The burnous, both in name and design, is of Arab origin, and describes a full, hooded cloak, often decorated with embroidery and tassels. It can also be spelled burnoose and bournouse. The burnous was introduced to Western fashion through the Spahi, the French calvary troops of from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, whose uniforms included burnous. The Spahi began in the 1830s, and saw extensive action throughout the 19th century. This, combined with photographs of the Spahi troops in their…
Nancy Nicoll
