Street Food Vendor, Dressed In Kandura, Serves Sharbat. Internet Debates If He Disrespected Attire

Whether or not you should wear traditional clothes in a non-traditional setting is a sensitive subject. Not much is different when it comes to wearing clothes that are identified with specific cultures.

A video of a street food vendor wearing a kandura and serving customers has gone viral. The undated video was first shared by an Indian food blogging account and later picked by “Lovin Dubai” an Instagram account dedicated to Dubai.

The video prompted a discussion about whether the vendor was being respectful or using the kandura as a costume. A white ankle-length tunic made with wool or cotton, Kandura has been traditionally worn by local men of the Arabian Peninsula to stay protected from harsh sun.

One of the most popular comments on the video was by a man from UAE who is dressed in a Kandura in his profile photo. This man wrote, “Ppl have become so sensitive nowadays and complain about everything. Brother looks handsome in that.”

Another person, who was also wearing a kandura in his profile picture, joked, “Meanwhile I’m thinking how his kandura is still stainless white.”

An Instagram user wrote, “People are so unbelievably sensitive it’s like they’re bored and wanna argue about anything and everything. Personally, it delights me to see someone appreciating our tradition and trying our attire.”

Another comment read, “Clothing norms and fashion trends are human-made constructs, influenced by people. They do not inherently define a person’s worth or character or nationality or cast. We need to change our mindsets.”

Expressing an opinion against wearing kandura, an Instagram user wrote, “They are not angry about the attire, they are angry about what he is doing and how he is behaving while wearing the attire. Non emaratis in UAE wear the kandura all the time. But this person is doing the opposite of how they would behave in public and deal with women, etc. that’s why it’s offensive and I understand why.”

Another person wrote, “The Emiratis take great pride in their traditional attire. Wearing the kandura spotless clean and wrinkle-free is a big part of it. While this guy is spilling drinks all over it and throwing a weird show. We have dressed our kids in kandooras at schools every year at many events. We have never received any kind of objection. If you want to represent a group of people, make it respectful.”