Yakut national costume

The traditional costume of the Yakuts contains elements borrowed from other nationalities. The special cut makes it ideally suited to the harsh climatic conditions of the north.

Yakut clothes, like the costumes of any nation, changed over time. So, it was originally made of suede, trimmed with fur, women - decorated with embroidery from beads. Metal decorations were used.

• A typical example of the influence of the peoples of Siberia on the clothes of the Yakuts is the female Haladaei. Women in the Oryol and Kursk provinces wore a similar thing called a chill. Preserved even consonance in the title.

• From the peoples of East Asia was borrowed a dressing-gown cut of clothes with one-piece sleeves. Such suits women wore in the summer.

It is believed that in the XVIII century the Yakut costume was finally formed.

Types of Yakut costumes:

• Casual - for work, hunting, trips.
• Ritual and ritual - shamanic, wedding.
• Smart - for holidays and guest visits.

The appearance of manufactories in the 19th century caused new fabrics to appear in Yakutia - silk, taffeta, moire. They became available to almost every resident.

Yakut national costume has a number of features:

• Natural materials. Leather, suede and fur were used for tailoring. At the same time, fur mainly played the role of insulation. Stitched to the edges of the sleeves, it prevented the penetration of cold.
• Cut. Yakut outfit has a straight cut. This need is again caused by the cold climate of latitudes.
• Decorations. Yakut women have long been famous for their skill to embroider clothes with beads. This art is transmitted from mother to daughter. In addition to the beads, pendants were used, which produced a slight ringing, driving away evil spirits.

The cut of the Yakut clothes was the same for both women and men. Differences served as decoration, decor.

• chintz, satin were used for making everyday suits;
• silk, satin - festive;
• outerwear (onoloooh cut) was made of fur or suede. For its decoration they used decorative silk inserts or a fur mosaic of contrasting pieces.

Women's fur coat is called Saniyah. It was sewn from the skins of a wolf, wolverine, fox, sable. She was necessarily present in the wedding suit of the bride and had fur inserts in the form of wings on the back.

Very interesting is the traditional costume of the bride. Its components are: a cash cover (annah), a curvaceous shirt, leather trousers (natazniki), legs (kneecaps), a fur doha. The headdress resembles a warrior's helmet.

An integral part of women's clothing was jewelry. In this way, respect for the mother woman was emphasized, since the Yakuts understood that the number of the nationality and childbirth is impossible without a woman. In addition, the jewelry served as a kind of amulet.

Men's Yakut costume is more modest in comparison with women's. Casual clothing trimmed with fur on the sleeves and collar. Moreover, this fringe can be quite massive and voluminous.

Headgear made of natural fur with ties, like a helmet, covered the ears from frost and wind. Tellingly, the shape of the caps of the Yakuts is almost the same for both women and men and resembles a stove. Often there are decorative ears that personify the cosmic connection with the Universe. Sometimes the end of the cap has a hole for the moon and the sun so that they can leave their seed and continue the race.

Children's clothing was not much different from an adult. For its manufacture were also used skins and fur, decorative strips, embroidered with beads. The cap was trimmed off the hem.

For the manufacture of modern costumes used a variety of materials: lightweight chiffon, suede, silk, satin, brocade, organza. The dress is richly decorated with natural fur, embroidered with beads, rhinestones, decorated with metal ornaments.

Modern technologies allow turning the Yakut costume into a real work of art, which is a synthesis of traditions and innovations. Such outfits look fabulous. They are characterized by bright colors and patterns, unusual styles. However, in the opinion of designers, these costumes do not carry historical accuracy in themselves. The inspiration for the designers are the heroes of the Yakut myths and legends.

At present, Yakuts wear national clothes for traditional holidays or successfully combine them with modern ones. Fur and beads still do not lose their relevance.