What is unusual Russian sundress?

Every nation has traditional national clothes. For Russian women, such clothes are a shirt with a sundress. Along with the increasing interest in ethno-style and the history of their country, Russian sarafans have now become the focus of attention of fashion designers. Let's find out more about such clothes and their use in the past and in modern wardrobe.

The traditional dress is distinguished by a direct free cut. Greater freedom of movement in such clothes was provided by inserts between the parts of the product. The contour of the Russian sundress can be called smooth and very soft. This was especially noticeable in motion.

In addition, the characteristic features of the sundress are:

• Significant skirt length.
• Long sleeves.
• Layered outfit.
• Original decor in the form of complex bright ornaments.
• Great weight outfit.

Until the 16th century, long clothes for men were called a sarafan, and only later did this name go to women's clothing, which was either worn over the head or fastened in front.

Since the 18th century, the Russian sundress has changed, which is associated with the reforms of Peter I, introducing a European-style costume into Russian society. Sundresses continued to be worn only by bourgeois, merchants and peasants.

The longest such traditional clothing lasted among the peasants, so it was the peasant version of the sundress that concentrated all the typical features of this element of the Russian costume.

In a Russian dress, a woman of any complexion and any age will look attractive and original. Due to the free cut, such clothing does not constrain movements and completely hides any flaws in the figure.

Sundresses in Russian folk costume were represented by such main types:

1. A tunic-like sundress that does not have a middle seam. This outfit was also called deaf, since it was sewn from a single piece of cloth and side inserts. This type of sundress is the most ancient. The front notch was usually small, rectangular or round. Also, it was often attended by a small incision, on which there were ties or a fastener on a button. For sewing deaf sundresses, cloth, canvas and other homespun cloths were used. On the hem, armholes for the hands and cut-outs, the articles were trimmed with kumach, painted canvas, applique or embroidery in the form of narrow stripes.
2. Kosoklinnaya model. To sew such a sarafan, they used one solid back fabric, two straight front fabric and slanting side wedges. The front fabric could be sewn or fastened with loops of braid or metal buttons. For such sarafans, both homespun cloths and factory fabrics were used. They were sewed from brocade, taffeta, Chinese, velvet, canvas, silk, cotton, wool and other materials. Some of these sundresses had a dense lining, sometimes quilted. To decorate the everyday options of a coslinic sundress, textile ribbons or strips of kumach were used, and festive dresses were trimmed with braid, gown, silk ribbons, fringe or metal lace.
3. Direct model. Such a sundress, which was also called Moscow or round, became the most common model in the 19th century. In the manufacture of such a sundress, direct panels were used, which were collected in small folds in the upper part. Sewed straight sundresses mainly from factory fabrics. For the straps, the same fabric was used as for the skirt, or replaced with braid. The hem of this outfit was decorated with ribbons or lace.
4. Model with bodice. Such a sundress had a fitted bodice to which straight panels were sewn to create a voluminous skirt. Similar clothing was common in the central part of the country. Sundresses, in which the bodice was on a yoke, were also singled out separately.

The main and derived types of Russian sarafans are presented in the following figure.

The characteristic features of the female Russian costume are multicolor and a peculiar ornament. Favorite color for sundresses was red. That was the color of the wedding sundresses.

White sundresses with golden patterns looked gorgeous.

Designers now quite often use Russian folk costume as a creative basis for their collections. They add elements of a Russian sundress to modern clothes.

Nowadays, Russian sarafans correspond to the constructive forms that were used to sew such clothes in the past. Modern costumes are decorated with folk embroidery, presented in different numbers. It can serve only as an accent and an interesting decor, and can abundantly decorate a product.

In the past, a sundress was worn with a long shirt, which was most often white. Now, under a sarafan, they also mostly wear a shirt with long sleeves decorated with embroidery, but, sometimes, it is replaced with a white blouse. In winter, a Russian sarafan is worn with a fur coat or a gas coat.

Summer models of the Russian sarafan are worn with wicker sandals. In cool weather, boots are ideal for this.

Both short and long beads, bright metal or plastic bracelets and earrings, ribbons, as well as knitted bags made in ethnic style are suitable for such clothes. A stylish addition to the Russian dress is lace kokoshnik.