Each element of our modern clothes has its own story. Slavic clothes are significantly different from 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 looked like several centuries ago.
Take a look at the story
Initially, the cut of the Slav outfits was very simple and straightforward. 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 clothes were also because the manufacture of matter required complex and painstaking work. In addition, the material was not particularly attractive and aesthetically pleasing.
Later, namely in the period between the heyday of the Roman era and the end of paganism, diversity appeared in the clothing of the Slavs. Most of the elements of the wardrobe, of course, were borrowed from other cultures.
Material for making
Many centuries ago, the skins of dead animals were especially popular, because the cold climate assumed warm clothes. Then gradually other types of warm clothes began to appear, but natural furs always enjoyed special love. They learned to sew warm even large sizes from fur, and they made leather and used to make shoes, waist belts, mittens, and so on. Leather for products was usually tanned or rawhide.
There is also plenty of archaeological evidence that Slavic clothes were sewn mainly from linen, hemp cloth, and wool. That is, all things were made exclusively from natural raw materials. Since most of the flax was used, then, as a result, the clothes were white and sometimes gray. Woolen fabrics (opon, cloth, haircloth) turned out to be no less popular.
What did men wear?
Men's Slavic clothing consists of several basic details: a shirt, trousers, as well as outer clothing in the form of a caftan or retinue. The shirt had a tunic look 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 narrow and extended to the ankles in length. In another way they were called the legs. Necessarily trousers were belted with twine or something similar to a belt.
As for outerwear, then over trousers and a shirt in the cold season they put on a jupan, a casing, and a basket. There could be two options: either with a cut, or without a cut, but at the top with buttons (buttonholes). If the first option could be worn as a coat and buttoned, then the second - only over the head. These outer garments were usually sewn with fur, and later the fur garment already had the foreign name “fur coat”. The last clothing is Slavic, not foreign, since many mistakenly think that we owe the appearance of a fur coat to the southern peoples.
Belts for men were usually made from different materials and simply tied at the waist. If the belt was leather, then there were metal buckles on it, less often - plaques and tips. The fasteners on shirts and outerwear had both ribbons and buttons. The latter were often made of bronze, bones or wood.
Men's shoes
Separately, Slavic shoes should be described, which also differed from all other neighboring nationalities. The most common type of shoes were shoes, which in those days were called cherevichki. If Slavic clothes were made from a variety of materials, then for shoes, mainly leather was used. The heel was completely absent. 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 put on their bast sandals. 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, women's Slavic clothes had colorful embroideries with the addition of various ornaments. As for hats, the foreheads and rims decorated with various beautiful plates, ornaments and so on were in fashion. Later, in today's Russia, kokoshniks were popular. To fix women's robes, radiation brooches were used.
For ladies, the upper Slavic clothes, the photos of which are in the article, represented a fur coat or ponev. Later called apron, which was worn over a shirt.
From the decorations, the temporal rings added a special highlight to the image . These are spiral rings worn at the temples. Also, women loved massive necklaces made of beads. Most of them were blue beads, sometimes green, made of glass. Necklaces of a dark blue color with yellow, white and red blotches were very rare. The women's outfit was supplemented with rings, bracelets, but these jewelry were much less common.
How did Slavic children dress?
Children not far from their parents and dressed in long shirts. Boys, like fathers, wore a shirt and pants, and girls - longer shirts. Therefore, Slavic children's clothing almost copies the adult, with some exceptions. Slavic mothers tried to decorate the children's outfit. For example, the hem of a shirt, sleeves, collar was decorated with embroidery embroidery. Often, wire rings were woven into the girls' hairs and pendants in the form of bells were added to the headdress. According to historians, such bells helped parents look after their child.
Children's shoes were slightly different from analogues for adults. The main difference is that the shoes had wide noses and provided for a large rise. On some models there were ornaments. For these purposes, inserts and notches were made in the skin, and colored threads for decor were passed through them.
Slavic motifs in modern fashion
According to fashion experts, modern Slavic clothes reflect little in the style of the past. Today, the Slavs dress in new, fashionable things that are very far in their cut, style and color schemes.
Recently, however, some designers turn to historical facts and use Slavic motifs in their collections. So, shirts and tunics with Slavic ornaments are often found . In women's clothing, long dresses slip, sewn in the manner of long shirts with rich embroidery and national decor. Even in children's things, embroideries are often found that used to be of deep significance - 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.