At all times and for any nation, clothing had not only a traditional practical function, but also represented a national mentality and culture. Modern famous couturiers are increasingly using the Russian national costume to make their collections. Russian shirt is the most ancient and universal element of folk costume. She was allowed to dress everyone: men, women, peasants, merchants and princes.
History of Russian shirt
The Old Slavonic language contains many words that have much in common with the “shirt”. But if you approach this issue etymologically, then the closest will be: “chop” - a piece, a piece of fabric and “rush” - to tear, tear.
This cannot be called a coincidence. The reason is that the Russian folk shirt is the simplest garment: a fabric cloth bent in the middle and equipped with a head hole. And the scissors appeared much later than the man turned to weaving. Gradually, shirts began to be fastened on the sides, and then also supplemented with rectangular pieces of fabric - sleeves.
Distinctive features of the male Russian shirt
Russian shirt (Slavic) is also a means of social integration. It could be worn by both a noble person and an ordinary layman - the only difference was the material used - linen, hemp, silk, cotton and a wealth of finishes.
The gate, hem and wrists of the Russian national shirt must have been adorned with embroidery-amulet. The Russian men's shirt of the 17-18th century can be distinguished from the South Slavic shirt by easily recognizable features: a left-slit neckline that allows you to hide the cross and knee-length.
Women's shirt
Russian women's shirt is a fundamental element of the national dress. In the southern part of the country, a ponev skirt was worn over it, and in the central and northern - a sundress. A linen shirt, the same length as the sundress, was called the "camp". In addition, the shirt could be:
- everyday;
- festive;
- charmed;
- mowing;
- for feeding the baby.
But among the most interesting include shirt-sleeve. The peculiarity of this robe is the very long, sometimes to the hem, sleeves, which at the wrist level were equipped with slots for the hands, which made it possible to tie the hanging sleeves behind the back. In addition, wearing such a shirt could be done in another way: to put the extra length of the sleeve into a fold and grab it. Of course, such a shirt cannot be called everyday, since working in it, to put it mildly, is inconvenient (by the way, the expression "work through the sleeves" originates from here).
Initially, it was worn for magicianship or any pagan religious rite. And a little later, she became a festive dress or outfit for noble people.
Magnetism of embroidery amulets
Even many years after the Russians adopted Christianity, they did not stop believing in the healing power of embroidery-amulets applied to the undershirt. The same considerations were taken as the basis for sewing the first shirt for the newborn - if a boy was born, then they used the shirt of the father, and if the girl, then the mother. It was the most powerful amulet. Only by the age of three were clothes made of new material sewn.
Clothing or business card
In ancient times, a Russian shirt was not just a piece of clothing, but also a visiting card of every woman. Previously, there were no boutiques and ateliers, and the housewife was responsible for sewing clothes for herself and her family. Consequently, the better the suit sat, the more ornamental elements and ornaments were on it, the more diligent the wife was considered. In addition, the Slavic worldview is based on the ability to harmonize the surrounding space - family, courtyard, house, etc. But you can come to this only if inner harmony is achieved. That is, if a woman is doing well, then the result of her work will be magnificent. Conclusion - if a person put on a ragged shirt, from which threads stick out, then the atmosphere in his family and soul is appropriate.
Important! Needlework was considered exclusively female occupation. This fact also confirms that, according to ancestors, only the wife should be responsible for the atmosphere in the family.
Men's shirt
The Russian shirt for men is very different from the female. The difference is more archaic cut and decor. Previously, homespun fabric was popular - a 40 cm wide canvas (the size is due to the design of a hand loom). It is from here that the origin and appearance of the cut, used to the present, originates - for the manufacture of a shirt, vertical stripes of fabric of different widths are used. The range of widths of modern material allows you not to resort to the use of an additional strip along the mill, but it is precisely this cut that is provided for by the spirit of antiquity and the traditions of ancestors.
The Russian shirt, the pattern of which has been worked out for centuries, is not only simple, but also practical, because it provides complete freedom of movement, which is so necessary for a man both in work and in battle.
For decor, embroidered ribbons or braid are usually used, the main locations of which are the collar, wrists and the lower edge of the shirt. Another decoration is the “background” - the section from the neck to the solar plexus was decorated by embroidery or pasting from another material.
Authentic patterns often contained swastika symbolism. These decor elements can no longer be called a simple decoration for a man’s shirt - it is rather a powerful amulet that protects the owner from evil power and black energy. The belt, or sash, had the same amulet power, which was an invariable and obligatory addition to the male outfit. Therefore, the word "girdle" means not only a loss of restraint and decency, but also defenselessness against evil spirits.
One-piece and compound women's shirt
A spacious Russian shirt for a woman was sewn from a whole longitudinal panel. In different provinces, such clothing had its name:
- in Arkhangelsk she was called a healer or a healer;
- in Vologda - a checkpoint;
- in Kaluga and Oryol - solid or single-walled.
In the XIX century, such shirts were considered a rarity - they could be found only at a wedding and at a funeral.
A compound shirt (Russian) assumes the presence of an upper and lower part. The first was supposed to be visible from under a sundress or ponev, so linen or hemp was used to make it, and then cotton or silk fabric. A dense homespun canvas was used to make the lower part.
Shirts of the XIX-XX centuries were mostly composite. Basically, when sewing, very economical patterns were used that did not leave scraps of waste after themselves, since the width of the fabric was taken as the cut module.
The shirt included rectangular and wedge-shaped details. The cut of the front and back - the constituent bases of the shirt - was made in such a way that the shared thread was located along these parts. If necessary, the hem of the shirt was expanded by means of a side panel or wedge.
A right angle was used to connect the sleeve to the central part.
Most shirts contained a gusset - a square or wedge-shaped piece located under the sleeve and providing freedom for the hands.
Types of cut
Russian folk shirt can be tailored in various ways.
The most archaic is the tunic-shaped cut. Many peoples resorted to him, and in our tradition he also found reflection in other clothes, for example, in a deaf sundress, a curtain and a breastplate.
The most common look includes a shirt with polikami - shoulder inserts that expand the neck of the shirt, as well as connect the front and back. Among them are:
- a shirt with straight polikami, the sewing of which was carried out parallel to the weft of the main part of the mill;
- shirt with straight polikami, which were connected in parallel with the base of the mill.
The former were popular in the provinces located in the northern and central parts of the country, and the latter in the Ryazan and Moscow provinces, as well as among the population of the upper Oka.