Tatar national costume

The traditional costume was, is and will remain one of the most striking indicators of a person's belonging to a particular nation.

Despite the fact that fashion does not stand still, and it is often almost impossible to distinguish a European from an Asian in clothes, the national costume remains the pride and heritage of every nation, and the traditions associated with its manufacture are passed on from the older generation to the younger.

Tatar costume is a very general concept that unites national clothes of different subgroups of Tatars, including Crimean ones. Volga Tatars, as well as Eastern traditions and religion, paid great attention to the appearance of the costume.

The appearance of the costume was greatly influenced by the nomadic lifestyle of the Tatars. Clothing was thought out in such a way that it was convenient to ride in it, it was not cold in winter and not hot in summer. She should have been pretty light and pretty. For sewing, fur, genuine leather, camel or mutton felt and cloth were used.

Today, a national costume is rarely seen on the streets of Tatarstan. Most often it can be seen as a dance or stage outfit.

The Tatar national costume, in addition to the fact that it consists of a shirt, a dressing gown and harem pants, has another feature: it is sewn in a rather limited range of colors. Basically, it is cherry, blue, white, yellow and green.

The attire, headgear and shoes are characterized by abundant use of decor. Usually, this is embroidery with gold threads, beads, coins. The traditional ornament for embroidery is floral.

Male and female national costume outwardly differ little from each other.The main element of the costume is a wide tunic shirt with side wedges and a deep neckline on the chest. In Kazan Tatars, the neckline was replaced by a stand-up collar. The shirt was long enough, wide and worn without a belt. The women's tunic used to be even longer - approximately to the ankles.

The shirt could be wool, cotton, silk or even brocade. Colored ribbons, gilded braid, delicate lace, beads, etc. were used to decorate it. Under the female shirt, the chest part (kukrekche or tesheldrek), which covers the neckline, was always worn. Harem pants were sewn from coarse linen fabric: for women from plain material, for men - from striped.

Outerwear worn on a shirt was necessarily oar. It has a slightly fitted silhouette, side wedges and is wraparound on the right side. A mandatory element for outerwear was a knitted or textile belt.

Women's suit differed from men's only in length and decor - it was decorated with fur, embroidery, appliqués, etc. On top of the shirt, women wore camisoles (dressing gowns, oversized blouses) up to the knee or mid-thigh. The camisole could have sleeves or be without them. Hem, sleeves and armholes were decorated with braid, feathers, coins, etc.

The hem and sleeves of the tunic were decorated with large flounces. Be sure to use a large number of jewelry: earrings, rings, rings, monistos, pendants, etc. A sleeveless jacket worn over a shirt was sewn of velvet and decorated with fur or golden braid.

Men's headdress consisted of two parts: lower and upper. To the lower or home appliances there was a skullcap, on which a felt hat (kalpak), a fur hat or a turban was worn on top. Kalpak is a cone-shaped hat sometimes with curved brim. Such a hat was worn by aristocrats, decorating it with velvet or satin on the outside, and the inside was lined with white soft felt. Bright, colorful skullcaps were intended for young people, Tatars of middle and old age wore solid models.

The headdress of a woman indicated her marital status. Young girls wore the same type of textile or fur hat "takiya" or "burek", which was decorated with embroidery and decor of beads, silver, coral. The head of married women was decorated with a completely different headdress, which consisted of three parts. The lower part was intended for fixing hair (women wore 2 braids), then a cover went and, finally, a bandage, a hoop, a scarf or a cap fixing the cover.

The Tatars used boots (cheat or ichigi) as national shoes. Everyday models were black, festive shoes were decorated with mosaic patterns. As a work shoe, a peculiar variety of Russian bast shoes (chabat) was used.

The national costume has never been without jewelry. There were a lot of them, and both men and women wore them. These were large gold rings, signets, rings, belt buckles, women's nakosniki, earrings, pendants, rings, etc.

Children's clothes were almost the same and were not divided into clothes for girls and boys. The only difference was the color scheme. The costume for girls was sewn in bright, multi-colored tones: red, green, blue. The costume for the boy was made in more restrained shades of blue or black. With the growth of the child, the national costume also gradually changed: jewelry was added, hats, shoes changed.

The color of the wedding dress can be white, as well as deep green, burgundy or blue, according to Tatar traditions. Another option is also possible: a snow-white dress + boots and a camisole, made in one of the listed colors.The head must be covered with a wedding coverlet or embroidered kalfak.

Men’s wedding suits are usually made in dark blue and embroidered with national ornaments using gold threads. Headgear is required.

Modern wedding dresses, although they are often sewn in non-European ways, always preserve the national color and fidelity to ancient traditions. This is manifested in the classic style, length, the presence of jewelry, traditional ornaments, etc.

The Tatar dance costume also underwent certain changes. It may be shorter than the classic one, made of other materials, but the national style, however, is preserved. A fur vest-razletayka, a traditional hat with a tassel or a coverlet, traditional ornaments - all this makes the costume for dancing very recognizable.

Time does not stand still and the old national costume has changed to some extent. A stylized Tatar costume may have a different design or length, but details recognizable for a traditional dress should be kept in it.

For example, an ornament is most often a floral one. Mandatory cap - kalfak. It can have a slightly different shape, sewn to match the dress itself or be plain. Necessarily a large number of jewelry - both on the suit and on the girl.

The costume itself, regardless of whether it is old or modern, always consists of several elements: shirt (kulmek), harem pants (yishtyn) and outerwear.

Depending on the class or material situation of the person, the suit differed in the quantity and variety of decor, embroidery, the material used and the price for it. The costume was decorated with embroidery, decorated with colored beads, beads, satin ribbons and fur.

Headgear is considered a mandatory element of the Tatar costume. Men and women have it. In addition, young girls and married ladies also wear different clothes.

The Tatars considered boots as national shoes. They were worn throughout the year. For the summer, softer leather was used, women's boots were decorated with applique and embroidery.

An important detail of the national costume is the belt. Large buckles or embroideries made of gold or silver were used to decorate it.

Depending on whether the suit was casual or festive, different materials were used to sew it.

Everyday outfits were sewn from cotton or homespun cloth. Sheep wool or cotton wool was used as insulation for outerwear. Dressed shirts and camisoles were made of brocade, silk, wool. Decorated with gold braid, gowns, expensive embroidery. The fur was sable, fox, fox.

Tatar festive costume is made taking into account modern fashion trends. The style, length, headgear, ornamental decoration remained unchanged.

The festive outfit of the Tatars is impossible to imagine without an abundance of jewelry! Snow-white tunics on the floor are decorated with rich trim from gold braid. Festive brocade or velvet caftans and hats are also decorated with gold.