Last weekend we travelled to the amazing city of Marrakech in Morocco to photograph my beautiful friend Yasmina and her wonderful husband Darrin for a post wedding photoshoot in the grounds of the stunning luxury Royal Mansour Hotel and in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The whole trip was an incredible experience and one I can’t wait to share with you in future posts.
The trip was also an opportunity to take some time out from our hectic schedules and take some imagery for the blog. To say I was excited to have a break from what has been relentlessly cool weather in the UK was an understatement and Marrakech did not disappoint! We were lucky enough to wake to brilliant blue sky and sunshine everyday and with temperatures reaching 30 degrees we felt along way from home!
When packing to go anywhere warm and especially if you are heading to somewhere with a pool, the kaftan has to be one of the must-have items to put in your suitcase, along with your bikini or swimsuit. Whether it be long or short, patterned or plain, the kaftan is an effortlessly chic piece of clothing that can be worn by women of all shapes and sizes and all ages.
Kaftans are also incredibly versatile so don’t just think over a bikini at the beach or pool! You can wear it from the beach to a barbecue, or with the right accessories you can wear glamorous summer kaftans with heels, a clutch purse and statement jewellery to a cocktail party or black tie event (as long as the kaftan you wear is not too transparent!).
Kaftans originated in Persia and have been around for centuries. They were originally only worn as a traditional garment by men but in today’s world they are fashion more widely embraced by women and have always remained en vogue due to their comfort and versatility.
They come in an incredible range of colours and patterns and are loved for their free-flowing, loose designs of varying overall lengths, cuts, and sleeve lengths. The shorter ones can also be easily accessorised with other garments such as leggings, trousers or pencil skirts.
Kaftans are available in most high-street stores, in a variety of lengths and to suit a variety of budgets. Traditional kaftans are ankle length but there are also a range of gorgeous shorter length kaftans available that are just perfect for the summer such as the two featured in this post by Pitusa and Melissa Odabash both of which are available from Kitch Clothing either in store on online.
I combined the orange Moroccan kaftan by Pitusa with a perfectly matching neon bikini by Brazilian inspired brand Hipanema. I fell in love with the fabulous detail on this bikini including the gorgeous little seashells, brightly coloured beads, fringes and playful tassles that not only made the bikini stand out from the crowd but also felt very at home in Morocco which is famed for its brightly coloured tassles.
Melissa Odabash is the queen of luxury beach and swimwear. The former swimwear model turned designer creates exotic and glamorous pieces for the most distinguished of travellers. With a host of celebrity followers who choose Odabash when holidaying, including Elle Macpherson, Rhianna, Kate Moss, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole, Heidi Klum and Beyoncé, it is unsurprising that her designs are in demand the world over. Featured in both national and International fashion publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Tatler and In Style, it seems Odabash can do no wrong in the eyes of the world’s fashion darlings.
I wore the Jessica Short Kaftan when we visited the amazing Jet Atlas which is located thirty minutes outside Marrakech, on Lake Takerkoust. The Atlas Jet boating centre has a range of fantastic activities including jet-skiing, water skiing and wake boarding to name but a few. It boasts a stunning infinity pool with gorgeous views across the lake to the backdrop of the Atlas mountains. Unfortunately it was only a pit-stop on our way to the mountains to get some yoga photography so weren’t there long enough to try out the centre’s activities ourselves but it’s definitely on my tick list if ever we are fortunate enough to go back!
All items worn in this post bar the red Valentino handbag and Aldo shoes were courtesy of Kitch Clothing.
Wow! What amazing photos Sharon. I have also just done a blog on Kaftans, shot in Australia. Weird or what? Are they coming back in fashion? I used to hate them, 2nd time around for me, but love them in a stinking hot climate! Suzi
Author
Thanks Suzi. I must check your blog post out too. I am not sure kaftans ever went out! Perfect for holidays and summer like you say. x
Really amazing lovely photo shoot, love the kaftans connection while traveling, under perfect location surrounded by beautiful environment.