Folk costume is the whole identity of the culture of a particular nation. In a cut clothes are used over the centuries accumulated, transmitted from generation to generation through the female line the secrets of craftsmanship. Embroidery always has its own history, and the colors of clothes are chosen by chance. The costume reunites various types of decorative art. It is thanks to the old image of clothing that you can plunge into history, imagine how people lived hundreds of years ago.
Russian folk costume brings us information about the life of our ancestors, about their aesthetics, life and worldview. Here we see the material used by our ancestors for sewing clothes (usually linen, cotton), embroidery patterns. It is worth paying attention to the style of robes. To this day, the
Russian costume inspires the couturier to create modernized national outfits. The basis for the outfit for both men and women was a shirt. She had a tunic-free fit. The guys combined a shirt with ports that were sewn from straight panels with a gusset. Pants were fixed with a belt. Shoes, as a rule, were chosen according to the season: in the spring and summer they wore bast shoes, and in the cold period they wore boots. The outfit of the woman was brighter and layered. In everyday life, the girl put on an apron on his shirt. If a solemn event was expected, the mistress of the house did not forget about the embroidered sundress and headdress.
The image of the inhabitants of the
peoples of the north and south was significantly different. So, for example, southerners were distinguished by brighter and more unusual clothes. The cut of the shirts was more complicated than that of the northerners, and the material for sewing was used light, thin. There was a difference and embroidery of different regions. The pattern of threads on the fabric was embroidered not just for beauty. The ancient peoples were convinced that the pattern on the hem, along the hem of the sleeves and collar protects a person from the evil eye and damage.
Folk costumes carry not only historical information about how fashion changed and developed in Russia, but also demonstrate all the skills of the craftswomen of that time. So, for example, the groom, choosing a bride, drew attention to her dowry, which she embroidered for herself. One of the most important parts of the image of the Russian beauty was a sundress. The more beautiful, richer and more skillfully embroidered sundress, the more worthy the girl was. Expensive silk and velvet for the dresses of the heiresses were allowed to be acquired only by wealthy merchants, and the poor people were content with chintz and linen. Young ladies cherished their luxurious sundresses for special occasions and demonstrated only at an engagement or wedding.
The folk costume of the Russian peasant was simple and versatile, but our people never lost their face and dignity. With their outfit, our ancestors emphasized their belonging to Russian nature, personified themselves with animals and birds. This can be seen in the embroidery on the shirts, which depicts swans, ducks, birches in the form in which they were artistically represented by people.
A great many variations has a Russian folk costume. It was often modified, but true national patterns and styles have been preserved in our memory to this day. Currently, you can buy a folk costume, similar to what the inhabitants of Ancient Rus wore, in special stores. Fortunately, his samples have been preserved to this day.