At the moment, Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton are on a tour to Pakistan where they visited Chitral district on Wednesday morning as part of their visit to explore Pakistan and meet the people of the country. The residents of the region gifted them The Pakol hats, embroidered coat to Prince William and a shawl to Middleton. Photo credit to Samir Hussein.
The couple donned traditional Pakistan outfits as they stepped out in the district. Traditionally, the Pakol hat is made from a rugged warm material with a lined interior. The origins of the cap are complex but the cap is thought to originate from Nuristan region in Afghanistan. It is popular amongst the Pashtun, Tajik and Nuristani men of Afghanistan, and the northern region in Pakistan.
The traditional clothing for the region is shalwar kameez combination and is worn by men and women. The khat is the shirt which fits closely to the body to the waist and then flares out, either to the knees, or in the case of women, to the ankles. The khat worn by women can be elaborately embroidered at the neck with needle work. The partug is a loose shalwar which has many folds and is loosely brought together at the ankles. Men also wear a turban and a scarf while women wear a head scarf.
Kate and William are given traditional Chitrali hats, “Pakol” as they land in Chitral the Hindu Khush, near the Afghan border. William was also given a highly embroidered coat and Kate a warm shawl. The Pakol is a handmade soft, round-topped Afghan hat. It is unisex and can be worn by both women and men. This is great for winters and looks good with casual wear. This is great for people in colder climates and helps keep you warm.
