A SYMBOL OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: How graduation robes became big business in Baghdad

By Fatima Karim  in Baghdad

Sabah Firas sits in an old wooden chair in the corner of his shop, bent over a sewing machine he says is over 60 years old. His hands move with surprising agility and with patience and precision, he feeds black fabric under the needle, turning the confection into a robe that will carry local youths’ dreams and hopes for the future.

Firas, who’s known as Abu Firas by locals, is 70 years old and works at a tailoring shop in the Bab al-Muadham area of Baghdad. His father opened the shop in 1949 and Firas inherited the business about 50 years ago.

“My father was a tailor for military uniforms,” Firas explains, “but with the entry of imported goods and changes in lifestyle, we switched to sewing graduation gowns.”

As the end of the academic year approaches in Iraq and elsewhere around the world, students start to work out what to wear for the official ceremony. Students and professors are expected to don graduation robes: black cloaks with a square cap and a sash placed over the shoulder with the graduate’s name.

The history of graduation attire dates back to medieval Europe, where education was linked to churches and monasteries. Clergymen, scholars and their students wore robes and head coverings for warmth and these garments were later used to distinguish students from other citizens. Historians say the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in the UK were the first to establish specific types of graduation attire, issuing a decree in 1321 to ban other clothing and enforcing the wearing of long robes during ceremonies.

Things have also changed in Firas’ business. “Tailoring in the past was very different from today,” he explains. “In the past, there were no complicated designs or fabric types. Graduation attire used to consist of a square cap and a black robe with a yellow, green or red ribbon. And students didn’t buy the robes, they used to rent them and return them after the ceremony.”

But fashions in graduation robes have changed as much as other fashions, he continues. There are requests for different fabrics and styles, such as “American” or “Gulf” style robes. High end fabrics, with different textures, are often requested.

For Iraqi families, a graduation gown symbolizes success. Um Iman, mother of one of the graduates shopping for  a gown, says she felt incredibly proud seeing her daughter in a graduation gown.

“Time passed so quickly,” she exclaims. “Yesterday I was buying their school supplies, today I am preparing them for their graduation ceremonies.”

Another customer, student Mohammed Fallah, says he came here because he heard about Firas’ skills. “I came here myself to choose my graduation attire,” he notes. ” I’ve heard so much about Bab al-Muadham market and I have great trust in Abu Firas.”

Changes in this sector are not limited to robe styles. Preparing graduation robes has become a thriving sector and this market in Bab al-Muadham has become a specialized centre. Today Firas’ shop is surrounded by others selling fabric or offering printing and ironing services.

In the store across the way is Kazem al-Shammari, 63, who’s known as Abu Kamal by his customers.

“I worked in many different jobs,” he says, “but I opened my shop here more than 15 years ago. I sell student supplies and ready-made graduation attire and I handle the ironing.”

Al-Shammari and Firas are friends, their relationship a testament to the enduring bonds that shape the fabric of Baghdad’s old neighbourhoods and they often joke together.

“I’m not a tailor,” al-Shammari says laughing. “But I am the best ironer in the market!”