Jewish national costume

The traditional clothing of the Jews is quite colorful, which allows them to stand out from the crowd, putting on things in the national style.

Like all national costumes, Jewish traditional dress has a rich history.

The first traditional outfits were created under the influence of the Babylonians. Free from slavery, the Jews continued to wear two shirts (one linen, the other woolen), a caftan and a wide belt.

During the reign of Solomon, Jewish dresses became more luxurious - light airy fabrics were used, costumes were decorated with gold embroidery and precious stones. Notable women loved to weave pearls even into their hairstyles, while emphasizing their social position.

But over time, this luxury has disappeared from the dresses of ordinary Jews. Traditional clothing has become more restrained, much attention has been paid to the details and to outfit emphasized the religiosity of a person and his belonging to a particular community.

In the twentieth century, in order not to stand out, the Jews borrowed from Europeans fashionable at the time black hats and long frock coats. In this form it was easier to merge with the locals, settling in any town in Europe. And even when such things went out of fashion all over the world, the Jews continued and continue to wear them.

Speaking about the national costume of the Jews, we should mention a number of nuances that distinguish this outfit from others.

In national Jewish clothing neutral tones prevail. The main one is black. In winter, they also wore outfits in brown or blue. In summer, white dominated the dress. Bright "colorful" outfits - this is not about the Jewish traditional costume.

Jewish culture has always been exclusively urban.. Therefore, women are not engaged in the manufacture of material on their own, and bought it. Materials used are very different, from cheaper to expensive.

Traditional men's suit consists of a simple black frock coat and capes.

A distinctive feature of this cape is that, although looks like outerwear, but worn not only over, but under the shirt. The main thing is to brush located on top of the pants.

Women's national costume consists of a dress or blouse with a skirt and apron. The apron served not only as a protection against household dirt, but also guarded against the evil eye.

The dresses of the women of old faith were long and decorated with hand embroidery or lace. Hands hid behind long sleeves, tapering to the wrists. In this dress was also a collar stand, decorated with lace and tightly clasping the neck. A tight ring wrapped around the waist and leather belt.

Children's costume for girls practically did not differ from an adult outfit. The dress was also quite closed, but shorter. Boys until the age of thirteen did not wear a cape. She was allowed to be worn only by those who reached the age of majority, having celebrated the Barmitzwa It was after this event that the boy was considered a man.

Every Jew adds a headdress to his traditional outfit. Sometimes there are even several of them at once - the Yarmulke and on top of it a “casket” or “Dashek.” The “kaskets” look like the caps of the old style and are widespread among the Jews living in Russia and Poland.

In everyday life, a black hat is part of a traditional Jewish costume. This laconic headdress, despite its seeming simplicity, can tell a lot about its owner.

The deep meaning lies in the style and size of the Yarmulke.. Generally speaking, it is a round cap that we associate with a Jewish outfit. The name of the Yarmulke comes from the phrase "yere malka", that is, "afraid of the lord." These words are called believers.

Yarmulks are created not only in different colors and styles, but also from different materials. They can be both felted and woolen or knitted. But the Jews choose them, focusing not on their own taste. The choice of a particular model depends on what other Jews from the community wear.

The accessories in the Jewish costume use a wide belt and in some cases a tie to match.

As for women, they also decorated their heads with hats, wearing wigs under them. Beads were also used as decorations, which were worn in two rows.

Shoes in traditional Jewish costume are simple and inconspicuous. In the summer, black high boots with lacing were worn on bare feet, and in winter - over knitted stockings.

In the modern world, traditional Jewish costume is still quite popular.. Religious Jews also use Yarmulks and traditional capes. A full costume is used for various celebrations and meetings.

Often, national costumes are clothed to perform traditional dances. In this case, women use more modern options, because it is not very convenient to move in traditional dress.

The traditional Jewish costume is a reflection of all the features of the worldview of this nation. No matter how changeable the world is, the Jews successfully adapt to changes in it. Similarly, their national clothing, changing depending on the epoch and habitat, remains unique and not similar to the costumes of other nationalities.