When I was growing up, my Gramma always wore kaftans. They ranged from casual to glamorous, but no matter what, she rocked them:
teaching me how to Dougie
appalled by 80s fashion
looking through kaftan catalogs, I’m sure.
My brother and I haaaaaaated when she would wear them in public. We were not fashion forward like my gram, you see. If she picked us up from school in a kaftan, we’d be mortified. Oddly, we were OK with her bedazzled sweatshirts, but I digress. We thought her kaftans were basically bathrobes, and we didn’t understand why she’d leave the house in them.
Oh, I was so naive.
Nowadays, I wear my standard outfit of pajama pants, a nursing bra, and a tank top for days on end. There is nothing glamorous about my look, unless you call an oily face high glamor. I’ve let myself go so far that I’ve come back around again. It’s time to start caring about my home clothing. That’s right friends, I’m bringing back the kaftan.
My gramma looking fabulous in her caftan at a family birthday party.
Me, rocking an old kaftan of my gram’s:
I learned so much about kaftans this week. They are roomy. You don’t have to wear spanx in them. THERE ARE POCKETS. They are not, in fact, hospital gowns. They are. Amazing.
The buttons down the front of this one totally allowed my skin to breathe. And when is that NOT a good thing?
I can’t wait to wear a kaftan when I take Annie all over town. Maybe I’ll even dress her in baby kaftans! Kaftans aren’t giving up! They are about making your life breezy. And I’m breezy. Or, I want to be. Who wants to be breezy with me?!
Mike, hide the baby and the dog, I’m going on a kaftan shopping spree! Just as soon as I figure out where they sell them…
Angel says:
http://www.siralistairrai.com/womens-designer-clothing-2/caftans.html?gclid=CKqExr-gsKoCFchdTAodDjXO9w
Here is a start. I totally forgot about those. My grandma use to wear them all the time.
Jessica says:
Those are so cute….love the pink tie dyed!
Jaime says:
Ok. Those are hot Caftans. Even I would wear those lol.
Christine Hendricks says:
Um ya, Heather-babe, you’re a gorgeous girl. I mean this in the nicest possible way “LOSE THE CAFTAN”!
Suzanne says:
Try Goodwill. It took ALL my willpower not to buy a super awesome Hawaiian print caftan a few weeks ago. It was the pockets that almost sold me. POCKETS!
Someone needs to tell the pajama and yoga pants manufacturers that’s what women REALLY want.
DefendUSA says:
Heather…Sears and JCPenney. Woot!!
AmazingGreis says:
Please, please, please wear one to BlogHer! I think the Sparklecorn or CheeseburgHer party are in desperate need of caftans!
Jenny says:
Isn’t the maxi dress basically the same thing as a caftan? Tomato, tomato!
Glenda says:
haha Jenny… I was thinking the same thing as I was reading this post. We have the maxi dress
Thurieyyah says:
I bought me two over the weekend- and if you were in CAPE TOWN – SOUTH AFRICA – I would’ve taken you with me! LOL..they perfect for summer
Lisa says:
Just answer me this: what’s the difference between a caftan and a muu muu? Because I’ve been considering the muu muu as my own personal fashion statement.
Stacey says:
I was wondering this myself?! I was just about to Google it…. and still might.
Kristin says:
I have never heard of a caftan, I would have called it a muu muu, either way, rock it girl!
Sarah says:
Am I the only person who always thought it was spelled with a kicking K, not a curly C?
thurieyyah says:
you can spell it with a K too
thurieyyah says:
you can spell it with a K too
Loren Bell says:
Will you please, please, PLEASE wear big beaded jewelry with them ala Mrs. Roper? It’s the right thing to do, really.
tonya says:
Mrs. Roper was the bomb. Thanks for reminding me of her and making me smile!
sarah says:
I was SO thinking Mrs. Roper when I saw this post! But my grandmother rocked the caftans too. And yes, I want to be breezy too! I am 30, have a baby in the NICU, and I deserve some dang comfort in the form of a stylin caftan. Awesome post.
Michelle says:
You always make me laugh….THANKS!!!
alimartell says:
Is there a difference between a caftan and a muumuu?
Because if those are good enough for Mrs. Roper…they are good enough for ME!
Let’s bring ’em back, I say!
tonya says:
This is hilarious! And in TN, where it’s as hot as hell right now, I’d love to be rockin’ one of your grandma’s caftans. Maybe to my daughter’s school. Because, with her craptastic attitude lately, wouldn’t that be a great revenge?!
KK says:
Accessorize with pink foam curlers & fluffy slip on bedroom shoes! You wouldn’t want to be underdressed! Living long enough to embarrass ones child is a right of passage for parents.
Christina says:
As it has been in the upper 90’s and freakin HUMID here in Valencia (Yeah I am near Magic Mountain) wearing those wretched devices also known as a bra is gwad awful…. I rock mine in the house, although mine is less old lady (AKA Mrs Roper) and more Hula girl look. Much to my kids DISLIKE I rock mine to the market Oh and to school at times (Although I MAY put on a bra for those LOL) I say ROCK it proudly as long as it is NOT the evil clothing twins (Poly and Ester) then you are doing alright.
Gemini-Girl says:
first of all: Go Dad for rocking the porno mustache.
Also- I have many a Mrs Roper dress- which I wear round the house. They are short- so perfect for the israel nights. I need more.
Karen says:
Heather, you are the funniest freaking person in the world. Seriously, how do you come up with this stuff?
Jan says:
Awww…you go girl! Yeah my mom, aunts, and neighbors always wore them around the house…they were called “House Dresses” in NY city where I grew up…I thought they were awful..not fit to be worn outside the house!
Hey it looks like you inherited your Gramma’s nice display cabinet, no?
Glenda says:
yes Jan… my mom wore them too… in NYC and we called them “house coats” lol… but she didn’t go out in them
MelissaG says:
I LOOOVE that you almost have to have a glass of wine while wearing them?? This is a great thing. I always call my “yoga” (aka “looser sweat pants”) my uniform pants. As in, “I could really use some new uniform pants, these are getting a little raggedy.” Oh yes, it’s THAT bad sometimes. If my teen self could see me now!!
p.s. to Mike, just make sure not to hide baby and dog IN the caftan that Heather is wearing. That, my friend, would be counterproductive. (what a fun post!)
Lisa says:
Go caftans, mu mu’s and baby doll dresses. They hide IT ALL! And when I am a grandma, I will rock the most floral patterns EVER! And embarrass all the family that I can! Lisa
KK says:
The first person I’ve ever seen rock a Caftan is C. Jane. She brought them back. I love my “house dresses” as I grew up knowing them. I usually can be found in one (especially on the weekends) covered by an apron. It reminds me on my Mother cooking Sunday dinner & my Great-Grandmother. How I wish I had one of hers to wear!
Becki says:
Man, so hoping you are being tongue-in-cheek. NO ONE rocks the caftan look – ummmmmm . . as an earlier commentor said …lose the caftan . .not a great look for you . .. .hoarding will soon follow if you adopt this look, lololol
Erin W says:
MY. GRANDMA. WORE. THOSE. TOO!!!!!!!!!!! I laughed so hard when I saw YOUR grandma in them!!! :))) I remember my mom picking them up for her for birthdays/Christmas at JC Penney (if you have those in California). Maybe check their website? Hilarious!
Mommy says:
My grandma wore terry cloth dresses! LOL!! So cute what grandmas can get away with!!!
Simone says:
Noooooo……nooooooo. Please say no to the caftan!
Kelly says:
Hilarious. My Grandma wore “housedresses” too. Everywhere.
There are days where I would totally wear one. It’s got to be higher on the embarrass-your-daughter scale then pj pants and slippers…
Karen says:
Oh, so sorry Heather, but you must be a grandma to sport the caftan! My grandma wore them too! So, while they may be comfortable, you will have to put them into storage for 2o+ more years until you are, in fact, a grandma!
Lisa says:
Oh my gosh – take it off – QUICK! Resist the urge to give into the caftans (or, as we call them, mu mus) . Whew! That was close.
Christina says:
No. How ’bout a maxi dress? Something empire waisted so it’s still comfy and roomy around the belly and hips, but still has a point where it’s fitted so one won’t have to wonder whether you are 100 pounds or 300 pounds under all that fabric. Or how about only black caftans but with fun belts… a delightful pale pink one day, then a lovely brown braided the next? They can be soft, comfy belts!
My mother in law wears them. She offered me one once because she deemed my yoga pants and tank top too uncomfortable. I think my husband said “No thanks” quicker than I did!
Mommy says:
You look great mama!!!
Beverly says:
Get yourself to Ross! They had a whole section of “one size fits all” drapey dresses, and some that would definitely qualify as caftans I agree it’s all about the pockets though, that’s one thing I haven’t found on a maxi dress.
Kelley says:
Oh I had to laugh and then check for myself where I could buy one for my very own. Sacks Fifth Ave sells caftans.
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446177870&afsrc=1&site_refer=GGLBASE001&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=ParentItem0450435292394
Leah says:
May I direct you to the Vermont Country Store catalog (http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/)? Not only are they well supplied with muumuus/caftans, they carry all kinds of other requisites for grandmas and the old-at-heart–Varicose Ease, anyone?
Jaime says:
Oh My!! they have a whole classification of Mummu’s. I am disturbed.
edenland says:
In Australia, we use a “K” – and kaftans? SO HOT RIGHT NOW. Google “Camilla kaftan Bondi Beach.” You are SO welcome. And when you come down here (there, because I’m here where you are now) … I will take you. They are soft and elegant and billowy. Beyonce cannot be wrong, people.
Tina says:
Oh…no. Just no.
Lynnette says:
My Grandma made all of her shirts so she would have pockets. I definitely see the need for the pockets, but the caftan reminds me of an aunt that wears them everywhere and doesn’t quite rock the outfit. If you do go the caftan way choose stylish prints. You’re too beautiful, inside and out, to hide behind gawdy prints.
Heli says:
HA! You crack me up! You look damn good in that caftan or maybe it was just the glass of wine in your hand that was so appealing…
Becca_Masters says:
are we about to see Prada, McQueen and Dior parade Caftans down the runway at Milan Fashion Week?
Meyli says:
I didn’t know those were called caftans! And now every time I read it, I read ‘cat fan’. Oops.
But they look super comfy
Rebecca says:
They don’t sell Craftans but there is this store that is in this place called Kirkwood, Missouri and it’s called Annabelle. They sell cute kids clothes. I drove by the place today and was in awe at the clothes in their window display.
kristi says:
Noooo.
Dee Dee says:
The caftan is alllll my grandmother wears at home! She still has her HUGE wardrobe of them she bought while stationed in Japan in the early 60’s! And wears them with these weird toe socks that have a spot for the big toe and then a large spot for the other 4 toes that she says are Japanese socks to wear with flip-flops ? HUH ? Who wears those other than my grandma?
And the first picture was a stroll down memory lane with the playpen in the background
Lisa B says:
Just say NO!! Please step away from the caftan. C Jane gets a pass because it is a bitch to be pregnant in August.
Bel says:
I second “edenland” – an Australian designer Camilla Franks designs nearly exclusively kaftans. They’re bright, cool prints, cut in a slightly more flattering way than your grandmas versions, and Annabel will totally be cool being seen in public with you in them! Here’s the website: http://www.camilla.com.au/ Oprah, Kim Cattrall and Fergie are big fans!
ashley petteys says:
i want to be breezy with you!!! let’s do this!
dysfunctional mom says:
I think it’s time for an intervention….or What Not to Wear!
Rachel says:
Word. I’m with you. I live in TN and the heat index was like 109 here or something equally redonkulous yesterday. Also, I am 23 and my Dr. recommended COMPRESSION stockings for the spider veins that I am apparently getting. Also, I have a few gray hairs. So if I’m going to have grandma legs and grandma hair, I can be comfortable in a caftan. I don’t actually own one, but I’m sure we could totally go online caftan shopping together.
anne says:
Your caftan is a duster (as is wear when dusting and cleaning the house) in the south. We also called them house dresses (worn around the house not out– hint hint). They were cool and comfortable in hot weather. Dusters in a cotton poly blend are still sold but it is getting harder to find nice ones. Ross, JCPenny, Sears, KMart. My grandmother’ s were usually 100% cotton. She actually ironed and wore a slip beneath her duster.
Karen says:
My mom calls them dusters. Born and raised in NY though. She actually wore them once in a while when I was a kid(70’s) and hasn’t worn them in years but is currently in a rehab after a major operation and asked me to pick her up some, lol.
Heather, I’m afraid to wear one because I think I might never take it off!
amourningmom says:
My grandmother called them house coats too – I think my mom still has some as well. . .Love that you are bringing them back. Take care.
Ella says:
In all seriousness you should check out these caftans from EmersonMade.
http://www.emersonmade.com/collections/e-m-india-collection
Oh, and also? You’ll fall in love with all the clothing! UGH, ME WANT!
Amy Collen says:
Love this! What makes these pictures so awesome is that you took them in the same house that the originals were taken. I don’t know if anyone else noticed that cool little detail, they were probably too blinded by the caftans. LOL! Yay! Gold star for me :).
Mommy says:
I had to go back and look- good eye!! I love how you can see how the house has been remodeled and updated. I’m assuming this is Gramma and Bampa’s??
Jessica says:
This is hysterical! And amazing how many women are eager to jump on board!
We are all about the comfort, that’s for sure!
My uniform of mens boxers and tees has got to go!
Amanda says:
Alison rocks mumu’s (or the actual Hawaiian spelling mu’umu’us) and she’s a 22 year old college student! Even in public! (I keep it for bed or for hula practice). Embrace the caftan!
meg...ct says:
I loved EVERYTHING about this post…
so funny
Mommy says:
I love that you are still wearing the nursing bras even though Annie is off the boob now- I don’t think I ever stopped wearing nursing bras after weaning my first son. Then I got preggers again and figured what was the point of going back to those awful underwires! I’ve been pregnant or nursing for almost 3 years now- I deserve to be comfy!! I TOTALLY want some caftans!!!!
Michelle says:
Oh my word – that brought back SO many memories of my own grandma! (Except she always called them ‘house dresses.’)
I went as a tacky tourist for Halloween last year and I wore a Hawaiian print caftan to a costume party. I will say – it was pretty darn comfy and I could eat as much candy as I wanted that night without feeling like I was going to burst a seam.
Maybe I should dig it out and give it another try.
Kat says:
Anthropologie has a really pretty one!
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=21054465&catId=SHOPSALE-FRESHCUTS&pushId=SHOPSALE-FRESHCUTS&popId=SHOPSALE&navCount=60&color=095&isProduct=true&fromCategoryPage=true&templateType=D
Leigh Elliott says:
you make me laugh!!
Ray says:
Grandma’s got STYLE! Hehehe. Reminds me of my grandmother who wears cotton robes (over her clothes) whenever’s she’s home. Comfort is so IN. ;o)