Kazakh national costume

The Kazakh national costume personifies the long history of the development and formation of the people of Kazakhstan. Changing and improving over the centuries, he retained the ancient traditions of their ancestors.

As in the mirror, it reflects all aspects of life: a difficult climate, geographical location, economic condition, social environment, lifestyle, and the main activities of the population. The subject of national pride of the Kazakhs, he embodied the national color and bright identity.

The traditional costume always reflects the style and lifestyle of its people, so the costume of each nationality has its own nuances, features and differences from other nations. The Kazakh national costume was no exception.

• Both male and female, fitted clothing, hinged, with a smell all on the left edge.
• Women's outfit was richly decorated with chic frills and frills.
• On high hats adorned with jewels, feathers, patterned embroidery.
• The discrepancies between the festive and casual clothes were minimal: the festive was cut free, and the jewelry and accessories were larger.

• The minimum range of colors in a suit with the optimal number of shades.
• The clothes were necessarily decorated with a kind of “logo” - unique original stripes, patterns, weaving, ornament in the national style.
• The suit was very comfortable and practical, it was suitable for riding, and for spending the night in an unfriendly steppe, and festivities and for work.
• The Kazakhs have a tradition that has survived to the present day - to present as a gift a richly embroidered national ethnic pattern robe - “Shapan”.

The most ancient ancestors of the Kazakhs made clothes made of leather and fur. Having engaged in nomadic cattle breeding, they added to this meager choice felt, felt made from sheep and camel wool, which they learned to make themselves. These materials have become the most popular and inexpensive, as their suppliers were always at hand.

Due to the fact that on the territory of Kazakhstan ran the "silk road", the traders began to supply the Kazakhs with cotton fabrics, silk, brocade, velvet, satin. By the presence of expensive fabrics in a suit, one could judge the financial situation of its owner.

Kazakh national costume has always stood out with bright bright colors as a proof of wealth and well-being. Women's clothes, as well as men, shone with all shades of green and gold, red and blue.

• Male

The composition of the men's kit includes bulk harem pants, undershirt, gown, high hat, belt, boots. The feature of the trousers is in the sheep skin inserts, which serve to protect the skin while riding during long herd hauls. A similar function is performed by long boots, which are tucked into pants. A shirt made of cotton fabrics as a tunic with a stand-up collar or a turn-down collar.

The outerwear for the poor part of the male population was a quilted robe made by camel, sheep wool or suede. The wealthy and rich Kazakhs wore camisoles or beshmet, for tailoring which were used silk, brocade, fine cloth, velvet.

• Female

In the past, when women rode on a par with men, their costume was different from men's, except for the presence of a skirt swinging open to both sides. The rest of the set was the same, but differed in style and cut. Later another one was added to this ensemble - a dress with a flared skirt.

Women's outfit was set according to age. For girls and girls, the most common clothing was a maximally fitted bright dress with several rows of frills along the hem, bottom of sleeves and collar; colorful velvet jacket; pants, hat and belt, embroidered and decorated with all sorts of patterns and jewels.

The costume of a married woman was distinguished by a headdress, and the elderly - by a belt and coloring of a camisole. If young girls have multi-colored, bright, juicy camisoles, then shades of mature women in camisoles of exclusively dark colors. The clothes of the Kazakh women are full of beauty, wealth and luxury.

The wedding dress of the Kazakh girl deserves a separate description. To create this masterpiece of magnificence were taken only expensive materials and fabrics. The dress was sewn of satin, silk, taffeta, organza. For the manufacture of a national ornament, which must have been present, beads, golden cords and ribbons were used in the course.

The choice of the color of the fabric on the wedding dress was not accidental. Preference was given to red as a symbol of youth and the flourishing of life, as well as blue as a symbol of a cloudless sky, warmth, purity and integrity. The dress wore a camisole, which was in tune with the dress and was also decorated with embroidery, ornaments, jewels.

The main attribute of a wedding dress is a phenomenal headdress, which is called “saukele”. He was part of the dowry, had to be expensive and luxurious, because this cone-shaped hat, decorated with a huge amount of jewelry, was a measure of the bride's welfare.

The abundance and luxury of jewelry is of no small importance. They are present in almost all garments. The distinction of types, forms, materials, methods of making decorations could be a distinctive sign of people by age, social and family status, regional basis.

An important fragment, giving the national ensemble identity, is the ornament. For the girl it was obligatory to learn the art of embroidery. Comprehending the techniques of embroidery with a platform, a satin stitch, using a needle, an awl with a hook, and hoops of various shapes for work, over the years they became skilled craftswomen and needlewomen.

Embroidered with silk, gold threads, lurex, beads. The pattern of embroidery can be the most diverse: the relief pattern is a natural pattern depicting representatives of the local fauna and flora. Sometimes embroideries, stripes, applications depicted a whole plot.

There were many elements of decor in clothes. These were rings, rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets, as well as plates, buckles, metal plates and plaques of the most diverse forms. Depending on the wealth of the family, bronze and silver, copper and gold, colored glass and pearls, corals and mother of pearl, agate and turquoise were used to make them. And of course, the traditional nuance is the decoration of the dress with the feathers of birds and valuable furs.

Kazakh hats are famous for a variety of styles, a variety of materials for their manufacture and an even greater number of accessories and jewelry that make each hat unique.

Skullcap is generally recognized Kazakh headdress. Worn by her children, teenagers, old people, men and women. She sewed from cotton fabrics, satin, velvet, cloth, silk.

In the summer, the most popular among the men was a hat with a bent-up hat made of felt. In the winter cold, sheep fur hats were considered indispensable; children’s were sewn from foxes. The cap of the cap protected frost from the shoulders and neck.

The girls had only two types of headgear, this skullcap and winter hat, trimmed with fur. But the widest range of colors and a great variety of ornaments.

For centuries, the Kazakhs have changed and improved their national footwear, adapting it to the nomadic life, until they achieved an optimal result. Shoes, which meet all the requirements of practicality and comfort, have become high boots, in which it is convenient to ride, with wide tops, in which it is convenient to fill the pants.

Summer boots differed heel and curved toes. Shoes, like all elements of the costume, were richly decorated, especially for women. Boots of young girls and women were decorated with embroidery and appliqués. Elderly wore boots without heels. In winter, boots were put on warm felt stockings. The poor and shepherds wore felt boots with leather soles.

Without a description of winter clothes, a story about Kazakh clothes would be incomplete. The fur coat is of no small importance, considering how ungrateful and severe are the Kazakhstani steppes.

Over time, the Kazakhs perfectly mastered the art of making furs, leather and sewing clothes from them. Sheepskin, goat, camel fur coats were the most inexpensive and sought after. The fur and skin of wild animals were always appreciated.

The tigers, saigas, and kulans were considered the owners of expensive skins; among the fur-bearing animals, the fur of the ferret, muskrat, fox, and raccoon stood out. Fur coats were made from the down of loon, swan and heron. But most valued marten and sable. Fur coats covered with cloth, silk or brocade were the pride of wealthy Kazakhs.

With hinged and not fastened outer clothing, the belt was an integral element of it.

The men's belt was made of leather, sometimes of silk or velvet. Leather belts were decorated with decorative embossed, shaped metal inserts, interspersed with precious and semi-precious stones, fancy stripes of bone. Buckles were made in the form of figures of animals or birds.

Women's belts had similarities with men's, but they were wider and more elegant: silk and velvet, embroidered with gold thread and pearls, woven from goat or camel wool.

The modern look of the Kazakh traditional costume has been formed for a very long time.

But juicy living colors, national unique ornament, subtlety and elegance, which have always been inherent in the sacramental costume of the Kazakh people and distinguished it from other nationalities, are becoming increasingly popular among today's residents of Kazakhstan, giving Kazakh designers and designers an inexhaustible source of fantasy.

The national costume for girls is becoming very popular today. He is worn to perform on stage, and on days of state and national holidays, when little Kazakh women in traditional costumes walk along the streets.