Caftans

It's the outermost layer of clothing everywhere from Persia to the steppes. There is a large, well preserved collection of Sultans' caftans of the late 15th & early 16th centuries that will give you much fodder for coming up with ideas for your own.
Coming soon

Useful links

• Karlsruher Tuerkenbeute - all in German but it's not too hard. excellent resource.
• The Ralamb Costume Book - somewhat too far on the late side but still informative.
  
• Topkapi Web Page
  
• Topkapi Palace Museum - The Imperial Costumes Collection
  
• Detailed Fabric survey of the items in the Topkapi Palace Museum
  
• The Red Kaganate has some very informative pages on men's clothing.
  
• Ottoman Costume - An Overview of 16TH Century Dress" by Master Giles de Laval
• Mistress Safia's Bibliography
• Ottoman clothing and garments - much OOP stuff but good visuals to get a feel.
• Giacomo Di Grasse has some good info on cutting diagrams etc.

Bibliography

• Janet Arnold "The Pattern of a Caftan, said to have been worn by Selim II (1512-20), from the Topkapi Sarayi Museum (Accession Number 2/4415), on display at the exhibition of Turkish art of the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, at the Victoria and Albert Museum, November 1967." Costume: The Journal of the Costume Society, Victoria and Albert Museum London. 1968, No. 2 - Do whatever you must to get hold of this. I can no longer find my copy and its drving me potty. I made this caftan straight off the measured drawing ad it fit me at 5'5" like a charm.