I initially thought that the button and loop closures were for solid colored inner kaftan. But in going back and looking at extant kaftan, I saw examples of elaborately patterned silk kaftan with button and loop closures.
detail of caftan, mid 16th century
Topkapi Sarayi Museum, Istanbul 13/38
Photo from A la Coeur du Grand Turc
And IPEK says that "inner kaftan were fastened with narrow bands of fabric in matching rows on either side of the front closure..." (IPEK 200) This sounds very much like a description of çhaprast, which I will discuss in part III. So my theory that simpler kaftan = simpler closures is definitely not correct.
At present, I cannot even hypothesize as to how the decision was made to use button and loop or çhaprast on a particular kaftan. But I have seen button and loops on enough kaftan to be comfortable saying that it's a historically accurate method of closure.
Buttons and Loops: How the Ottomans Might Have Done It
There are three sources I have found (so far) that detail kaftan construction:
Arnold's 1968 article on a kaftan of Selim I (Topkapi 12/4415). This particular kaftan has çhaprast closures, so it's no help determining how the loops were made.
Jennifer Wearden's "The Royal Garments: Fabric, Design, Tailoring in Hali Magazine issue 51 discusses the construction of the V&A collection as a whole. The only remark that she makes about loops is: "one example fastens into simple loops stitched into a seam." (Wearden 138)
Millicent Ryan's photos and commentary from her study visit with V&A kaftan 257-1929, 773-1884, 753-1884, 772-1884, 768-1884, and 766-1884. Many of the V&A kaftan are single panels rather than full garments and of the complete kaftan that she looked at, all had çhaprast closures rather than button and loop.
So what follows is my conjecture and attempt to create plausible loops visually similar to the teardrop-shaped loops seen in extant examples.
detail of caftan, early 17th century
Topkapi Sarayi Museum, Istanbul 13/305
Photo from A la Cour du Grand Turc
You can use this method whether the left front gore is cut as a single piece or if it is cut separately. However, I find that the seam is quite helpful in making sure the loops line up beneath each other. Plus cutting the gore separately is more fabric efficient.
The pictures here are from a red taffeta kaftan that I made several years ago. Full disclosure: the loops are on the right and the buttons are on the left. This is reversed from the Ottoman way of the loops on the left and buttons on the right. I unintentionally reversed them during construction and discovered the fact too late to correct the error. The good news is that this error has indelibly burned "Loops = left" into my brain.
Once the kaftan was mostly finished (including buttons sewn on at the desired spacing), I used a tapestry needle and #3 cotton crochet thread and
- Came up through the lining
- Looped the crochet thread around the button
- Took the needle back into the lining on the other side
- Made a little tack at the bottom of the loop
- Ran the thread down to where the next loop needed to be
All the loops were made with a single thread.
I think the end product looks similar to the loops on the extant kaftan. However, over time and repeated wear, the loops have stretched a bit, despite the tack stitch to keep them in place. Looking at extant kaftan, that might even be historically accurate. But it annoys me disproportionally and I want to find a way to solve that.
Buttons and Loops: the Easier Way
If 100% historical accuracy is not the primary objective, the easiest way to create the loops is to use bridal loop tape. This method works best with gores cut separately from the front piece so that the loop tape is set into the seam between the front and front gore.
Bridal loop tape is ~$2 a foot on Etsy and wildly overpriced on Amazon. I can't comment as to whether Joann or Hobby Lobby carry it as I don't shop at either store. It comes in white, occasionally black and very, very occasionally other colors. (I found some red & turquoise in the NYC garment district once and have never seen any again) One yard should be enough loops for at least 2 kaftan, depending on where you want the buttons to stop.
There are two types of loop tape: elastic and non-elastic. The loops on the elastic tape will stretch out of shape over time; the non-elastic loops will not. I recommend the non-elastic. The first few kaftans I made, I used the elastic tape and I have since had to go back and replace the closures.
I've found 2 spacings of the pre-made loops. Some tapes have the loops spaced approximately 1" apart. Other tapes have the loops closer together.
The Ottomans tended to love their buttons, so I prefer the closer spacing, especially with Bad Baroness's 8mm ball buttons
Many many buttons!
excerpt of folio 16.a
Album of the World Emperor c1610
Topkapi Sarayi Museum, Istanbul Bagdat 408
photo from: The Album of the World Emperor
However, you also see wider spacing on extant kaftan. So it's really personal preference.
detail of caftan, second half of 16th century
Topkapi Sarayi Museum, Istanbul 13/9
Photo from IPEK
You can trim loops off of the closer spaced tape if you want wider spaced loops or fold the wider-spaced tape in half and zigzag down the tape itself to create a closer spacing. Lots of possibilities. However, you will want to confirm the buttons you are using will fit through the loops before you put the loop tape in. Don't ask me how I know this. :)
Sewing the tape into the kaftan
Put the loop tape along the edge of the left center-front piece with the loops facing AWAY from the center. I often hand baste them in place, because if you are using a sewing machine in the next step, the presser foot going over the tape can make everything wiggle a bit. But I am a belt and suspenders sort of girl, so you may not find basting necessary.
Put the gore on top of the loops and pin everything securely.
My Western European sewing experience says at this point: "No! Put the bias side against the straight grain center front for stability! That whole diagonal will ripple if you don't." If you are using linen or a more loosely woven fabric, you probably should. But when you look at the number of extant kaftans with the front and gore cut in a single piece, they did exactly that. And because of (I suspect) the stiff nature of most Ottoman fabrics, 500+ years later, that edge is still straight.
Once you get the gore sewn all the way down, open the two pieces of fabric like a book and press the seam open and the loop tape flat. Behold, you have a tidy row of loops!
Most of the extant kaftan have the buttons sewn to the very edge of the front. You may want to keep this in mind when sewing your buttons on.
detail of caftan,16th-17th century
Topkapi Sarayi Museum, Istanbul 13/553
Photo from Style and Status
Next installment: çhaprast closures.
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Arnold, Janet. “A Caftan, said to
have been worn by Selim I (1512-1520)”. Costume, Vol 2. 1968.
Atasoy, Nurhan, et al. IPEK: The Crescent and the Rose: Ottoman Imperial Silks and Velvets. Azimuth Publications, 2000
Fetvaci, Emine. The Album of the World Emperor: Cross-Cultural Collecting and the Art of Album-Making in Seventeenth-Century Istanbul. Princeton University Press, 2019.
Maury, Charlotte ed. Al la cour du Grand Turc: Caftans du Palais de Topkapi, Louvre Editions, 2010
Ryan, Millicent. Journey to the Clothworkers' Centre. self-published, 2018. <https://sites.google.com/view/melikebintnikola/ottoman-clothing-textiles?authuser=0>
----. Style and Status: Imperial Costumes in Ottoman Turkey. Azimuth Editions, 2005.
Wearden, Jennifer. "The Royal Garments: Fabric, Design, Tailoring" in Hali Magazine issue 51. June 1990.
