What a pity that men lost the habit of wearing bathrobes and gave it to women. But no one looks so intelligent and majestic as the representative of the stronger sex in a beautiful long robe over a shirt. And if this is an Uzbek robe chapan?
What it is
Chapan is an original Uzbek, national men's clothing in the form of a dressing gown, decorated with art embroidery, characteristic for each region. It has wide, loose sleeves covering the hands. The length of the garment is below the knees. The dressing gown does not have buttons and a collar; it is tied with a waist scarf. On the sides of the clothes are made high vertical cuts for a wide free step.
Embroidered with original patterns, with floors facing each other, a dressing gown emphasizes the line of the shoulders and narrows down the masculine silhouette. A representative of the stronger sex, dressed in a chapan, involuntarily evokes respect, admiration and interest in his person.
How to wear a bathrobe
The Uzbek chapan, according to tradition, dresses over a straight-cut shirt, with a round neck “under the neck” and wide, narrowed trousers from below.
A belt scarf today has replaced a belt - leather, velvet, made of brocade or silk, woven or knitted, embroidered with beads or threads. This element is smart and focus on yourself.
Uzbek men's robes are very popular not only in their homeland, in Central and Central Asia, but also in Russia and Europe. Wearing beautiful outfits embroidered with elegant patterns has become not only fashionable, but also prestigious. And besides, this toilet item perfectly saves heat.
A bit of history
The history of the robe goes back centuries. Clothing itself of ancient times has not reached our days. The reason is that this item is short-lived. But references to such a dressing gown are found in writing, wall paintings, drawings and other cultural monuments as early as the VI – VIII centuries. There is a beautiful legend that the prophet Muhammad, not wanting to disturb the sleep of a kitten, a ball settled in the field of his robe, cut it off.
In ancient times, particular importance was attached to embroidery. In addition to the fact that the ornament of the Uzbek national dressing gown was elegant, decorating part of the clothes, it also had semantic meaning. The pattern embroidered on the product could tell a lot about its owner. For example, his age, origin, affiliation with a prosperous clan or clergy. There were also embroideries that included encrypted holy messages.
By the nature of the events, the robes were divided into festive and everyday, ceremonial and ceremonial (wedding, funeral, funeral). The Uzbek dressing gown is one of the few items of clothing that has survived to this day in an unchanged, almost pristine form. Chapan has stood the test of time and fashion.
What a bathrobe when to wear
Chapans are sewn for all seasons:
- thin, unlined;
- insulated, with a thin lining;
- warm, lined with cotton.
Thin chapans are a little unnatural for their historical essence. Our compatriots buy them more for aesthetic pleasure. They resemble thin, silk, easily draped tunics, like tents that hide what is inside.
Thin-lined chapanes are almost the same as the previous version. The only difference is that they replace the rugs, if you suddenly decide to take a nap.
But the warm, quilted chapan on cotton wool are champions among bathrobes. Let's stop at them.
What is the secret of the Uzbek gown
And for starters, let's recall the properties of a thermos. And in general, about physics. Not very detailed and abstruse, but briefly, from the school curriculum.
Did you make an experiment in school to melt ice? Let us recall who forgot, the teacher brings ice briquette to the lesson and asks the class for options for its early melting. Children are advised to wrap in a fur coat. Ice is covered with a fur coat, and so what? He does not melt.
The same and Uzbek gown. The main functions of this garment are not to warm or cool, but to keep the temperature constant. Everything is simple and ingenious. Of course, today it is difficult to imagine a person sitting in the desert under scorching rays, fleeing the heat in a chapan. But in states with hot, dry climates, this is a common occurrence for the population. And for many countries with a sharply continental climate, where the summer is sultry, an Uzbek bathrobe would be comfortable clothes.
By the way, if you live and not in the subtropics, then a warm bathrobe with a lining on cotton wool will help you out when the heating is not connected (or already off). And in long sleeves, like in a sleeve, your hands will always be warmed.