Exploring the Traditional Turkish Ucetek Entari of the Late Ottoman Era from the Izmir Ethnography Museum Collection

Abstract

The ucetek entari, üç etek or three-skirt robe, was the main element of traditional Turkish women’s clothing, worn with a chemise and shalwar. The features of this special garment extend to the clothing culture of the ancestors of the Turks who lived in Eurasia. The structure of the ucetek entari is typical Ottoman attire, with a small standup collar, long sleeves open up to the elbows, high slits on each side of the skirt, and triangular pieces added for fullness. This research was conducted in the Izmir Ethnography Museum to analyze the fabrics, embroidery, and pattern-making techniques of the ucetek entari, along with their zero waste and multifunctional design approach. The main fabrics, linings, facings, their yarn count in the warp and weft directions, pattern dimensions, embroidery properties, other surface decorations, and technical drawings of the robes were photographed and examined in detail. The results revealed that ucetek entaris were daily or special occasion wear which were designed using mostly silk and cotton fabrics. The focus of this research is to analyze in depth the ucetek entaris in the Izmir Ethnography Museum.