an ideal more than an idea: gliding through life with the sky eternally blue, a sweat-beaded cocktail in hand, feeling glamorous as hell in a louche caftan that artfully skims the body. But the fantasy reel in our heads does not always match the reality, sadly. I get where you are coming from, Cathy: Sometimes even the most glamorous of pieces don’t feel right on, and a big, loose piece of fabric can indeed be intimidating.

But that is precisely where the magic of styling comes in. You know how kids work out computer stuff by whacking at the keyboard fearlessly until they divine the answer? Styling is the same: Start with the premise that the caftan works on everybody and every body, of every age. Then start playing around with sizes and fabrics and accessories until you find your perfect caftan moment.

There is a reason that the caftan is a staple of so many cultures around the world, says multi-hyphenate fashion whiz Erin Kleinberg. From South Asia and the Philippines, through the Middle East and Africa (North, West and East), long tunics in their various traditional forms are part of both daily life and formal moments, worn by both men and women in some of these places. It was these traditional garments that designers in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s—from Yves Saint Laurent to Halston—were inspired by to bring the caftan to couture heights and socialite soirees. Today, the look is back among the people, a mash-up of many influences. “Different people from different cultures have worn caftans for years and years,” Kleinberg says. “When I find vintage traditional pieces they have such a sense of history and hope, positivity and regality.”

The versatility of caftans is another universal quality: “You can wear them to bed, or to a wedding,” she says. “I gave birth twice, both times in a caftan.” Kleinberg’s latest baby, a fashion label named Sidia, features an array of caftans in dreamy neutrals, made of soft jerseys and wovens, that are simple in shape but deceptively sophisticated in construction and silhouette. Sidia caftans are very flattering and versatile: I’ve been a fan and a customer since it launched last July mid-pandemic. I admit caftans are seriously my jam: I have a collection of vintage pieces, from one that is all tea-dyed lace, to a flowing heavy tie-dye silk, to one in Mrs. Roper orange-sofa-cover polyester.

But to our reader’s point, not everyone is as indoctrinated as I am into the caftan lifestyle. So Kleinberg is here to talk us through the styling tricks that will make a caftan believer out of Cathy. “A person’s comfort level is important. I like drapey, with fabric skimming the body. But if you want it to hug your curves more, choose a jersey fabric and size down!” Another trick, that sounds obvious but I’ve never thought of it: “Belt it! You can do low slung, or cinched at the waist, or even schloof the fabric over a belt to make it look elasticized.”

The right length is important. Kleinberg’s pieces are cut midcalf or higher. “If you are petite, hem it to a place you feel more comfortable,” she says, and show more leg. To that end, Sidia launched a new, shorter series of caftans last week, in punchy summer colours. To keep the silhouette sexy, Sidia’s caftans sport a deep V-neckline, cut close to the neck, so it doesn’t gape wide open. “I have lived my life wanting to show my décolleté,” she says. “I’m passionate about showing just the right amount of skin.”

Sidia is named to honour Kleinberg’s grandmother, who died last year. A Holocaust survivor, and a committed caftan wearer, Sidia was also an inspiration for an earlier collection. Kleinberg’s first fashion label, straight out of design school circa 2007, featured tops made from her grandmother’s scarf collection. She then worked at W magazine, did an embellished T-shirt collection, then embarked on an odyssey as one of the founders of The Coveteur. “That was once in a lifetime. For three years I got to go through the underwear drawers of tastemakers. It was a psychological education into how people live, their rituals,” she says of the site. Six years ago, she founded Metier Creative, building beauty brands, such as Jen Atkin’s Ouai, from scratch, and working with Dior and Chanel. “It got to the point where I decided it was time for me to be the next brand we worked on,” and Sidia was born. The approach is to take a couple of silhouettes—the caftan, a matching set of palazzo pants and cardigan—and “heroize” them, adding new fabrications, embellishment, playing with prints, even adding a playful little red string to ward off evil (inspired by Sidia, who was superstitious).

The brand, which she calls “grounded, with exceptional items that stand the test of time,” also reflects learning from her Coveteur years. “I think about the lifestyle around the caftan,” she says. “The products you want with it, the accoutrements.” Things such as Megababe (a Metier client) thigh-chafing stick, because sweat happens and there are practical things to think about when caftan-wearing.

 As for accessorizing, Kleinberg herself wears her caftans mostly with sneakers. To dress things up, she would add a flat sandal. If it has a heel, she says, “it should be on the chunky side, with a strap at the ankle, perhaps.”

She gets to follow what her clients are doing with the pieces online, and loves that her word-of-mouth company involves client feedback via Instagram. “I’ve seen people pair one with a turtleneck underneath,” she says, in cooler weather, “or over a pair of jeans, with a blazer.” Kleinberg will often toss a trench over her caftan-clad shoulders, favouring men’s vintage trench coats she picks up at House of Vintage. She loves it when clients wear caftans with boots and a leather jacket.

In terms of jewellery, she says, bring it on. “The design is simple, but make it your own; throw on tonnes of baubles and bangles and something heirloom-y. I’ve always been a woman who wears a clamour of chains and I want to show them off.”

“Caftans are at the intersection of minimalism and maximalism,” Kleinberg says. I love this definition, as it means the caftan can be dialed up and down that spectrum to suit not just different people, but different moods of the same people. In a way, they are as basic as jeans, and as ethereal as a Halston runway moment.

SHOP THE ADVICE

Long or short, flowy or figure-hugging, a caftan is an easy summer choice. Style it up or down with accessories to make it your own

SidiaSidia caftan, $280, sidiathebrand.com
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From the original series of Sidia caftans, this take on the animal print shows the versatility of Kleinberg’s designs: It dresses up or down with ease. 

 

SidiaSidia caftan, $197, sidiathebrand.com
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The brand new, shorter version for summer is a playful way to keep cool this summer. 

 

ZaraZara caftan, $59, zara.com
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For an evening out, this graceful satiny version in high-impact emerald will make for a memorable entrance. 

 

MatchesFashionEmilio Pucci caftan, $1,480, matchesfashion.com
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For splurge inspiration, the House of Pucci continues to offer its signature eye-popping prints with a throwback ’60s psychedelic feel.  

 

Tory BurchTory Burch caftan, $358, toryburch.com
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American designer Tory Burch is known for dialing up fresh takes on the tunic to create aspirational vacation inspiration.

 

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