The national Tatar costume can be called a valuable monument of folk art. Over the centuries, various changes have been made to it, which have brought even minor details to perfection. Islam and the traditions of the Eastern peoples had a strong influence on the costume. However, it can also be called only a collective image, since it combines a wide range of national clothes of Tatars of various groups.
Such a costume can tell a lot about its owner: indicate age and social position in society, character, taste and individual traits.
The national Tatar costume is characterized by a combination of rich colors, the presence of headdresses with complex ornaments, the presence of numerous types of shoes, as well as jewelry. Only the best craftsmen were engaged in their manufacture.
The Tatar costume uses long loose shirts resembling a tunic as a basis. Despite their size, they never girdled.
Men's shirts were sewn up toknees, women reached the ankles of their owners and had wide sleeves.
We althy Tatars could use expensive fabrics - wool, silk, brocade and others. It was possible to meet the decoration of shirts with ribbons, lace, braid or flounces. Women wore a lower bib under them.
The Tatar national costume also includes light fabric pants. Men's - striped, women's - plain. On formal wear (for example, on a wedding suit), a bright small pattern could be present.
Outerwear did not have fasteners and sleeves and was sewn from factory-made (wool or cotton) fabric or home-made, as well as cloth or fur (winter version). She was always with a fitted back, wedges on the sides and a right-sided wrap. A belt was attached to the outer garment, which was sewn from fabric.
Women's national Tatar costume was decorated with decorative stitching, fur or embroidery, coins were used in the eastern regions.
Men's and women's hats differed significantly. In the first case, they were divided into home and weekend. They were striking in their diversity, since all types of fabric and all kinds of ornaments were used for manufacturing. The skullcap was the homemade headdress. Young people had brighter colors, men and old people wore more modest options. When leaving the house, various caps or hats were put on top.
Women also had age differentiation. Headheaddress could find out the family and social status of its owner. The girls wore white knitted or fabric kalfaks. Married women, when leaving the house, threw on scarves, light shawls or bedspreads. Decorated bandages were worn over the top, which helped to hold the hats tightly.
The national Tatar costume also includes special shoes. Bast shoes were worn as a working option, as they were comfortable and light. The traditional shoes of the Tatars are boots and shoes, which were sewn from leather (sometimes multi-colored) and had both hard and soft soles.