Keffiyeh Size Guide: 110 cm vs 131 cm vs 75 × 35 in

Almost every “this keffiyeh is too small” or “too much fabric” complaint comes down to size, not quality. There are three dimensions in this catalogue, and they are not interchangeable — each one was cut for a different job.

The three sizes we sell

Size	In inches	Diagonal	Range	Best for
110 × 110 cm	43 × 43 in	~155 cm	cotton keffiyehs, polyester keffiyehs	Head wrap, neck wrap, daily wear
131 × 131 cm	52 × 52 in	~185 cm	prayer scarves, cashmere-blend shawls, some net	Shoulder cover, prayer, gifts
190 × 90 cm	75 × 35 in	—	poly-cotton net shemaghs	Dust wrap, over a helmet, vehicle

110 × 110 cm — the dress size

This is the size a keffiyeh is normally cut to, and the one the folds were designed around. Folded into a triangle it gives a long edge of about 155 cm: enough to go around a head and tie, not so much that the ends hang past your chest.

It is also the size that behaves best as a neck scarf, because you can roll it into a band without it going bulky at the knot. If you want one scarf for everyday wear, this is the one — the plain black cotton keffiyeh is that cut, and the one most people end up wearing daily.

131 × 131 cm — drape, prayer and shoulder wear

Twenty-one centimetres sounds small on paper and looks like a different garment in the hand. The extra fabric is what lets a scarf sit over the shoulders without being pinned, cover the back to the elbows, or spread flat enough to pray on.

That is why the Islamic prayer scarves and the cashmere-blend shawls are cut to this size: at 131 cm the cloth covers a seated adult from knee to shoulder, and folds down to something you can put in a coat pocket. The grey cashmere-blend shawl is this square at its most drapey, and it is the size to buy if the scarf has to double as a wrap.

190 × 90 cm — the tactical rectangle

The net shemaghs in the 190 × 90 cut are the exception to the square rule. A rectangle wraps faster over a helmet or a cap, ties with a shorter tail, and gives you a long single layer for sun protection across the neck — which is why the tactical market settled on this shape rather than a square.

They are also the lightest pieces we sell — the desert sand net shemagh weighs less than a T-shirt and takes up less room than a paperback. If your complaint about keffiyehs is that they are hot, this is the correction. The open weave does need its own washing rules — the details are in how to care for a net shemagh.

How to measure one you already own

Lay it flat, smooth the edges, and measure from one corner to the opposite corner — not edge to edge. A 110 cm square measures about 155 cm across the diagonal; a 131 cm square about 185 cm. If your diagonal lands near 150 cm, you have a 110 cm piece. Near 180 cm, you have a 131 cm piece.

Measuring the diagonal also catches pieces that have been cut square but hemmed unevenly, which is the sort of thing that shows up the first time you try to fold it level.

Does it shrink?

Cotton can move a centimetre or two on the first wash if it is washed hot. Ours is washed cold and hung to dry, which keeps the dimensions stable; the full method is in how to wash a keffiyeh. Cashmere blend should never be hung wet — it stretches out of shape rather than shrinking.

Where to go next

If you are choosing your first one, the six ways to wear a keffiyeh show what each size does in practice. For the naming question — keffiyeh, shemagh, ghutrah — read keffiyeh vs shemagh vs ghutrah, and for bulk quantities the wholesale price list has the tier pricing. Choosing a size for winter rather than summer is a slightly different question — keffiyeh in cold weather covers which weave and which cut to pick.

Shop the styles in this guide: Black & Khaki cotton keffiyeh in traditional weave, 110 × 110 cm, Red cashmere-blend shawl, solid, 131 × 131 cm and Jungle Green poly-cotton net shemagh, camouflage, 190 × 90 cm.