Tradition · dress

The fez: the red hat named after a Moroccan city

The fez is a brimless red felt hat, shaped like a short cylinder and usually finished with a black tassel. In Morocco it is often called a tarbouche, and its name is commonly traced to the city of Fes.

Published 18 October 2026

Fez First — FEZ FIRST. QUESTIONS LATER. — FEZ FIRST / TAMRAGHT

A name from Fes

One explanation links the name to Fes because the crimson dye for the hats was produced there; others point to the city’s hatmakers. The exact origin of the hat is disputed, and similar caps were worn around the Mediterranean long before the name spread.

An Ottoman fashion

The fez spread widely in the 19th century, when the Ottoman sultan Mahmud II made it part of his new army’s uniform in the 1820s and, in 1829, required civil and religious officials to wear it in place of the turban. It became a symbol of modern dress across the Ottoman world until Turkey banned it in 1925.

In Morocco today

In Morocco the red tarbouche is now worn mostly on special occasions: weddings, religious holidays and official ceremonies, and by musicians in traditional orchestras, often with a white djellaba and yellow babouches.

From fez to crash helmet

The Fez First design turns a red fez into a crash helmet, giving a familiar Moroccan silhouette an unexpected sporting role. Devil’s Rock, which gave the design its name, is a surf spot at Tamraght, just north of Agadir.