Why did traditional Algerian men’s clothing disappear so quickly from everyday life?
Hi everyone!
I’m Algerian, but I grew up abroad and only visited Algeria few times during summer holidays as a child. Recently I started looking more into my roots, my tribe, and old photos from Algeria in general, not only from my own region.
In many photos from the 1920s and earlier, I see men wearing the chèche, white traditional clothing. But in photos from the 1960s and 1970s, the change looks very sharp: many people seem to have moved almost completely to modern clothes.
I know Algeria is very diverse, and clothing could change a lot from one region to another. That’s actually part of what I’m trying to understand.
What caused this change in everyday life? Was it mainly French influence, urbanization, schools, work, the army, post-independence modernization, migration from villages to cities, or something else?
I’m also curious about Algerian agals/igals. Were they common in certain regions? How were they different from the agals worn by Gulf Arabs — in shape, material, meaning, or the way they were worn? And are they still preserved anywhere today, even in rural areas, ceremonies, folklore, or among older people?
I’d especially appreciate answers based on family memories, old photos, regional knowledge, or stories from older relatives