Concise answer

There is a chapter in Kulayni’s Al-Kafi titled “Tashmir al-Theyab” in which it has been pointed out that it is preferred that the clothe a person wears should not be so long to be dragged on earth. However, despite that, we must not neglect the elements of time and place as they are crucial to understanding the concept and to the kind of dress he should wear. The following narration cited from the same chapter deals with both of those two elements:

«عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (ع) قَالَ إِنَّ عَلِیّاً (ع) کَانَ عِنْدَکُمْ فَأَتَى بَنِی دِیوَانٍ وَ اشْتَرَى ثَلَاثَةَ أَثْوَابٍ بِدِینَارٍ الْقَمِیصَ إِلَى فَوْقِ الْکَعْبِ وَ الْإِزَارَ إِلَى نِصْفِ السَّاقِ وَ الرِّدَاءَ مِنْ بَیْنِ یَدَیْهِ إِلَى ثَدْیَیْهِ وَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ إِلَى أَلْیَتَیْهِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ یَدَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَلَمْ یَزَلْ یَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا کَسَاهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ مَنْزِلَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَذَا اللِّبَاسُ الَّذِی یَنْبَغِی لِلْمُسْلِمِینَ أَنْ یَلْبَسُوهُ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (ع) وَ لَکِنْ لَا یَقْدِرُونَ أَنْ یَلْبَسُوا هَذَا الْیَوْمَ وَ لَوْ فَعَلْنَاهُ لَقَالُوا مَجْنُونٌ وَ لَقَالُوا مُرَاءٍ وَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى یَقُولُ وَ ثِیابَکَ فَطَهِّرْ قَالَ وَ ثِیَابَکَ ارْفَعْهَا وَ لَا تَجُرَّهَا وَ إِذَا قَامَ قَائِمُنَا کَانَ هَذَا اللِّبَاسَ»

It has been reported from Imam Sadiq (a.s)[1] that someone brought Imam Ali (a.s.) a dinar. The Imam bought three clothes using that dinar. He bought one shirt (gown) that reached his ankles, and a pair of trousers which reached his calves and a clothe which covered the front part of his body to the chest and the back to the bottom. The Imam put them on and raised his hands to the sky and thanked God until he reached home. He then said that this is the clothe which is appropriate for Muslims to wear. The sixth Imam then said: “But today, we cannot wear such a dress because they will tell the person who wears that dress that he is either mad or he is insincere (hypocrite) but when our Qaim (Riser) rises, this will be the clothe.”

This kind of ahadith (narrations) refers to the fact that if custom or society does not accept a dress, one should not wear it; otherwise he will be considered as flagrant.[2]

For further information in this regard, read the following index: Clothe and Fashion in Islamic Studies, 8734.

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[1] Kulayni, Muhammad bin Ya’qub, al-Kafi, researched and edited by Ali Akbar Ghaffari, Akhundi, Muhammad, vol.6, p. 455-456, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyah Publications, Tehran, fourth edition, 1407 A.H.

[2] Fayz, Kashani, Muhammad Mohsen, Al-Wafi, researched and edited, vol.20, 723, Imam Amirul Momeneen (a.s.), Library, Isfahan, first edition, 1406 A.H