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A lot of vintage costumes, especially of European warriors from different periods (the Vikings, Roman and Saxon soldiers, World War I and II troops, etc) were complemented with puttees or leg wrappings. This item of clothes was a must-have for a lot of people. It protected the leg from small injuries, from cold, and from damaging the skin by coarse shoes. Although the winingas need some skill and practice to wear them correctly, this piece was in active use until the mid-20th century or even later. Why were puttees so widespread for many centuries?
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- Category: Nationalclothing
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Several countries in South America traditionally use this outer garment practically all year round. Poncho is not only warm and cozy, it’s very comfortable to wear, doesn’t need buttons or clasps, and is the perfect attire for horseback riding. That’s why both modern South American people and their Native American ancestors were fond of a poncho and used it for any occasion – ceremonial or day-to-day. In the past, this outerwear was a necessity to keep the body warm, but today, designer ponchos can be a fashion statement and can differ a lot from the original piece.
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- Category: America
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These traditional clothing crafts are very old and widespread throughout the whole planet. Our ancestors – no matter in what country or region they lived – knew how to make clothes using the weaving, felting, and knitting techniques. Various museums in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and other corners of the world exhibit authentic garments produced with the help of mentioned folk crafts. But what interesting facts can we find about these clothing techniques? Let’s see.
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- Category: Nationalclothing
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Queen Ramonda’s headdress in Black Panther movie was inspired by African tribal hats and hairdos. We often see similar elongated shapes of hairstyles, headpieces, and even the skull itself in African old photos. People artificially changed the shape of their heads, bandaging the babies’ heads. It was dictated by the local standards of beauty, old traditions, and cultural identity. This tradition has disappeared in the mid-20th century. But a specific woven hairstyle of Mangbetu women in the same shape as Ramonda’s hat is still used today and allows to maintain this peculiar African tradition.
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- Category: Congo
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It’s typical for many Slavic countries to use ceremonial towels (wedding towels, towels framing religious icons, etc). Most often, they are hand-embroidered, but in some regions, people preferred woven towels with rich and bright patterns. Here is a collection of woven ceremonial towels from northern Ukraine, the late 19th – early 20th century. They were woven on vintage weaving looms by skilled artisans and sold out to ordinary Ukrainians. Now, they’re exhibited in a museum.
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- Category: Ukraine
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Kyrgyz folk headpieces are remarkable accessories. There are 3 main types of female headgear: a tebetei (fur hat), a topu (skull-cap), and an elechek or kalyak (long piece of cloth wound around the head like a turban). Let’s look in detail at these traditional Kyrgyz headwear items worn by women. Particularly, we’ll learn a lot about the elechek – this folk female headdress is perhaps the most charming and useful article of clothing in Kyrgyzstan and it reflects the local cultural peculiarities perfectly.
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- Category: Kyrgyzstan
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The women of Kayan tribes have an odd and even dangerous tradition to lengthen their necks with special brass neck rings. They’ve been doing it for centuries. That’s how these women identify themselves – by their attire, jewelry, and this eye-catching physiological peculiarity. The outsiders have different attitudes to this unusual tradition, but one thing truly is a fact – Kayan women’s necks attract attention and are unique on this planet.
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- Category: Myanmar
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One of the most famous subethnic groups of Ukrainians is Hutsul people. They live in a certain area in the Carpathian Mountains and have an extremely rich and bright culture. Particularly, Hutsul traditional clothing differs a lot from any other Ukrainian folk costume. Today, we’ll talk about a charming accessory used by Hutsul men – a festive hat called “krysania”. Every Hutsul boy used to dream about this stylish headdress and every young man knew how to wear it to look carefree and nonchalant.
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- Category: Ukraine
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This headdress is a symbol of Saudi Arabia. The local men wear it with pride and know its history and cultural importance. It’s not exclusively Saudi Arabian but very typical for this country. What can possibly be interesting about it? Actually, a lot of things. Let’s find out more about gutrah and other accessories worn with it, learn some rare and fun facts about this headgear, and explain why gutrah is so important for Saudi men.
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- Category: Saudi Arabia
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In Vietnam, the national attire is called “Ao Dai”. Besides, there is a male and female Ao Dai, which differ in design. This costume looks remarkable on a wearer, especially on women, because it fits all the shapes of a body perfectly. But did you know that authentic Ao Dai was not sexy or attractive at all? Until 1930, it used to be more baggy, the slits at the sides not as high, and the colors duller, so the outfit seemed pretty simple and ordinary. But modern women’s Ao Dai is anything but dull! We have other fun facts about Vietnamese folk dress here.
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- Category: Vietnam
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The Empire fashion style is a great example of radical changes in fashion. It’s hard to find a historical period with a more abrupt change in clothing styles than the end of the 18th century. Female attire – from corsets and wide panniers to natural nightgown-style dresses. Male attire – from ornate livery and breeches to frock coats and white tight-fitting pants with minimal embellishments. And all that to look like an ancient marble statue as much as possible. But who were those people who dared to be the first to wear Empire-style garments in a conservative 18th-century society?
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- Category: Nationalclothing
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In the 19th century, town fairs became extremely popular in many European countries, including Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and so on. Large fairs were held 1-2 times a year and were huge. They were a place where different cultures, regions, ethnic groups, and traditions met and intermixed. Merchants traveled from one market place to the other and brought their goods, often imported. All these factors more or less influenced the local fashion and clothing traditions.
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- Category: Ukraine
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A lot of people around the world consider Korean traditional costume called “hanbok” to be very elegant and good-looking. Its design is unique and never gets old-fashioned. But what do we really know about the national attire of Korea? Here are some infographics to help you learn a little more about these beautiful outfits and their history. How old is hanbok? What was the difference between high-class and low-class hanbok designs? Was women’s hanbok really invented for comfortable breastfeeding? Is a modern hanbok much different from an authentic one?
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- Category: Korea
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Our ancestors learned how to make fabric long ago. Of course, they produced only natural fabrics, but if you think they couldn’t make really exquisite cloth and didn’t know how to use various mixes of fibers, think again. The history of textile goes back at least 8,000 years. And this history is magnificent, with plenty of turns and twists, interesting events and wonderful inventions, new beginnings and old traditions. Let’s find out what fibers people learned to weave into the fabric and when.
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- Category: Nationalclothing
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