Ukrainian folk costume: photo, description, history

Each nation has traditional outfits represented by original costumes that clearly demonstrate the characteristics of this culture. The costumes of peoples characterized by a calm temperament have always been distinguished by calm, monochromatic colors and strict cut. Ukrainian costume has bright colors and unique design.

Today, traditional Ukrainian outerwear and dresses in Ukrainian style are very popular among many fashion designers. For example, the most popular item of clothing is embroidered shirts. If earlier designers simply decorated their models with embroidery, giving the decorated fabrics their own special flavor, now shirts, skirts and outerwear made of homespun white or coarse cloth are popular.

History and features

The appearance of Ukrainian folk costume reflects the mentality of the country. Freedom-loving people who could not come to terms with the established rules and wanted to live separately developed their own unique style. Of course, people did not create a bicycle. They took advantage of the knowledge and skills of those who lived in Kievan Rus. But unlike their neighbors, the Ukrainians made the costume looser and brighter. And also the Ukrainian folk costume, the photo of which you can see above, is distinguished by its multi-layered and complex nature. That is, one part of the outfit complements the other. For example, a woman's undershirt peeks out from under her skirt, which creates a dissonance in the density of the material. This technique looks interesting and non-trivial. The history of Ukrainian folk costume dates back to the time of the Scythians. But people developed their own unique and inimitable style in the 16th century. The style has changed over time. The Cossacks had a great influence on fashion. These fugitive peasants wanted to be different from the farmers, they created their own colorful outfit, which gave fashion a new twist. By the 19th century Ukrainians are adopting the style of city dwellers, and fashion is changing everywhere. Foreign fashion designers have a great influence on people's taste. In fact, this situation in the country continues to this day.

Restaurant "Korchma" in ETNOMIR

Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

On the territory of the ethnographic park, along with 12 ethnic-style hotels, there are more than 10 restaurants and cafes, each of which has its own unique concept.

Under the soft reed roof of a snow-white hut, in the very heart of a picturesque Ukrainian farm in the ethno-yard “Ukraine and Belarus”, the restaurant “Korchma” is located.

The menu fully represents the wonderful variety and richness of national Ukrainian cuisine. Start your meal with the famous Ukrainian borscht served with airy pampushkas, try delicious dumplings with a variety of fillings, treat yourself to golden potato pancakes and juicy vushki with sour cream, try tender roast baked in clay pots or order a delicious pork knuckle prepared according to the chef’s family recipe .

What were clothes made from?

People made Ukrainian folk costumes from natural fabrics. Homespun fabric was most often used. It was woven from hemp or linen threads. The result was a coarse fabric that was suitable for making shirts. Men wore such clothes. When the fabric was worn out and became soft from constant washing, it was used to make women's clothing. Well, after the canvas became completely soft, children's shirts were sewn from it. Pants in Ukraine, as well as in Rus', were made of wool or cloth. The first option was suitable for winter, and the second - for summer. This fabric was used once and only for the manufacture of men's pants. Women sewed ponevas and skirts from woolen fabric.

The Ukrainian folk costume, the photo of which you can see above, also consisted of shoes and hats. Hats were made from fur. Shoes were made from rawhide. Bast shoes were used less often. But still, in Ukraine, people more often wore boots, although they were a luxury item.

Decorative jewelry was made from glass and natural stone. But more often they used glass, since it was cheaper. Often girls decorated their hats with fresh flowers. Almost all girls wore wreaths on holidays.

LiveInternetLiveInternet

National Costume

There are many amazing and very beautiful things in Ukrainian culture. I would like to pay special attention to national costumes.

The traditional men's costume of Ukrainians is very similar to other East Slavic ones - Russian and Belarusian. The basis of men's clothing is a shirt made of hemp or linen and woolen or cloth pants. A shirt worn over the body often serves as outerwear. A distinctive feature of the Ukrainian men's shirt is the front slit (sinus), decorated with embroidery. Shirt collars differ in design - with a stand-up collar, a turn-down collar, or without a collar. The version of the shirt in this case is assembled into a ruffle, it is trimmed with braid or a narrow strip of material, thus creating a low stand-up collar, which Ukrainians sew to the collar of the shirt not from the top, but from the bottom. The wide turn-down collar is also known to Ukrainians.

The shirt is buttoned or tied at the collar using buttons or ribbons. Ukrainian men wear a shirt, tucking the hem into their pants; This also shows a difference from the way of wearing a shirt over pants among Russians and Belarusians, which is explained by the borrowings of Ukrainians from the eastern nomadic peoples. In the cut of shirts, all East Slavic peoples had inserts under the arms made of three-quadrangular pieces of fabric. However, the Don Cossacks considered the absence of gussets a sign of difference from the “men”, i.e. from the peasants, to whom the Cossacks always opposed themselves. On the shoulders, Ukrainian shirts had stripes resembling shoulder straps or embroidered inserts - “settings”.

National Costume

The Ukrainians fastened their pants (trousers, gacha, spodni, trousers, holoshi, boots, trousers, utrannya, footcloths) to the body with a lace or belt (ochkur, gachnik), which the Ukrainians wore with a buckle. Ukrainian trousers, especially Cossack trousers, were very wide. A swear word was sewn between the trousers (holosh, legavitsa). It was made from rectangular pieces of fabric with a parallelogram sewn underneath, thus forming something like a bag. The pants were made of canvas or cloth; the Ukrainian Hutsuls decorated the bottom edge of their red cloth pants with embroidery on the inside; They embroidered with light yellow and green woolen threads; the embroidered ends of the trouser legs were always folded up. Ukrainian women's traditional costume has many local variations. The ethnographic features of the historical and cultural regions of Ukraine in clothing were manifested in the silhouette, cut, individual parts of clothing, ways of wearing it, color decor, and decorations. Archaic elements of clothing were most preserved in Polesie; The clothing of the Middle Dnieper region is considered classic Ukrainian; in the southern regions of Ukraine, mutual influence of traditional clothing of different peoples was observed; in the costume of the population of Podolia, the ethnocultural interaction of Ukrainians with Moldovans, and in the northwestern regions with Poles is noticeable; The clothes of the Ukrainian highlanders were also characterized by their own characteristics. At the same time, the traditional clothing of Ukrainians has its own ethnicity, which developed on a pan-Slavic basis in the 16th-18th centuries. The most typical complex of traditional Ukrainian costume existed in the Middle Dnieper region, partially covering the regions of Polesie, Slobozhanshchina and Podolia. The outerwear of men and women was similar in cut. The author of ethnographic descriptions dwells on their characteristics: “the outer dress for both men and women was narrow, completely straight, ugly-fitting casings and retinues, with very narrow standing collars that did not even cover the neck. The retinue was made from the thickest, homemade cloth: for women it was always white, for men it was gray or black, and the casings were made of untanned sheepskin. The casings and retinues, depending on need, were made of different lengths, and the longest of them were slightly below the knees. Bags were sewn to the back of the travel suits, which were put on the casings, and served instead of caps during cold or bad weather.” The basis of the Ukrainian women's costume is a shirt - koshul, chemise. It is longer than the men's and consists of two parts - the lower part (pidtichka) is sewn from coarser material. The shirts of the Ukrainian mountaineers-boys and Lemkos were cut from two parts and worn separately. Ukrainians also have one-piece shirts (dodilni) - they are considered elegant and festive among women. Depending on the cut, Ukrainian shirts are divided into three types: tunic-like, poly (with inserts), and with a yoke. Shirts were made with and without collars. The last type of shirt is the most ancient - the collar of such a shirt was usually assembled into small gatherings and sometimes trimmed on top. A shirt with a collar is called Polish.

In Ukraine, a border can be drawn (relatively along the Dnieper) between both types of shirts: in the eastern regions they wore shirts without a collar, in the western regions they wore shirts with a collar, more often a turn-down one. A distinctive feature of the Ukrainian women's shirt is the custom of decorating the hem, border (hem) of the shirt with embroidery, because it was visible from under the outer clothing. The sleeves of the shirt were also decorated in the same way, especially at the junction of the sleeve with the shoulder, where the polik (set) was often an embroidered piece of quadrangular material. The wide sleeves of the shirt ended with a cuff (chokhla) at the wrist. According to a long-established custom, East Slavic girls, up to the age of fifteen and even until their wedding, wore only a belted shirt; putting on waist clothing (poneva) was associated with marriage and transition to the ranks of women. Poneva is a common Slavic element of traditional clothing that covers a woman’s body from behind and is secured at the waist. Ukrainians had three varieties of this type of clothing: everyday clothes without a pattern, spare tires, dergas, and festive outfits with large checks - plakhta. The derga consisted of three panels sewn together with the long sides, forming a strip of fabric 3 m wide and 60-70 cm long, covering the woman’s body from behind and tied with a belt. Since derga is everyday clothing, it was sewn from black or undyed fabric, without decorating it in any way. The Ukrainian spare tire differed from the derga in that ribbons were often sewn to its upper corners and tied at the waist. Usually they wore two spare tires, often of different colors: one (poss, butt) covered the body from behind, the other (front) was the first, put on in front - it was often replaced with an apron. The spare tire was made from high-quality, thin wool and plain fabric in blue, green, and red. Plakhta as festive clothing was made from fabric with a checkered pattern; it was hand embroidered with wool or silk threads. In the early period, scaffolds sewn from silk or gold and silver brocade were known. A further evolution of the poneva is considered to be a skirt (spidnitsya). In Polesie, woolen skirts - andaraki, often with a striped pattern, were widespread. A striking addition to a woman’s costume were breast decorations made of precious stones, glass, beads or pendants with coins - “monisto”, “dukachi”. Ethnic contacts with the foreign population could not but affect the traditional clothing of Ukrainians. Interaction with nearby Russians, Germans, and steppe peoples was reflected in the borrowing of cultural phenomena from each other and the development of common properties. This is confirmed by the description of the clothing of the Ukrainians of Pokrovskaya Sloboda: “The outer clothing of Little Russian men consists of a corduroy and cloth Cossack or Nankan robe, trousers and boots; they wear a cap or a poyark hat on their heads. Everyday or everyday clothing, in the fall - a cloth scroll (chapan), in the winter a casing (sheepskin sheepskin coat), over the head or covered with cloth, depending on the condition. Women have some outer clothing the same as men: a robe, sheepskin coat and boots. But actually women's clothing: a German dress, a sundress and a skirt with a jacket. They cover their heads with scarves; few people wear ochipki (hair bands) tied with scarves. Many of the men shave their beards, leaving a mustache, and generally cut their hair in Cossack style.” Ukrainian outerwear is varied both in cut and in names. In science, there are 4 types of outerwear: 1. With a straight back - a type of cloak, shirt or robe. Among them, a special type of wide robe with sleeves and a hood is known to Ukrainians as oponcha. The role of the cloak was played by chuga, chugai, chugany, which was common among Western Ukrainians. The chuga was only thrown over the shoulders, not put into the sleeves, so the sleeves were sometimes sewn at the bottom and used as pockets or a bag. The shape of the cloak was the manta or googlya of the Ukrainian Hutsuls, similar to a large bag, open on one of the long sides. The role of the hood was played by the bottom of the bag, which was secured to the shoulders with special laces. At the beginning of the 20th century. The manta served exclusively as the bride’s ritual clothing during the wedding. The style of the shirt was that of working outerwear for both sexes, made from canvas - shushpan. On the Don, shushpan was worn with a belt. The robe-like clothing of the Ukrainians - kobenyak, kireya, siryak, retinue with kobenyak, stovbovata retinue was worn over a fur coat, sewn from cloth of predominantly gray color. The hood of the vidlog, kobka, kaptur, beard, shanka, and virgin sewn to it had the shape of a bag with a rounded bottom and holes for the eyes. The Eastern Ukrainian robe without a hood, but with a wide cloth collar, has the same purpose and the same style. 2. The widespread cut of outerwear among Ukrainians was wedge-shaped: wedges (usi) were sewn into the back on the sides below the waist, the sharp end of the wedge reached the waist, and the base was at the level of the hem. The retinue, sirak, kutzinka, and gunya were sewn according to this pattern. 3. Outerwear, cut at the waist; the lower part was gathered into large folds (cassock) or into a small gather and sewn to the upper part. This is how a yupka, a retinue, a kozhishina (fur coat), and a kirsetka—a women's jacket without sleeves—were sewn. 4. In the last type of cut, gathers were made not only on the back, but also on the front, i.e. around the waist. Such clothes were chemera, chemerka, chamarka. A belt was an obligatory part of any clothing for Ukrainians. In the mythological consciousness of the Eastern Slavs, it played the role of a talisman, protecting the human body. The elegant belts were up to 3-4 meters long; they were wrapped around the waist several times, and the ends, ending in tassels, hung to the knees or below. Previously, silk Persian belts were in fashion among Ukrainians; the bride was girded with an embroidered towel - a towel; Don Cossacks girded the kubelek (a type of sundress) with a belt made of forged silver. Ukrainian men's headdresses are very diverse in shape, material and names. The shapes are cones, cylinders and semicircular caps. Hats were made from fur (sheepskin), wool, and cloth. Among the latter are a high lambskin hat (kuchma), a winter hat with elongated earmuffs (treukh, malakhai), a hat made of felt and straw (bril). At the end of the 19th century. Ukrainians began to wear caps and caps, which were widespread among other ethnic groups. Women's hats are varied in design, but they are united by one difference from girls' ones - they must completely cover the head, without leaving hair exposed. This also finds an explanation in the mythological consciousness of the Slavs; The tradition of covering a woman’s head continued into the 20th century. Appearing bareheaded in society, and especially in church, was considered a great shame for a Slavic woman. One of the most common headdresses of married women was and remains a quadrangular scarf. Genetically, it goes back to the head cover (namitka, peremitka, serpanok) - a long towel that was tied at the back, with the ends running along the back. A similar headdress has been preserved as a national one in the western regions of Ukraine. The headdress kibalka, homevka, khomlya in its simplest form looks like a hoop or arch facing backwards. Ukrainian women twirled their hair on it. The kibalka served as a frame for the upper headdress. A simplified version of the headdress of Ukrainian women is a soft, light cap (ochipok, bonnet, bonnet), which was tied with a cord pulled through the hem. They sewed a cap from a piece of thin fabric of different colors, with a transverse undercut on the forehead. The undercut was made in such a way that small gatherings were formed above the forehead, while the tissue on the forehead remained smooth. A scar was placed on the back of the head, through which a cord was threaded. Decorative caps were made of gold or silver brocade. The Eastern Ukrainian saddle-shaped cap with two standing ridges across the head was influenced by the South Russian kokoshnik with two ridges. Ukrainian wreaths made of artificial and fresh flowers with ribbons as a girl’s headdress enjoyed worldwide fame. Along with them, others were also known: metal wire with pendants, a ribbon, a scarf, a piece of silver or gold brocade, a cardboard circle, etc. All of them are round or semicircular in shape. Girls' hats did not cover the head and braid - the latter was the main hairstyle of a Ukrainian girl. Cherkassy wives wear small caps made of colorful material on their heads, and tie a bandage on top of them, with embroidered blades hanging at the back of the knot. Girls braid their hair not like Russians in one, but also in two braids, wrap it around the head and tie it with a colorful bandage, which is lined with beads. Women first put an “ochipok” (povoinik) on their head, which was pulled to the back of the head, then they wrapped a cotton scarf around their head, tying the ends on the forehead, and the girls did not wear an ochipok under their chin, but on holidays, instead of a scarf, they put a headdress made of multi-colored ribbons on their heads and they used them to remove the entire braid.

Ukrainians' shoes, both men's and women's, were made of leather, which was not initially sewn, but folded, wrinkled, and tied to the feet with a long rope. Hence the name - wrinkles, wrinkles, posts, walkers.

Leather shoes with high tops (choboti) were made without heels. Sometimes the heel was replaced by a small iron shoe on the heel.

Back in the middle of the 19th century. a special type of boots prevailed, the so-called reversible ones; the outsole was sewn to the inside of the boot (pid envy), after which the entire boot was moistened with water and turned inside out. In the early period, Ukrainians also knew bast shoes, which differed from Russian and Belarusian ones in their rectangular weave, low sides and very loosely shaped toe. The toe and sides of such a bast shoe consisted of loops through which a rope was pulled, tying the bast shoe and securing it to the leg. The ritual symbolism of a costume is a sign that reflects a wide range of spiritual traditions of the people, their worldview and ritual norms. For the most part, ritual symbols were individual components of the costume: a scarf or towel for matchmaking, baptismal swaddling clothes (kryzhmo) for childbirth, a white (or black) scarf for funerals. They were supposed to protect a person from evil forces, bring prosperity, health, love. It was believed that things made specially for a particular ritual with one’s own hands had special magical powers. So, the girl certainly had to sew a shirt for her groom. Obligatory gifts also had a symbolic meaning - boots that the son-in-law gave to his mother-in-law; namitka - a gift to the mother-in-law from the daughter-in-law. The ritual function of clothing was also manifested in specific ways of its use. Thus, when performing most ritual actions, clothes were worn inside out, while in everyday life this was considered a bad omen. Participants in some rituals often dressed up in costumes of the opposite sex, and also wore fur clothing regardless of the time of year. The role of a ritual symbol was often played by the color scheme of clothing. Red has long been the dominant color in wedding attire. However, sometimes the semantics of color changed significantly. In funeral clothing, black became a symbol of sadness at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, displacing white and, in some places, blue. The stability of ways to ensure the ritual functions of clothing contributed to the transformation of some of them into ethnic symbols. Traditional folk art of Ukrainians was an integral part of their life - it accompanied a person from birth to death. Ukrainians carefully decorated any object of material culture, showing their imagination and skill; the secrets of the masters were passed down by inheritance, thereby developing a tradition characteristic of various ethnic groups. Ukrainian embroidery should be considered an object of folk art. It was widely used in folk costume and in everyday life. The embroidery of Ukrainian costume is rich and varied. It was used to decorate women's and men's shirts, outerwear, and hats. The motifs of ornaments, compositions, and colors were passed on from generation to generation, becoming traditional. Ornamental motifs were geometric (rhombuses, rosettes, stars) and floral. There were many embroidery methods and their varieties. The most ancient types of folk embroidery were zavolikannya, hemlining and laying. A variant of the latter technique is satin stitch embroidery, which is widespread in Ukraine. The well-known embroidery technique was usually used with other types of embroidery. In addition to aesthetic value, embroidery on clothing often marked people’s age, family and social status. According to the color scheme of the embroidery, Ukrainian shirts are divided into one-color, two-color and polychrome. The first ones are typical for Poland, Chernihiv region and Poltava region, two-color - mainly for the Kiev region and most of Podolia, polychrome - for Western Podolia and the Carpathians. Embroidery from the northern part of Ukraine (northern regions of Chernihiv and Volyn) is characterized by a red color. The embroidery of these regions is similar to Russian and Bulorussian. In central Ukraine (the south of the Chernihiv region, Poltava region, the Kharkov region, the Kiev region, the northern regions of the Dnepropetrovsk region and the Kherson region), red colors are found along with others, less often with black. In the southern regions, yellow joins these colors. In Podolia, black is found in combination with red. In the areas bordering Bessarabia and Bukovina, embroidery enriched with beads and metal decorations is found, which brings it closer to Moldavian South Slavic. Transcarpathian woven products are adjacent to the Belarusian-Russian ones. In the Hutsul region, the technique of decorating fabrics, typical for all Eastern Slavs, in the form of alternating smooth and ornamented stripes and borders, received a multifaceted development. In Ukrainian artistic weaving, plant ornamentation has become widely developed, with a branched flower or tree becoming a favorite motif. This motif is characteristic of both towels and carpet weaving, which is widespread throughout Ukraine, but especially in its central and eastern regions. To dye clothes and wool yarn, Ukrainians used vegetation - grass, tree bark, flowers. In descriptions of the Kinel-Cherkasskaya settlement by P.S. Pallas, a unique method of making paint from natural scale insects is presented: “From half of June to half of July, women and children usually practice collecting scale insects before the harvest. They look for this insect in dry and skinny places, mostly near the roots of strawberries, which they call tangles, and also with sparsely growing grass, called moss. They cut out this grass with a knife and collect in a vessel the blue bubbles located on the upper part of the root, of which there are up to 10 and up to 12 on one plant, and in which there is a dye insect. These bubbles, depending on the weather, come to perfection in the month of June, and in July this insect begins to hatch, which is quite well known to the Cherkassy women. They are more willing to collect hatched kamaha than bubbles, because the paint comes out cleaner and better from it. They tell a fable that the kamaha that has come out for a certain day gathers from the whole country to one bush, and then those people who on the day of the feast of the Kazan Mother of God, that is, the 8th of July, go at dawn to the field of this kamaha to look for it, are left to find it luckily such a treasure. The collected mealybugs are rolled in a sieve to remove soil, then dried in a frying pan in an oven or on coals that emit a little heat. Due to the difficulty of collecting, they sell worms at a deliberately high price, and they collect no more of it than they need for home use, for they dye belts and woolen yarn with worms, which they use to embroider patterns on their clothes. If they want to dye the yarn, they put it in extremely acidic kvass, add more alum and put the vessel in the oven for a whole day. Then, having taken out the yarn, they squeeze it out and dry it, and the worm in the pot is rubbed and boiled in water. When all the dye particles come out of it, they put the yarn into the pot and cook it some more. With a handful of bugs they dye as much yarn as is needed for 2 belts or braids, which is about a pound of wool. Paint made from scale insects is not much better in color than paint made from oregano grass, only it does not shed quickly.” At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Ukrainians switched to urban costume, and many features of national traditional clothing were lost.

History and main motifs of Ukrainian embroidery The history of folk embroidery in Ukraine goes back centuries. Data from archaeological excavations and evidence from travelers and chroniclers confirm that embroidery as an art form has existed in Ukraine since time immemorial. According to Herodotus, the clothing of the Scythians was decorated with embroidery. Silver plaques with figurines of men, dating back to the 6th century, found in the Cherkassy region, during research showed the identity not only of clothing, but also of the embroidery of the Ukrainian folk costume of the 18th-19th centuries. Arab traveler of the 10th century. AD in his stories about the Rus he mentions that they wore embroidered clothes. Unfortunately, monuments of Ukrainian embroidery have been preserved only over the last few centuries, but this is enough to find out that the symbolic elements of Ukrainian embroidery ornaments coincide with the ornaments that decorated the dishes of the ancient inhabitants of the territory of Ukraine during the Neolithic period, the Trypillian culture. Embroidery has long been practiced by women, who from generation to generation passed on the typical, most striking patterns of ornament, color, and embroidery technique. The embroideries, conveying the characteristic features of the area, differ from each other in ornament, execution technique and range of colors. In ancient times, the main embroidery motifs reflected elements of the symbolism of various ancient cults. Over the course of many centuries, the direct, concrete meaning of the symbols on embroidery was lost, but the traditions of their use did not disappear. Based on their motifs, embroidery patterns are divided into three groups: geometric (abstract), plant, zoomorphic (animal).

Geometric (abstract) ornaments are inherent in all Slavic mythology. They are very simple: circles, triangles, diamonds, zigzags, lines, crosses (simple and double). It is difficult to judge what content was put into these symbols before.

Today, on their basis in folk embroidery, such motifs as “ram’s horns”, “curls”, “curls”, “combs”, etc. are widely used. The motif of “krivulka”, or “endless”, known since the times of Trypillian culture, i.e. it appeared much earlier than the famous Greek meander. The well-known “face” pattern (stars, rosettes) represents a transition from geometric to floral patterns. Sometimes it resembles an image of the sun and sun rays. The basis of floral patterns is the desire to bring the beauty of nature into embroidery. Even extremely conventional patterns arose as a result of observing forms that actually exist in nature. Ukrainian embroidery often uses such motifs as “grapes”, “hops”, “oak leaves”, “periwinkle”, etc. Some of them reflect the ancient symbolic ideas of the people. Thus, the “periwinkle” motif is a symbol of unfading life, the “apple circle” pattern, divided into four sectors, with opposite parts embroidered in the same color, is a symbol of love. In modern embroidery, the ancient symbol “tree of life” is also found, depicted mainly in a stylized manner in the form of leaves and branches. The embroideries of zoomorphic (animal) ornaments depict: horse, hare, fish, frogs; of birds - rooster, owl, dove, cuckoo; of insects - fly, butterfly, spider, flying beetles. In many cases, zoomorphic ornaments are original images inherent to a given embroiderer, which reflect her individual vision of the pattern. In such ornaments, hare and wolf teeth, an ox's eye, carp scales, ram's horns, etc. appear in various, often bizarre interweavings (however, while maintaining the traditional requirements for composition).

A variety of embroidery stitches, the so-called “techniques,” of which about a hundred are known in Ukraine, have a decisive influence on the nature of ornamental motifs. Some embroidery stitches are typical for certain ethnographic regions of Ukraine, and some are also found in Belarusian and Russian embroidery.

White embroidery is typical for the Chernihiv region. Geometric or floral patterns are embroidered with white threads or interspersed with red and black. It is made with very small stitches, which is reminiscent of beaded embroidery, characteristic of Chernigov shirts.

Shirts in the Poltava region are embroidered mainly with white threads, very rarely with red or gray threads. The shirt front of white shirts in old designs was decorated with a white satin stitch pattern. The pattern was outlined with black or colored stripes. Embroidery technique: seam “forward with the needle”, “cross”, seam “behind the needle”.

The embroidery technique of the Kharkov region has a lot in common with the forms of embroidery established in the central regions of Ukraine, but it is also characterized by completely unique polychrome ornaments created by a half-cross or a cross. These ornaments are embroidered mainly with coarse thread, as a result of which the patterns create the impression of relief.

Polesie embroideries are simple and clear in composition. The diamond-shaped line of the geometric pattern is repeated several times. The red thread embroidery on the white and gray linen background is graphically clear.

Volyn has long been famous for its unique embroidery. The patterns are geometric, clear and simple in composition. The clarity of the rhythm is enhanced by the monochromatic embroidery, made with red thread on a white and gray canvas. The embroidery of northern Volyn amazes with its exquisite simplicity. In the southern regions of the region, plant motifs predominate.

In the southern regions of Ukraine, the embroidery technique has much in common with the established forms of the central regions, however, it also has quite unique polychrome ornaments made in a half-cross or a cross. Embroidery from the Kiev region is characterized by a floral-geometric pattern with stylized bunches of grapes, the color of hops, eight-petal rosettes, rhombuses, and squares. The main colors of embroidery from the Kiev region are white, coral red, and shaded black.

Podolsk shirts are characterized by colorfulness and variety of seams. Typical is “spider” stitching, which is used to try on inserts on sleeves and wedges. A colored hemstitch called “shabak” is also used. In the ornaments of Podolsk embroidery, one color predominates - black with more or less splashes of red, blue, yellow or green. The most common are single-color (red and black) embroidered shirts, less often - two- and three-color ones. In the south of the Ternopil region, embroidery with cotton threads with condensed stitches is typical: individual elements are outlined with colored threads, which provides high relief and color effect. Such embroideries are placed along the entire sleeve in longitudinal or beveled stripes from the front to the edge of the sleeve. A great wealth of embroidery techniques is typical for the Vinnytsia region: nit, cross stitch, painted embroidery, laying, verkhoshov (verkhoplut), grain output, cutting; There are various types of black, white and colored hemstitches. Along with the main seams, auxiliary seams are also used - painted embroidery, a “forward needle” seam, contour seams that frame and connect individual elements of the composition.

A characteristic feature of the ethnographic region of the Carpathians and Carpathian region is the large number of individual parts of the region with their own flavor. Each village differs from others in the uniqueness of its embroidery, the richness of its ornaments and the uniqueness of its flowers.

Various types of patterns are used in folk embroidery of the Lviv region. In the southern regions, the embroidery patterns are geometric, the white background is not filled, which gives the patterns transparency and lightness.

In Bukovina, in addition to floral and geometric motifs, zoomorphic ones are used, embroidered with satin stitch (white), small cross stitch, staple, and twisted stitch. The material used for embroidery is beads, silk, wool, silver and gold threads, metallic sequins.

Hutsul embroideries are characterized by a variety of geometric and floral patterns, many compositions, and a wealth of color combinations, mainly red, yellow and green, with red being the dominant color. Two or three shades of yellow clarify the embroidery and give it a golden sheen.

A characteristic feature of Transcarpathian embroidery is the zigzag (“crooked”) motif in various execution techniques. The color range of embroidery is quite wide: red is combined with black (in this case, one color stands out - black or red), both white and multi-colored ornaments are used.

In Ukraine, towels, firankas, women's and men's clothing were decorated with embroidery. Particular attention was paid to towels - ancient talismans of home and family. In ancient times, a towel, embroidered with appropriate patterns-symbols, was an integral attribute of many rituals: with a towel they came to a woman in labor to welcome the birth of a new person, met and saw off dear guests, celebrated marriage rites, saw them off on their last journey, decorated icons and set bread on the table . Rushniks were a kind of consecration of the beginning of a business and its end. Ornamental motifs of Ukrainian embroidery are rooted in local flora and fauna, in historical tradition. In ancient times, the main ornamental motifs reflected elements of the symbolism of various ancient cults. Over the course of the centuries-old history of the art of embroidery, the direct content of symbolic images was gradually erased. Despite the fact that ornamental forms have come down to us somewhat transformed, perhaps more abstract, their symbolism has mainly been preserved thanks to tradition. The folk costume, its color and embroidery still make us admire. They infect us with optimism, a mood of festivity and fun. Folk craftsmen know how to turn a utilitarian item into a work of art. At the same time, they achieved the greatest variety, based on a simple constructive system. Now the folk style is not dominant, but it has taken its place in the general broad international mainstream of fashion. It is known that design artists constantly turn to folk traditions when creating household fashionable clothing. Analyzing the history of folk costume and considering modern costume, we can conclude that any modern costume should display the features of folk, national, traditional, which makes it more organic, more original, dearer, closer, more expensive. So let's not forget our culture and try to preserve and enhance it.

How to dye clothes

Ukrainian folk costume is distinguished by rich decor. But in order to dye the threads, special skill and suitable dyeing components were needed. Since the chemical industry began to produce its results very late, people made do with what they could collect in the vicinity of their farm. Therefore, most often all kinds of grass were used as paint. Women collected herbs, dried them, and then made a decoction. This way it was possible to boil down the green pigment. How did you make the red one? Unlike the traditions that existed in Rus', Ukrainian women extracted bright color from an insect called a scale insect. It was found in moss or on bushes. Often, it was not the insects themselves that were collected, but their larvae. Then it was necessary to wait until they hatched and boil, or rather bake, the scale insects with water in the oven. Such paint was simmered on fire for a day, and only then was it suitable for painting. Since the required insect was difficult to collect and cook, the red pigment was very valuable. They only dyed yarn and belts, and not the finished shirt fabric. Tree bark and all kinds of flowers were used to create other pigments.

Color spectrum

The color red predominated in the national costume. It was worn by all classes from farmers and artisans to the clergy. By the color saturation one could understand to which class a person belongs. But not only open red was used, but also its shades. Raspberry, brick and poppy were popular. The second most popular color in Ukrainian folk costume was yellow. They used shades such as lemon, sand, red and sand. Black color was rarely used. It was replaced with smoky, that is, gray. If it was necessary to darken some part of the pattern, brown was introduced. Green shades can also be seen in embroidery. Both dark and light colors were used.

Gold threads occupied a special place in the decor of clothing. They used them to embroider patterns on silk fabrics. But such outfits were not readily available. Gold and silver embroidery decorated the costumes of rich ladies, as well as the robes of members of the clergy. Multi-colored translucent beads were the main decorative elements. And the mother-of-pearl color was considered a symbol of luxury no less than the shine of noble metals.

Where to buy or rent?

Today, the national costume of Ukraine (men's, women's or children's) can be bought or rented in specialized stores or agencies. This outfit will make you stand out at any event, be it a wedding performance or a carnival party. A children's set is an original solution for a matinee in kindergarten or a school holiday. Your child is guaranteed to be the center of everyone's attention.

An exquisite evening dress in Ukrainian style that will decorate any special event. The straight, slightly fitted silhouette is complemented by luxurious wide sleeves gathered at the wrist. Beautiful floral embroidery accentuates the V-neck and bust. Embroidered golden lines blend seamlessly with similarly colored peep-toe shoes. The dress, made of flowing silky fabric, has a classic length that slightly reveals the knees. The look is completed with a burgundy clutch with a decorative element also of Ukrainian style.

Look at the images of Ukrainian women from the late 19th – early 20th centuries in the Vogue UA video.

Outerwear

The national costume of Ukrainian residents included not only everyday summer, but also winter clothing. What was it? Outerwear for men and women is a retinue. This outfit was very tight to the figure, and due to this it looked ridiculous. The retinue was made from thick homespun cloth. Initially, she was not decorated with anything at all. The most common model of the women's retinue was made of light fabric, and the men's retinue was made of dark fabric. It resembled a shirt with a small stand-up collar. But this collar was so small and narrow that it could not even completely cover the neck.

Casings are the second most popular type of outerwear. The casing was made from poorly processed sheep leather. Such untanned casings were worn with the fur inside. The clothing model was the most primitive, it resembled a simplified version of a modern coat.

How long was the outerwear? There was no even regulation. Everyone sewed clothes for themselves at the length that was comfortable. For example, casual suits usually reached to the toes, but the travel jacket version was usually rarely longer than the knees.

Materials used

Previously, the Ukrainian national costume was made exclusively from natural materials. When sewing it, hemp fabric was used, as well as wool and linen. Cheap, often homespun, materials were used to sew items intended for everyday wear. The rich and nobles preferred products made from brocade, satin, velvet and silk. They were decorated with silver or gold threads.

Nowadays, when sewing such suits, not only natural material is used. The use of synthetic fabrics is also appropriate. The embroidered patterns are created even more intricate and lush than in the case of traditional clothing.

Modern wardrobe items made in traditional style look as luxurious as those used many centuries ago.

Particular attention is paid to accessories. They are presented in a huge variety. They are traditionally made using stones, wood and glass, but more modern materials can also be used. The main thing is that they harmonize with the outfit and are visually similar to ethnic jewelry.

Men's shirt

Ukrainian folk men's costume consisted of a shirt and pants. How did the clothes differ from those worn in neighboring regions? Men's shirts had a slit in the front. It was called a sinus. The cut was decorated with embroidery or decorated with braid. The presence of a collar on this wardrobe item was determined by the region in which the person lived. Shirts with a stand-up collar were common. This model was convenient because it was fastened with buttons. But shirts without collars had ties. Ukrainian Cossacks simplified the cut of their clothes. They decided that the gussets, which were located under the arms, could be reduced. This was done not because this element greatly interfered with people or hampered their movements, but because the Cossacks wanted to differ from ordinary peasant farmers.

The way of wearing a shirt was also original in Ukraine. If in Rus' peasants and boyars wore shirts over their pants, then the Cossacks decided to tuck the hem of the product into their trousers. But this was not a protest, but a logical innovation. This method of wearing a shirt was borrowed from nomads who constantly rode horses and the hem of a long shirt got in the way and constrained the hips.

Men's pants

If you are interested in tailoring Ukrainian folk costumes, then you should pay attention to the characteristic features of the outfit. Folk trousers differed in their width. This product did not have an elastic band on top, so it was tightened with braid. But this method of attaching clothes to the body was not very reliable, so very often Ukrainians belted their pants with a belt. For this purpose, they used both standard folk versions of the belt and new European models that had buckles. The difference between Ukrainian trousers and those worn in Rus' was the presence of motni. It was sewn between the legs, which allowed men to run faster and always feel comfortable. Rich Cossacks did not wear homespun trousers, but those models that were made of silk. But for those men who did not have much income, such a piece of clothing was more of a luxury or a ceremonial version of a suit. The pants were decorated with embroidery. It was located at the bottom of the legs. Moreover, they embroidered the inside of the product, and therefore men wore pants, tucking their ends.

Women's shirt

Ukrainian folk women's costume consisted of three parts. Shirts, skirts and ponevas. Shirts were divided into two types: short and long. Long ones were considered festive. Their hem was decorated with embroidery. This element of women's underwear was usually visible from under the lower layer. Casual shirts were short. They were the length of modern tunics. But this type of clothing was acceptable for married women. The girls did not wear ponev, so their shirts were long. What were the sleeves of the product like? Shirts were made with long sleeves. They became narrower at the hands. This was achieved by sewing cuffs. These elements were decorated with embroidery. Embroidery decorations could also be placed on the shoulders.

The collar on women's shirts could be turned down. But more often the collar of the product was treated with braid and tied with a rope.

Ukrainian folk costume for girls was similar to a girl’s outfit. Children wore shirts, belted around them.

Distribution of traditional outfits by regions of Ukraine

The main differences between traditional outfits that are presented in Ukraine can be considered:

• The archaic nature of clothing elements was preserved most of all in the Polesie regions;
• Classic Ukrainian clothing could be found in the Middle Dnieper region;
• In the south, the influence of traditional costumes of different peoples was encountered;
• In Podolia, ethnocultural ties between Ukrainians and Moldovans were noted;
• In the northwest there was a connection with Poland;
• Ukrainian highlanders wore special and colorful clothes.

The most common traditional Ukrainian costumes were in the Middle Dnieper region, as well as a little in Polesie, Slobozhanshchina and Podolia. The outerwear of men and women was similar in cut. The basis of Ukrainian women's costumes were shirts - koshuls, shirts. They were longer than men's shirts and included two parts, with the lower one sewn from coarser fabrics.

The highlanders, Boykos and Lemkos also had shirts in two parts, each of which was worn separately. There were also one-piece shirts; in fact, they were for women as elegant and festive ones. Based on the cut, the shirts were tunic-shaped, poly-shirted, and also had a yoke.

Shirts could be made with or without collars. These types of shirts were considered more ancient. Their gates were usually assembled into small assemblies, and sometimes sheathed on top. Shirts with collars were called Polish. A so-called conventional line was drawn across the territory of Ukraine between two types of shirts. So, in the eastern regions they were without collars, and in the western regions they had collars, more often turn-down.

Poneva

It is difficult to imagine a women's Ukrainian folk costume without a poneva. This item of clothing was divided into three types: casual, twitch and festive. Everyday clothes were black. It was made from coarse linen or linen fabric. It could even be wool. Poneva was divided into two parts: one covered the back of the body, and the other covered the front. This item of clothing came in different lengths, often reaching women's ankles.

If you decide to make a Ukrainian folk costume with your own hands, then you should make not an everyday poneva, but a degu. What are the differences? Degas was also made of thick fabric. But the color of the product was not dark, but bright. Degs, or reserves, as they were also called, could be red, green or blue. The belt of this item of clothing was decorated with colored braid and even embroidery. Some women did not wear a front blanket, but replaced it with an apron.

Festive clothes looked more elegant than everyday ones. This kind of poneva was made of light fabric, sometimes silk. It was decorated with embroidery or checkered patterns. Often such ponevas had a checkered pattern.

Skirt

If you want to sew a Ukrainian folk costume with your own hands, but you don’t want to do it, you can pay attention to its evolved version. The skirt replaced the skirt and became an element of clothing for wealthy ladies. The most common were three types. Litnyk is a narrow woolen skirt. It looked festive because it was red. Vertical stripes were applied to this striking background. They could be green, yellow, white or blue. This version of the skirt was the simplest. Andarak is a wider skirt model. The decorative element here was the folds, which were located vertically along the entire perimeter. There was a wide ornamental stripe on the hem. Shortz is also a wide skirt model, but, unlike the previous two, it looked bright due to the colorful vertical stripes that were located close to each other. The hem of such a product was trimmed with a thick cord. All these types of skirts were decorated by hand using embroidery.

Literature

• Agafonova T. A.
  Clothing of the Ukrainian population of Southwestern Ukraine in the 19th - early 20th centuries. // Notes of the historical faculty of Odessa State University named after. I. I. Mechnikov. - Odessa, 1997. - VIP. 5. - pp. 44-49.
• Voropai O.
  Names of our people: Ethnographic drawing. — Kharkiv: Folio, 2004. — 508 p.
• Maslova G. S.
  Folk clothing in East Slavic traditional customs and rituals of the 19th - early 20th centuries. - M.: Nauka, 1984. - 216 p.
• Nikolaeva T.
  History of Ukrainian costume. - K.: Libid, 1996. - 176 p.
• Shmeleva M.N.
  Types of women's folk clothing of the Ukrainian population of the Transcarpathian region // Soviet ethnography. - 1948. - No. 2. - P. 130-146.

Read with this

• Russian clothes
• DIY hussar hat (shako) for a boy
• How did the ancient Slavs dress?
• 12 absurd but true facts about the Chukchi that will surprise you
• Military uniform of the Russian Air Force
• The evolution of the knight's helmet, the best original and combat examples
• Orlan (suit)
• History of Moldova since ancient times
• Damned angels, winged hussars and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
• Guys of the Russian Navy: what is it, photos, history

Clothes decor

How can you decorate a Ukrainian folk costume for a girl with your own hands? If you decide to completely copy the decor of the suit, then you will need to stock up on colored braid. She sewed the necklines and hems of shirts. Brushes were made from multi-colored threads. They were hung on belts. Skirts and shirts were decorated with embroidery. For this, bright woolen threads were used. Rich young ladies could afford to apply a pattern or ornament to their clothes using the finest silk. Well, don’t forget about gold embroidery. It was often used on the costumes of wealthy women. Lace can be found not only as a decorative element of women's costumes, but it was also used to decorate men's clothing. Lace was highly valued, so few could afford it. But glass beads were in wide use. True, clothes were rarely embroidered with them. But headdresses were decorated everywhere. People with great incomes could afford to decorate their clothes not with glass, but with precious stones. Pearls were especially popular. They even made buttons from large pearls. But less wealthy people used buttons covered with silk or bright canvas. There were stripes in use. They decorated shirts like shoulder straps. The patches were made from contrasting fabric, most often red or green. Such decorative elements were richly embroidered with silk and gold.

Middle Eastern countries

The Middle East is a colorful land, home to a huge number of peoples with their own traditions and centuries-old history. Accordingly, the national costumes here are also different:

1. Armenians. The men's suit had a simple combination - shirt, trousers, caftan, trousers. The shirt always had a small stand-up collar. On the trousers there is a belt where a wallet and a weapon are attached. Eastern Armenians also wore aralukh, which was slightly shorter than its female counterpart. Ladies wore a shirt, trousers, a dress and an apron. The shirt was long, with a round neck and bias cut wedges. A headdress could say a lot about the social status of an Armenian woman, so it was given special significance.
2. Turks. They always wore multi-layered suits. For women, these were dresses with wide sleeves that completely hid their arms. An apron was added to them. Men's attire is characterized by a special belt - a sash, which was worn over a short jacket. Headdress - fez or turban.
3. Israelis. The Jewish costume was colorful and was the most religious among all others. For men, this was a black frock coat and a cape that had tassels along the edges - they should always be over trousers. For women, the wardrobe consisted of a dress with an apron. Instead of a dress, they also used a skirt with a blouse.
4. Iranians. Women wore clothes with V-shaped necklines and their costumes were multi-layered. Men preferred pants, a shirt, and a caftan. Previously, they wore fur and leather pants, and the sleeves of the caftan were wide and had radial folds.
5. UAE. Costumes in the United Arab Emirates were as closed as possible. Men wore long cotton white shirts, and for the holiday, clothes were made of expensive silk. Ladies wore shirts made of thin linen over trousers. The female figure on the street was hidden from head to toe with a black veil, leaving only the eyes exposed.
6. Georgians. They were distinguished by the severity of their men's attire, which consisted of trousers or trousers, a shirt, a caftan and a Circassian coat. In winter they wore fur coats. Women wore a fitted, floor-length dress with a bodice decorated with braid, beads, and ribbons. A mandatory attribute was a belt made of velvet or silk. In the cold season, the suit was complemented with a sheepskin coat.
7. Azerbaijanis. Men preferred a shirt, trousers, a beshmet tapered at the waist, and in the cold season - a sheepskin coat, and a hat on their head. Women's costume - shirt, widened at the bottom, short caftan, full skirt.

Each nation, despite the modern style, tries to preserve its folk costume, since this is history and symbolism. Not only on holidays and festivals, but in everyday life you can meet a person in traditional attire. This is a kind of calling card, as well as a tribute.

Ornament

The design on Ukrainian folk costume most often depicts the two main elements for people: water and sun. It was thanks to them that the southern people existed, they brought bread, and therefore life. These elements are often deciphered as paternal and maternal principles. If we talk about the elements, the mother symbol looks like an eight-year-old flower with a scattering of dots along the edges. The paternal element is the square that contains the flower. This pattern can be found on both men's and women's shirts. The second most common motif is the design of hops. The symbolic outline of a wavy branch with flowers is associated with youth, love and enthusiasm. Such an ornament could be seen on the clothes of young people. The image of viburnum and oak was considered amulets in Ukraine. Stylized leaves and fruits were supposed to protect a person from the evil eye and from envious people. They protected people not only from neighbors and ill-wishers, but also from various kinds of everyday troubles. But if a woman wanted to attract good luck, she embroidered diamonds. This symbol of earth and fertility was supposed to protect people from hunger and inclement weather.

Floral patterns prevailed in the decor of clothing. Animalistic motifs were less common. Ukrainians did not live by hunting; more precisely, killing wild animals was not the only way of subsistence. As a result, if an animal or bird appeared on clothing, it could be considered a family totem.

Belts

In the photo of Ukrainian folk costumes for men and women you can see one feature. Without fail, all people wore their belts. Walking without a belt was not only unsightly, but also considered shameful. This element of clothing was considered by people to be a talisman precisely for this reason it was given a sacred meaning. Even poor peasants tried to purchase a belt made of expensive material. And if this was not possible, they wove it themselves and then embroidered it with symbolic patterns. There were no clear regulations. Each person had his own values, and he tried to demonstrate them with the help of a design on his belt. Wealthy people wore a belt with a buckle made of precious metal. It was also decorated with a fancy ornament consisting of animals and birds. On holidays, rich townspeople wore belts made entirely of silver and even gold.

The ceremonial belt (sash) had to be no shorter than 3-4 meters. It was decorated not only with embroidery, but also with precious stones or glass beads. Tassels could often be seen hanging from both ends of the sash.

Residents of Central Russia

There are quite a few republics in Central Russia: Mordovian, Chuvash, Udmurt, Bashkir, Mari and others, where they wore similar wide-cut, voluminous, warm clothes. Since the main business of these peoples was keeping livestock, their skins and fur were processed and the entire wardrobe was made. The peoples of Southern Siberia, as well as the Khanty, Mansi and Amur peoples, in addition to warm ones, had light outfits: dresses, shirts, robes.

• The national Udmurt clothing was a robe - a shortdress, white, gray, ocher or red;
• Mordovian clothing was made from dark cloth. Bright colors were also not used for shoes and hats; only colored embroidery as a decoration caught the eye;
• The clothing of the Bashkirs consisted of a fitted suit with lined sleeves and a blind fastener - Cossack, blue, red, black, green, brown or yellow. It was worn by residents of both sexes, as well as military personnel;
• Mari clothing is traditionally white, decorated with rich embroidery;
• Chuvash clothes were white and red, which meant purity and life. A white Chuvash shirt with a bright red braid was always worn on holidays;
• The regular clothing of the Tuvans included: a robe - ton, a belt - kur, a headdress - board, vests - kandaazyn, shegedek, khorekteesh, a jacket - khurme, trousers - chuvur, shoes - idik, socks - uk, knee pads - deshki, muff - chuldurguush and decorations - kaastalga. The Tuvan people wore a long robe, quilted men's and women's coats, fur coats, sheepskin coats, robes fastened on one side - tone, which were tied with a belt - chickens;
• The clothing of the Khanty and Mansi was distinguished by the use of decorations made of small pieces of multi-colored fur, like a mosaic.

Decorations

Today, the decorative trinkets worn by ladies have no symbolic meaning. Previously, this kind of decoration was not primarily of decorative value, but served as a talisman. Ukrainian folk costume for women included beads. Of course, they were not worn every day, but on holidays. Only wealthy ladies could afford jewelry made of precious metals. They wore various pendants made of natural stones and oddly shaped earrings. Modest village girls used ribbons and flowers as decorations. The main asset of women of those times was a long braid. This is what they decorated. The hair had to be braided in a complex hairstyle, over which a wreath of fresh flowers could be worn. If the poor girl wore beads, then the probability that they were wooden was almost 100%. Such jewelry was popular not only in Ukraine, but also in Rus'.

Accessories

Symbolic jewelry has always been a favorite accessory of Ukrainian women. It is difficult to imagine a full-fledged folk image without a Ukrainian wreath. Such decoration has long been considered not only a way to emphasize youth and tenderness. Even today, a wreath is a symbolic amulet, which is woven according to special rules, where each flower and ribbon of a special color symbolizes any personal qualities, desires or events. For example, young mothers decorated their heads with a wreath of roses, the traditional viburnum symbolized female beauty, and chamomile symbolized the innocence and purity of a girl’s soul. Traditionally, 12 flowers were woven together, symbolizing the character, thoughts and desires of the girl.

Integrity and harmony are determined by correctly selected accessories. Today, a wreath in the Ukrainian style has acquired new shapes and has become an integral element of a bright and stylish image. Apart from the wreath, the Ukrainian female image cannot be imagined without beads. Since ancient times, women of any age have worn beads, traditionally red, to celebrations. By the way, this decoration also had a secret magical meaning. It personified the sun, warmth, and also protected from evil, hatred, envy and temptation. Ukrainians called such beads “namist”, decorating themselves not only for the holidays, but also for a traditional family evening. Today, large red beads are a stylish and relevant decoration, complementing the charismatic Ukrainian image, introducing bright notes and coloring everyday life.

Large red beads are one of the traditional Ukrainian jewelry

Today, the world's most famous fashion houses use Ukrainian motifs when creating their fashion collections.

Ukrainian motifs are found in the collections of a variety of world designers

A refined interpretation of folk elements, embodied in clothing, shoes and accessories, emphasizes the originality and originality of the image in a colorful ethnic style. Each element of Ukrainian costume is a whole embodiment of the era, a tribute to the traditions of our ancestors. Thanks to such a deep intellectual component, a special Ukrainian harmony is created.

Hats

A photo of a Ukrainian women's folk costume is presented above. But it’s difficult to get an idea of ​​what the people of Ukraine wore on their heads. The unmarried girl's costume was complemented by a headband. Most often it was made from ribbons. This headdress was tied so that the top of the head remained uncovered. But married women wore a cap. This hat had a solid frame. The shape of the headdress depended on the area of ​​residence of the woman. Most often, the socket was trapezoidal or oval. Such a headdress was decorated with beads or precious stones. Poor women decorated their caps with satin stitch embroidery. But in addition to everyday hats, there were also festive scarves. Women tied them with them when they went to visit, to church or to a festive celebration. The color of the scarf had to be bright. Often this headdress was embroidered with gold.

What did men wear on their heads? They decorated their bald heads with hats. Naturally, they wore hats only in cold weather. Hats were most often made from sheep's wool, but there were leather and woven varieties.

African peoples

African national clothing is colored, mostly natural, warm shades. A feature of the men's wardrobe is a shortened tunic - dashiki or a long one - gran boubou, as well as wide trousers with ties. Previously, instead of ordinary clothing, a piece of woven fabric was often used; it was not sewn, but wrapped in several layers and tied with a knot on the shoulders, armpit or belt. In the same way, raffia was used, the long fibers of which were wrapped around the body from the waist to the knees (men) or at chest level (women).

Army photos on Shutterstock: Army and military photos.

In South Africa, to this day, women wear clothing made from unstitched pieces of fabric: one tied around the chest, another around the hips, over the traditional loincloth. This is “kente” among the Ashanti peoples, “damba” among the Malagasy people, and “shamma” among the Amhara.

Traditional Moroccan clothing is considered to be a voluminous tunic with a hood - a djellaba, a headdress - a fez, or a kufi cap, which allows you to give the accessory various shapes. Native African women wear loose-fitting batwing dresses, often revealing the shoulders. They like jewelry that is large, but flat, round in shape, often made of yellow metal. They are supplemented with bones of small animals, teeth of predators, corals, shells, stones, and bird feathers.

Shoes

A description of Ukrainian folk costume would be incomplete without telling us what people wore. Poor peasants wore bast shoes. Just like in Rus', even such primitive shoes were in short supply. But unlike the Russians, the Ukrainians made bast shoes in an unusual way. They threaded a rope through the loops of the vine and then tightened it around the leg. Lapti were made not only from wicker, but also from leather. Unlike similar shoes of their closest neighbors, Ukrainians made bast shoes with virtually no sidewalls. In some families, shoes were made from rawhide. Moreover, the material was not stitched together in any way. The skin was shaped directly on the leg. These similarity of boots were fixed with string. Those peasants and Cossacks who did not have big financial problems could afford shoes made from leather. Initially, instead of heels, these boots had a horseshoe. But later the boots acquired a modern look. Most often the shoes were red. It looked bright and went well with the red decor of the folk costume. The boots were secured to the feet with ribbons. And later models began to be produced with metal buckles, which were often made of precious metals. A pattern was applied to the upper edge of the boot, which was either burned out or cut through.