Each element of our modern clothing has its own history. Slavic clothing differs significantly from the traditional outfits of other nationalities in a number of ways. Let's talk in more detail about what are the traditions of the Slavic costume and what kind it had several centuries ago.
Let's look into history
Initially, the cut of the clothes of the Slavs was very simple and uncomplicated. The reason for this was the remote location from trade routes, as well as the lack of funds for the majority of the population to buy expensive oriental fabrics and jewelry. In addition, simple Slavic clothing was also because the manufacture of matter required complex and painstaking work. In addition, the material was not particularly attractive and aesthetic.
Later, namely in the period between the heyday of the Roman era and the end of paganism, a variety appeared in the attire of the Slavs. Most of the wardrobe items were, of course, borrowed from other cultures.
Material for making
Many centuries ago, the skins of dead animals were especially popular,as the cold climate required warm clothing. Then other types of warm clothes gradually began to appear, but natural furs have always enjoyed special love. They learned to sew warm things even of large sizes from fur, and leather was dressed and used to make shoes, waist belts, mittens, and so on. Skin for products was usually taken tanned or rawhide.
There is also a lot of archaeological evidence that Slavic clothes were sewn mainly from linen, hemp linen, wool. That is, all things were made exclusively from natural raw materials. Since linen was used for the most part, as a result, the robes were white and sometimes gray. Woolen fabrics (opona, cloth, sackcloth) turned out to be no less popular.
What did the men wear?
Men's Slavic clothing consists of several basic details: a shirt, trousers, and also an outer garment in the form of a caftan or suite. The shirt had a tunic-like appearance and long, straight sleeves. At the wrist, the sleeve was usually pulled together with a wide braid, and an embroidered insert flaunted on the chest. Be sure to tie the shirt with a belt. The pants were tight and came to the ankles in length. In another way they were also called legs. Be sure to girdled the pants with twine or something similar to a belt.
As for outerwear, they wore a zhupan, a casing, a basket over trousers and a shirt in the cold season. There could be two options here: either with a slit, or without a slit, but at the top with buttons (buttons). If the first option couldput on like a coat and fasten, then the second - only through the head. These outer garments were usually hemmed with fur, and later the fur garment already had the foreign name “fur coat”. The latest clothes are Slavic, not foreign, as many mistakenly think that we owe the appearance of the fur coat to the southern peoples.
Belts for men were usually made of different materials and simply tied at the waist. If the belt was leather, then metal buckles were present on it, less often - plaques and tips. Fasteners on shirts and outerwear had both ribbons and buttons. The latter were often made of bronze, bone, or wood.
Men's shoes
Slavic shoes should be described separately, which also differed from all other neighboring nationalities. The most common type of footwear was shoes, which in those days were called laces. If Slavic clothes were made from a variety of materials, then leather was mainly used for shoes. The heel was missing altogether. Shoes were created in two ways: from a single piece of leather or from two panels, respectively, for the top and sole. Some shoes provided for lacing. Some historians believe that the ancient Slavs wore bast bast shoes. The boots were pointed and soft.
Women's clothing and jewelry
The outfit of the Slavs also includes the main element of the wardrobe of those times - a long shirt. Unlike men's, Slavic women's clothing had colorfulembroidery with the addition of various decorations. As for headdresses, forehead rims and headbands, decorated with various beautiful plates, ornaments, and so on, were in fashion. Later, on the territory of today's Russia, kokoshniks were popular. Beam brooches were used to fasten women's robes.
For ladies, Slavic outerwear, the photos of which are available in the article, was a fur coat or poneva. Later, the poneva was called an apron, which was worn over a shirt.
Of the jewelry, temporal rings added a special zest to the image. These are spiral rings worn at the temples. Women also loved massive beaded necklaces. Most of them were blue beads, sometimes green, made of glass. Very rare were dark blue necklaces with yellow, white and red splashes. The women's outfit was supplemented with rings and bracelets, but these decorations were much less common.
How did Slavic children dress?
Children were not far from their parents and dressed in long shirts. Boys, like their fathers, wore a shirt and pants, and girls wore longer shirts. Therefore, Slavic children's clothing practically copies adult clothing, with some exceptions. Slavic mothers tried to decorate children's clothes. For example, the hem of a shirt, sleeves, and collars were decorated with protective embroidery. Girls often had wire rings woven into their hair and pendants in the form of bells were added to the headdress. According to historians, such bells helped parents look after their children.child.
Children's shoes were slightly different from their adult counterparts. The main difference is that the shoes had wide toes and a large rise was provided. On some models there were ornaments. For these purposes, inserts and notches were made in the leather, and colored threads were threaded through them for decoration.
Slavic motifs in modern fashion
According to fashion experts, modern Slavic clothes do little to reflect the style of the past. Today, the Slavs dress in new, fashionable things that are very far away in their cut, style and color schemes.
However, lately, some designers are turning to historical facts and using Slavic motifs in their collections. So, shirts and tunics with Slavic ornaments are often found. In women's clothing, long dresses slip through, sewn in the manner of long shirts with rich embroidery and national decor. Even in children's things, embroideries are often found, which used to have a deep meaning - they were considered a talisman. Among young people and the older generation, it is now fashionable to dress in Slavic clothes in order to morally approach the wisdom of their ancestors and pay tribute to their native traditions.
