Traditional Clothing

Traditional Clothing
National features of every country can be observed through its customs, traditions, cuisine as well as traditional clothing. For a long time originality of Uzbek clothes has been set according to climate, conditions of life, customs and traditions.
Traditional Uzbek male clothes consisted of warm quilted robe – chapan, tied up with a shawl or shawls, national hat – tyubiteika, and high boots made of thin leather. The male worn shirts with long sleeves of straight cut, underwear robe and out robe. There were summer – light robes and winter – warm quilted robes, both had cuts on the sides to make it more comfortable while sitting or walking.
Traditional Uzbek male clothes consisted of the loose-fitting cotton coat, called the chapan. The chapan is a long-sleeved, knee length or longer, and made from fabric with a variety of colorful stripes. The bottom of the sleeves, center edges, hem, and neckline of the coat were sewn round with a decorative braid, which was believed to protect a person from evil powers. Wearing two or more coats at the same time was common in both winter and summer, and gave a man a certain prestige while showing the prosperity of the family. The outer coat could be padded with batting. The coat or shirt was tied with a big folded handkerchief or a band which is called belbog’. This band was an important accessory, and could be made of fine fabrics, decorated with complicated silver embroidery, studded with stones and silver coins, and hung with little bags for tobacco and keys. Shirts usually were wide and white. They were made of cotton. Some of them had patterns named jiyak. Pants that are called ishton were loosely cut but narrowed to the bottom and were tucked into soft leather boots with pointed toes. Skullcaps were popular all over Central Asia. Theduppi is an Uzbek cap made of velvet or wool, beautifully embroidered with silk or silver threads. Over the cap men could drape a turban, or chalma, in different colors.
Traditional Uzbek female clothes consisted of traditional robe, functional dress made of satin, and lozim – wide, light trousers narrowing in lower part. The long, loose tunic had wide sleeves reaching to the wrists. Loose-cut pants were often made of the same fabric as the tunic, or out of complementary fabric. The bottom of the pants was gathered and decorated with embroidered braid. Women’s coats were similar to men’s chapan. For centuries cotton has been used extensively for clothing in Uzbekistan. Home-woven striped and white cotton were the most common fabrics for everyday wear. Fabrics were khanatlas, bekasama, alacha, atlas and kalami. Textile patterns often included up to six or seven different colors in the typical geometrical or stylized floral design. Fabrics were brightly colored, in shades of red, yellow, blue, green, violet, and orange. The color of the costume was an important signal of a person’s age or social status. Red and pink were common for girls and young women; middle-aged women were supposed to wear shades of light blue and gray. White was the most popular color and appropriate for all ages, especially for the elderly. Black, dark blue, and violet were colors of mourning.
Women’s long, black hair was braided into two or more plaits. Head was covered with rumol or tyubiteyka. Shoes were made of felt or colored leathers and had low heels.