( CNN ) -- From bikinis and tank tops to short shorts , summer fashion calls for a whole lot of skin . When you 're not feeling your beach bod best , time to break out the caftans , those long , loose garments with wide sleeves . These robe-like gowns have transcended their ancient origins to become summer fashion staples with universal appeal thanks to their forgiving silhouette , whether you 're Elizabeth Taylor or Mary Kate Olsen . `` They 're extremely comfortable , and they 're extremely flattering to many body types , '' said fashion historian Valerie Steele , director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology . Maybe your fashion-forward mom donned a caftan to host pool parties or to swing by the neighborhood shindig . Or maybe you caught `` Mad Men '' star Christina Hendricks wearing one on `` The Tonight Show , '' describing caftans as her `` go-to '' item around the house and inspiring one of the best theme parties ever : caftans and casseroles . Depending on what they 're made of , caftans can be worn any time of the year , Steele said . But `` we tend to see them as summer wear '' because they are one of few clothing items that keep you cool in warm weather without having to bare a lot of skin . Through the years , designers from Yves Saint Laurent to Rachel Zoe have reinterpreted the caftan in sync with the styles of the time . But what makes a caftan distinct from a flowing dress essentially has remained consistent : a T-shaped garment reaching the ankles that can be pulled over the head . From there , the rest is up to artistic interpretation . The caftan -- or kaftan -- has come a long way since the early days of the Persian empire , when soldiers wore them under chain mail armor , `` reputedly impenetrable by the enemy 's sword '' thanks to a weave of heavy cloth padded with silk floss , according to Columbia University 's Encyclopedia Iranica . The word itself is Persian and translates to a battle garment worn by soldiers , said Niloo Paydar , curator of textile and fashion arts at the Indianapolis Museum of Art , which houses one of the country 's largest collections of Islamic textiles . References to caftans appear in Persian art and literature as early as 600 B.C. , and revered Persian poet Ferdowsi mentions them in his seminal work , `` Shahnameh , '' or the Persian `` Book of Kings , '' she said . Beyond the battlefield , anyone from the peasant class to the upper class could enjoy caftans thanks to their simple structure , which allowed for embellishment and adornment depending on one 's means , Paydar said . Much like today , the caftan was worn as a length of draped fabric with sleeves , open or closed , that could be wrapped around the body with a sash or belt . Arab conquerors introduced caftans to North Africa , where different groups interpreted them according to their religious and cultural traditions , and European imperialism led to cultural contact with the East , allowing for caftans to infiltrate the Western wardrobe , said Steele . Ambassadors to the Ottoman Court in Istanbul received gifts of caftans as early as the 17th century that played well into the era 's imperialistic obsession with `` Orientalism , '' she said . `` The English in particular liked to have themselves portrayed in Ottoman dress , so there are a number of portraits of them in caftans , '' she said . The style evolved in 18th-century Europe into ankle-length gowns that open in the front known as banyans , Steele said . In the 20th century , when European imperialism opened up North Africa to Western artists and tastemakers , European designers like Paul Poiret and Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo derived inspiration from Moroccan and Algerian styles of caftans to create evening coats and dresses for western women . When wealthy jet-setters and superstars took off for places like Morocco and India in the 1960s , they brought back Eastern fashion traditions along with spiritualism , Steele said . Halston and Yves Saint Laurent adopted the style into a symbol of bohemian elite that trickled down to mainstream fashion in the 1970s . The caftan continues to change with the times , with embellishments and diverse patterns offering a more feminine silhouette . Now , as then , the drapey dresses appeal to diverse audiences , from starlets on the red carpet to diplomats at State Dinners to summer music festival-goers . Would you wear a caftan ? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter .
They -- or kaftans -- have become a fashion trend . The tunic - like garment is comfortable and flattering to many body types , historian says . They belong to the Persian period , when soldiers wore them in battle . Today , caftans are versatile enough for Family gatherings , the red carpet or the pool .