Afghani clothing has always been limited to the blue veil. I see the logic of association to be the time when Afghanistan was under the rule of the Taliban from 1996 to 2001. During this period Afghan men and women were dictated to follow a dress code. This was a very crucial time for Afghanistan for many reasons. An extremist group had taken over by slewing the King, spread terror and committed war crimes, enforced their understanding of Islam and sharia, committed violence against women and carried out public execution without trial. Afghanistan was introduced to the world in an unpleasant manner after Osama bin Laden blew the twin tower in America.

It took 20 years to show the world that Afghanistan is not limited to dry mountains or women in blue veils but has a culture which is lively and colorful. There are extravagant weddings, family picnics, get-togethers and invitations happening on a weekly basis. This is because Afghan families consist of a large number of people and mingling is part of the Afghan culture. The traditional clothes for Afghan women is not the blue veil which is falsely assumed all over the world, but it is a Gand dress. Gand dresses are handcrafted by highly skilled women who live in rural areas or villages. The embroidery on these dresses is completed with Pearl, thread, old iron metals and valuable beads. One of the unique features of these Gand dresses is that they differ in designs from each other which means that one design is only available for one dress. The fabric for Gand dress is usually made from sopping velvet pieces. Silk and cotton Gand is the new trend right now. These dresses are worn mostly on happy occasions such as national days, Eid, Nawroz (new year) and henna night parties. Afghan women complete their Gand attire by pairing it up with silver jewelry.
Afghan men wear “Shalwar Kameez” as their casual and formal clothing. The dress is normally made with cotton and polyester but it is wooly fabric in winters. Afghan men use a “Waistcoat” to give their dress a more dignified look.