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 Sultan Mehmet, after which the city became proudly called Istanbul.

Turkish national costume can be called a true work of art, and this is the opinion of many historians and modern designers. For many centuries, the dress of the Ottoman Empire continues to haunt the minds of women aspiring to magnificence.

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

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

Every woman living in the territory of the Ottoman Empire was obliged to follow a decree called “Ferman”, strictly indicating which outfit to wear. This rule extended to Christians.

Islam prescribes the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity to keep their beauty for men, and to hide the dignity on the streets under special clothes. Representatives of the clergy, relying on the commandments of the Koran, constituted a Ferman.

• Muslim girls were required to wear loose pants under their clothes, as well as spacious cotton or muslin shirts. The collar of the undershirt could be either triangular or round.
• Mandatory attribute of women's national costume - is veil. It is she who protects the beauty from the eyes of other men. The veil covers the shoulders from the back and the front, the neck and the face - only eyes can be free from black fabric.
• For women practicing another religion, the rules were a little softer. There were many Greek, Hungarian, Jewish, and Armenian families in Turkey. The girls were allowed to wear the same loose pants of various colors (mostly blue and white) and a fustanella skirt. Greek women appeared on the streets in satin shawls, and Armenians appeared in leather goods.

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

An excellent example is the baggy pants salvars, which in Russian are commonly called bloomers. This element of the wardrobe remained unchanged throughout the Empire - from Eastern Anatolia to the Marmara Sea and Aegean regions.

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

Despite the fact that the national women's clothes of Turkey were multi-layered, Muslim women still managed to give the silhouette a mysterious appeal, create an inviting atmosphere around them that was not typical of other girls.

Turkish costumes were different from Arab dress.The Arabs wore unnecessarily massive, voluminous things that completely hid the silhouette, so that it was impossible to guess even about the build of a person. In Turkey, we took a different path. The style of the dress allowed to see the main outlines of the silhouette.

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

Turkish clothing has become the basis of some design decisions in the future. For example, it was in the Ottomans that they invented the structure of the sleeve, called the “bat”. Such a design is still in demand among women of fashion 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 wearshirts, belts and jackets.

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

The composition of the men's suit included belt "sash", which is necessary not only for jewelry. He performed a practical function. In the pockets of the belt, the Ottomans piled money and other things that could be needed during the day.

The sleeves of women's dresses should have completely closed hands to the wrist. However, now the national Turkish costume has undergone many modifications and does not have such severity. The length of the dresses has decreased several times - the hem reaches the middle of the calf, in some cases even slightly higher, and the sleeves can be raised.

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

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

• The main accessory was just a handkerchief. To make it look beautiful, instead of one Muslim woman’s shawl, several multi-colored products were used, which resulted in a nice construction of several layers.
• Many wore an interesting headdress, to the front of which an air veil was attached.
• The girl’s legs were tightly wrapped in high socks — always with bright handmade embroidery.

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

Shoes sewed strong and reliable. The beauty of the shoes was expressed in its severity. She emphasized masculinity, the seriousness of the owner. Boots were made from the skin of bulls and sheep.

Much has changed with time categorical, even hard in something of the sixteenth century. Morals have become different, and the Turkish national costumes have not remained the same.

Women in Turkey have the right to walk through the sun-drenched streets in dresses that amaze with their piercing, original colors. The shade of a sea wave is widespread. Geometrical ornaments occupy an honorable place on jackets and headscarves of Muslim beauties.

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

Traditional outfit of Turkey provides a unique opportunity for every girl - to feel the whole mystery and ambiguity of the Arabian night.