► It is the traditional head dress of Arab men, on which a square cloth wraps around the head in various directions, meaning to protect from direct exposure to the sun and sometimes also to cover the mouth and the eyes from sandstorms and/or dust. It is commonly found in arid climate areas.
► Keffiyeh is often spelled kaffiyah, keffiya, kaffiya, kufiya or some other variation, depending on different understandings over the Arabic pronounciation, which differs from region to region. The name keffiyeh is believed to branch from the name of the city Kufa (الكوفة, al-kūfä) or from the word standing for "palm of the hand" (الكف, al-kef) (the other meaning of the word is "napkin" (held in hands).
► The keffiyeh, when completely white, can be called a ghutra (غترة, ġuträ), particularly in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (where the skullcap is confusingly called keffiyeh), but is also known in some areas a shmagh (شماغ, šmāġ) or a hatta (حطّة, ḥaṭṭä).
So....undoing all this..we are left with:
► It is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe. It is typically worn by men in the Arabian Peninsula and some surrounding countries. It is normally made of cotton, but heavier materials such as sheep's wool can also be used, especially in colder climates. Sometimes, a black robe known as a bisht is worn over the top.
