Turkish national costume

The middle of the fifteenth century was marked by the beginning of the active development of Turkish culture. The reason for this was the conquest of Constantinople by the Sultan Mehmet, after which the city became proudly called Istanbul.

The Turkish national costume can be safely called a true work of art, and many historians and modern designers adhere to this opinion. The attires of the Ottoman Empire for many centuries continue to excite the minds of women who aspire to grandeur.

Turkey is distinguished by a variety of cultural branches, which strikingly manages to be combined with centuries-old traditions. The design of the national costume was based on religious motifs.

Turkish clothing helped determine the social status of a person. The outfit fully reflected the level of family wealth, affiliation in a particular religion, place of service and marital status.

Each woman living in the Ottoman Empire was obliged to follow a decree called “Ferman,” which strictly indicates which outfit needs to be worn. This rule also applied to Christians.

Islam instructs the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity to preserve their beauty for men, and to hide their virtues on the streets under special clothes. Representatives of the clergy, based on the commandments of the Koran, made up the Ferman.

• Muslim girls were required to wear loose trousers under their clothes, as well as spacious shirts made of cotton or muslin fabric. The collar of a wearable shirt could be either triangular or round.
• The obligatory attribute of the female national costume is the veil. It is she who provides protection of beauty from the eyes of strangers.The veil covers the shoulders in the back and in the front, the neck and face - only the eyes are allowed to be free of black fabric.
• For women practicing a different religion, the rules were a bit softer. Many Greek, Hungarian, Jewish and Armenian families lived in Turkey. The girls were allowed to wear the same loose pants of various colors (mainly blue and white) and a fastanella skirt. Greek women appeared on the streets in satin scarves, and Armenians appeared in leather goods.

The areas in Turkey were different from each other. In one city, the population consisted mainly of wealthy merchants, in the second there were not very wealthy merchants, in the third - only artisans. Therefore, each district could boast of a certain specificity of its national costumes. The main details of the traditional Turkish attire did not change, however, the style and colors differed from each other.

A great example is the baggy trousers of salvara, which in Russian are usually called bloomers. This wardrobe element remained unchanged throughout the Empire - from Eastern Anatolia to the Marmara and Aegean regions.

Turks appreciated luxury, and this feature is reflected in the color scheme of clothes. Although men preferred national costumes of dark shades (brown, purple, blue, green), their outfit still looked rich and delightful due to embroidery and other decor elements.

Despite the fact that the national women's clothing of Turkey was multi-layered, Muslim women still managed to give the silhouette a mysterious attractiveness, create an alluring atmosphere, unusual for other girls, around them.

Turkish costumes were different from Arabic robes. The Arabs wore excessively massive, voluminous things that completely hid the silhouette, so that it was impossible to guess even about the physique of a person. In Turkey, we went the other way. The style of the outfit made it possible to discern the main outline of the silhouette.

To create national costumes exclusively natural materials of high quality were used. The most popular were fur, velvet, taffeta and silk. Women from noble families could afford to decorate clothes. To fulfill the wishes of a 16th-century fashionista, silver and gold threads were used.

Turkish clothing has become the mainstream of some design decisions in the future. For example, it was the Ottomans who invented the structure of the sleeve, called the "bat." Such a design is still in demand among fashionistas of the twenty-first century.

Many things from the Turkish wardrobe were considered universal. Both women and men had the right to wear harem pants, identical underwear shirts, belts and cardigans.

Girls wore aprons over the dresses. This detail attracted attention with its remarkable appearance. The apron was decorated with folk ornaments - mainly it was plant patterns, each of which was endowed with a deep meaning associated with legends.

The men's suit included a “sash” belt, which was needed not only for jewelry. He performed a practical function. Ottomans piled money and other things that might be needed during the day into the pockets of their belts.

The sleeves of women's dresses were supposed to completely cover their hands to the very wrist. However, now the national Turkish costume has undergone many modifications and does not possess such rigor. The length of the dresses decreased several times - the hem reaches the middle of the calf, in some cases even a little higher, and the sleeves can be raised.

In the 16th century, Turkish national costumes for girls were almost identical to adult outfits, with the exception of gold and silver embroidery and buttons made of precious stones. Children wore more modest dresses and suits, although they looked chic. Expensive and rare materials for children's clothing were not used.

The canons of Islam do not prohibit women from decorating themselves with various accessories, and girls have always used the absence of this ban.

• The main accessory was just a scarf. To make it look beautiful, instead of a single scarf of a Muslim woman, several multi-colored products were used, resulting in a nice design from several layers.
• Many wore an interesting headdress, to the front of which an air veil was attached.
• The girl’s leg was tightly encircled by high socks - always with bright handmade embroidery.

Muslim men also did not miss the opportunity to decorate their national costume. The Turks, who hold a post in the military sphere, stood out with their elegant daggers and sabers attached to their belts. The head of the men was covered with turbans and fez.

Shoes were sewn durable and reliable. The beauty of shoes was expressed in its severity. She emphasized the masculinity, the seriousness of the owner. Boots were sewn from the skin of bulls and rams.

Much has changed over time categorical, even tough in something of the sixteenth century. Mores became different, and Turkish national costumes did not remain the same.

Women in Turkey have the right to stroll through the sunlit streets in dresses that impress with their piercing, original colors. The shade of the sea wave is widespread. Geometric ornaments take pride of place on jackets and shawls of Muslim beauties.

Owners of Turkish national costumes are delighted. Surprisingly, even Christians purchase dresses in oriental style. This is necessary for them to attend historical festivals and theme parties.

The traditional outfit of Turkey provides a unique opportunity for every girl to feel the mystery and ambiguity of the Arabian night.