The endeavor of creating a thobe (traditional Palestinian dress) can have different meanings for different stitchers. It is an individual experience while simultaneously being a collective practice of Palestinian tradition.
When a stitcher dares to practice making a Palestinian thobe parallel to an attempted annihilation of the Palestinian people, it allows this cultural art to metamorphosize into an act of resistance. In taking up this mantle, Palestinians and allies resist not only the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Israel and the United States, but also resist over-consumerism of fast fashion, over-stimulation in a fast society, isolation instead of community, and forgetfulness of Palestinians' right to return to a free land.
This becomes all the more evident as we look back into recent history at the Intifada Thobe and dresses of similar design. The "Intifada Thobe" is a term originally coined by Widad Kawar for dresses that emerged during the First Intifada in the West Bank in Palestine during the years of 1987 to 1993.
When the First Intifada began on December 9, 1987, this new dress appeared, not embroidered with traditional patterns, but with political symbols such as: Palestinian flags, the Dome of the Rock, maps of Palestine, and olive branches. The dresses also featured the Palestinian flag's colors: red, green, white, and black on both the chest panel embroidery and in applique. Such dresses were made in defiance of the Israeli ban on public display of these colors and after the imprisonment of Palestinian artists who used them in their paintings.
At Badan Collective, we adapted this specific design for our Thobe Guide following in the footsteps of the brave women who defied the systems that sought to snuff their voices out, and to signify that learning the creation of a thobe in the diaspora is our modern act of resistance against systems of oppression both outside and inside of Palestine. It is the diaspora's way of keeping this tradition alive and thriving for this generation and future ones to come.
Students using this Thobe Guide may stitch the provided Intifada Thobe design or create one of their own, perhaps something that holds intention and meaning for them where they can weave their own individual story into the collective fabric of resistance.
Creating a thobe is a journey that a stitcher leaps into not knowing where they will land. Throughout the thousands of stitches and hundreds of hours put into this Palestinian dress, one's life can twist and take turns. It can allow the stitcher to slow down, reconnect with the self, and perhaps even reprioritize life goals. It opens doors to connect with community, find a new sisterhood, and meet people and perspectives that they otherwise may never have crossed paths with.
The alchemization of all of this creates ripple effects beyond human comprehension and ultimately adds onto the pile of long-term work towards Palestinian liberation.
The creation of a thobe is not only an act of resistance against the multiple systems of oppression we face in modern times, but at the individual level, it can be healing and life changing if the stitcher allows it to be.
How can you start your own thobe-making journey, you ask? A good place is the Thobe Guide for Independent Learners that contains instruction, videos, and steps to easily create the thobe you've been dreaming of. Click in and swipe through the photos detailing Badan's process to bring this resource to life for the tatreez community.