Folk Costume Research Articles (Page 1)

The creative process or product design is impulsive, unpredictable and influenced by a series of factors. Factors that due to the influence of society are shaped by: the action of the characters who constituted the artistic message for generations formed by the folk costume; the capacity for acceptance by social strata of novelties in design, politics, technology, etc.; the capacity for coagulation of an artistic character guided and promoted by society with the imposition of product design demand at the current time. The popular shirt with rolled sleeves as a source is analyzed by: shape with original characteristics, embroidery, cutting method, assembly, outline of the details. The popular product remains that link that contributes to the formation of new ideas in industrial design, textile design, typographic design, etc. For the study or used three basic types of rolled sleeve shirt and ten modeled shirts which were simulated using CLO 3D software. The article will present the constructive parameters of the rolled sleeve shape, a model of a shirt, blouse with a rolled sleeve adapted to the requirements of contemporary clothing, as well as possibility of assembling the rolled sleeve with pave.

The article is devoted to the investigation of traditional folk clothing of the inhabitants of the Bohuslav district of the late 19th – mid-20th centuries. The peculiarities of the folk costume of this district of Kyiv region are explored on the base of the materials collected and recorded during a folklore and ethnographic expedition to the Bohuslav district in May–June, 2024 as a part of the “Clothing and Tradition. Bohuslavshchyna” project, initiated by the members of the community organization “Around us. UA”. In total, 35 settlements have been studied during the expedition, and more than 100 respondents are interviewed. Thus, the article is aimed at the characterizing the peculiarities of folk costumes of the Bohuslav district in the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. The object of the study is traditional Ukrainian clothing worn in the Bohuslav district of the Kyiv region in the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. The subject of the submitted work includes the local peculiarities of the folk costume of the Bohuslav region of this period, the state of preservation of traditional clothing in the region in the twenty-first century. The clothes complexes (underwear, belt, chest, outerwear, belts, headdresses, jewelry and footwear) are analyzed in the terms of their aesthetic sophistication and pragmatism. The methods of making Bohuslav clothing and the materials used for this purpose are studied. The features common to the costumes of various regions of Ukraine, as well as distinctive features typical for the Middle Over Dnipro Lands are described. It is mentioned about the use of clothing elements in the ritual culture and beliefs related to attire. The influence of socio-economic factors on the formation of the features of folk clothes of Bohuslav region is emphasized. Attention is paid to the fact that, despite the gradual extinction of traditional culture, the scientists are able to record field data from authentic carriers even in 2024. It is shown that folk costumes are one of the important determinants of the identification discourse of Ukrainians, as well as an original ethno-cultural marker of a particular region.

In addition to the official national symbols, such as the flag, national holidays, and the national anthem, which imply a constitutional identity that defines Romania, there are also unofficial national symbols, such as national epics, folk costumes, traditions, and customs. These symbols are mainly an expression of the national identity, inspiring pride, and patriotism in the Romanian people. They also play an important role in strengthening and preserving the national cohesion, and commemorating the nation's historical struggles and victories. This national identity is expressed not only through national symbols with political and national responsibility, but also through flora and fauna, tangible and intangible heritage, which particularly reflects the national spirituality defined by ideas such as national sentiment, nature, tradition, love, heroism, and patriotism. In the Romanian mentality, the national symbol is found not only in the products of political and social compromises, but also in the connection between humans and nature, which is the result of their organic tradition and continuity that has lasted for thousands of years. In particular, the 1989 revolution not only meant the collapse of communism, the change of the system, and the change of lifestyle and thinking, but also brought about great changes in the national symbol. During the socialist period, Romania's national symbols were deeply influenced by communist ideology and reflected the regime's achievements and values, such as economic centralization and socialist construction. However, after the collapse of the communist regime, Romania revised these national symbols and returned to its historical and cultural traditions. This change in national consciousness and national symbols is an example of the process of transitioning from an authoritarian regime to a democratic regime and rebuilding national identity after communism.

In contrast to the past, when traditional clothes are worn mainly at celebrations regarding national, local or religious holidays, nowadays embroidered garments are often used to express one’s ethnic origin, worldview and willingness to keep elements of a given culture alive. On the territory of Ukraine such an element of the native traditional costume is the embroidered shirt – vishivanka. In the past, as an oberig (amulet), it is believed to protect against harm and diseases. Nowadays, it is seen as a means to express one’s ethnic and national identity. As such, it takes central place in new invented traditions – marches in embroidered shirts (since 2008) and the Day of the embroidered shirt (since 2006) – introduced by young Ukrainians to preserve Ukrainian values and folk costumes and rites. In the text are considered both new traditions, i.e. their origin, spread, characteristics in Ukraine as well as by the Ukrainian diaspora in Bulgaria. Empirical data has been gathered for the period of three years (2016-2018) by means of semi-structured interviews and virtual ethnography methods.

Since the 18th century, Russia has seen a growing interest in the ethnography and culture of peoples, which was reflected in publications in periodicals. Artists, such as Karl Fyodorovich Huhn (1831–1877), took an active part in the creation of illustrations reflecting the life and traditional costumes of various peoples, including the Tatars. K.F. Huhn, known for his watercolors and engravings, accurately conveyed details of costumes and daily life, which makes his works an important historical source. The master’s works were published in Russian and foreign periodicals, such as the magazines Niva, Picturesque Review, World Illustration, and the German illustrated sheet Münchener Bilderbogen. Not only exact copies of Karl Fyodorovich’s watercolors were published, but also the artist himself created collages combining various subjects. His works were often reprinted and were included in ethnographic collections. Four engravings based on his images were published in the Niva magazine from 1875 to 1887, and three more were published in Zhivopisnoye Obozreniye and Vsemirnaya Illustratsiya. In Münchener Bilderbogen, K.F. Huhn prepared two illustrated sheets that later became prototypes for Russian publications. A study of the graphic works of the artist K.F. Huhn showed that they not only reflect the cultural and historical aspects of Tatars’ life, but also demonstrate the evolution of folk costume and artistic style. His legacy includes oil paintings, pencil sketches, watercolors, engravings and lithographs, which continue to be a valuable source for the study of ethnography and art of the 19th century.

The phenomenon of folk costume, including Russian costume, is usually considered within the framework of ethnographic approach, i.e. through the prism of its existence in the conditions of a particular ethnic group and/or territory. This article offers a different, cultural-historical perspective, which allows, first, to see the difference between folk and national costume; second, to trace the transformation of the structure and functionality of folk costume in a noble environment alien to it; third, to form an idea of “Russian costume” as an instrument of internal and external political presentation of the Russian power elites.With the variety of forms of actualization of Russian folk costume to new social conditions (the highest noble circles, the court of Russian emperors), which included copying, quotation, stylization and palimpsest, they all fit into a number of certain common trends, among which are: 1) social relocation and differentiation (change of the traditional social environment of folk costume); 2) ideologization (the solution of a number of state tasks with the help of “Russian costume” - from marking belonging to the upper class to reinforcing the “monarchical myth”); 3) carnivalization (deformation of the authenticity of folk costume, its original symbols, structure, functionality; use of stylization techniques and allusions in the formation of the image of “Russian costume”); 4) internationalization (popularization of “Russian costume” outside Russia, mainly in Europe, as an attribute and the main marker of Russian culture).

The Albanian xhubleta (indefinite xhublete) is a traditional dress worn by women in the isolated northern highland regions of Albanian and Kosovo. It is considered to be one of the oldest traditional folk costumes in the Balkans. Many scholars have noted the ancient features of the dress (Coon 1950: 15-16; Stipcevic 1977: 90; Belkaid 2013; Gjokaj 2021: 81-2, vol. I). The only proposed etymology for the word xhubleta is found in Topalli (2017: 1604-5), which posits it as a loan from Turkish. Difficult from both the phonological and morphological perspective, I posit a different etymology, with regular phonological change from the Indo-European starting point of *h1su-melit 'having good honey', a possessive adjectival compound type found elsewhere within the Indo-European language family. Relevant to this proposal is the specialized status of the bee in the Albanian law code, the Kanun, the aesthetically similar appearance of the xhubleta with the Cretan skirt (Belkaid 2013: 12), and the Greek myth of the goddess of 'bees and honey' Melissa, who nourished the infant Zeus on the island of Crete. All of these may indicate an ancient origin of the xhubleta.

Clothing is a social product that represents both individual and collective manifestations of identity, functioning as a system of signs. This study examines the relationship between fashion and resilience as factors driving changes in the traditional folk costume of Romanian women from Rupea, Brașov County, from the late 19th century to the present. The research is based on semi-structured interviews with locals and enhanced by photo elicitation and participant observation, where the authors served as community insiders. The study first describes the local folk costume’s main distinguishing features, which locals use as indicators of community status. Next, it analyzes the transformations of the folk costume and their sources, including fashion, which facilitated the adoption of external influences based on their association with prestige, and resilient responses to challenges during the period under investigation. The research also demonstrates how Rupea’s Romanian residents managed to preserve and capitalize on the folk costume and community traditions after the Communist Party’s rise to power in Romania. These transformations in folk costume did not diminish its function as a system of signs. The preservation of its significance and traditions demonstrates cultural resilience in an urban environment and supports the role of local communities in sustainably managing intangible cultural heritage resources.

In ethnographic souvenir products, the use of the uniqueness of the female image is widely practiced, which should symbolize the ethnos and its place of habitation, fulfilling the main function of a souvenir – to remind. The article aims to identify and record ethno-identifying features of appearance, with the help of which souvenir creators form the Buryat female image in jewelry. Based on the method of studying elements of appearance with the involvement of historical photographic materials, in the process of researching the Buryat folk costume, which acts as an ethno-marker, using compositional, comparative, and ethno-cultural methods, the authors conducted an analysis of women’s jewelry. The scientific novelty lies in identifying and ranking the frequency of using artistic techniques in the process of creating a female image for souvenir products, based on the use of ethno-identifying anthropological, functional, and social features of appearance, among which the main one is the traditional costume. As a result, the problems and errors in creating ethnic images have been identified.

The Villa Badessa costume is an integral component of the diverse mosaic of traditional dress worn by the Arbëresh community. This dress is distinctive due to its resemblance to the two-apron type seen in Albania, as well as its notable divergence from other Arbëresh community costumes. The resemblance of their traditional costumes to those of Southern Albania stems from the fact that they originated from the village of Piqeras during the mid-18th century, a period when folk costumes in Arbëresh communities and Albania had developed distinct characteristics, shaped by two different, historical, geographical, and cultural trajectories. In contrast to other Arbëresh communities in southern Italy, the residents of Villa Badessa have managed to maintain the tradition of the men’s costume. Costumes serve as nonverbal means of communication, functioning as codes that uniquely convey individual identities. Costumes can surpass other significant elements, including language and customs, in representing a community’s ethnic identity because of several factors. Even when a costume is no longer in use and is nearing the point of being completely forgotten, these factors act as reactivation mechanisms that draw attention to it visually and physically. This example is illustrated by Villa Badessa, a case in point. In cases where ethnic identity is not under threat, such as in the homeland, traditional clothing adapts due to historical, social, and economic factors, frequently resulting in its eventual disappearance from memory. Over time, the unique features of the costume lose their distinctiveness, weakening its core identity and diminishing its significance in preserving local customs and cultural heritage. Received: 18 September 2024 / Accepted: 31 December 2024 / Published: 05 January 2025

Aino Voolmaa (1920–2000) was an Estonian ethnographer whose productive years coincided with the Soviet era. She carved out a place in Estonian cultural history through her nearly four decades of work as an acclaimed authority on folk dress and popularizer of the tradition. Largely due to Voolmaa’s consistent, active efforts, preservation of historical authenticity was a key principle when it came to revival of folk costume. Voolmaa’s research articles and a book, Eesti rahvarõivad (Estonian Folk Costume, 1981) are still in use by both folk dress historians and aficionados. However, very little has been written about her life and work. Voolmaa graduated from upper secondary school in Tallinn in 1940 and entered the Tallinn University of Technology. In 1942, she opted to transfer to the University of Tartu, where she mainly concentrated on ethnography studies. In autumn 1947, Aino was hired by the Estonian National Museum, and she remained closely affiliated with this institution for the rest of her life. Voolmaa worked as a research employee for the museum, starting as a junior researcher and winding up as a research director. During her career as a researcher, Voolmaa made a mark as a successful folk dress scholar and popularizer, and her role as museum staff member was just as significant. Over the years, she took part in nearly all major facets of museum work involving acquisitions, preservation, investigation and various means of dissemination. She participated in various research projects and amassed thousands of pages of material in reference works (mainly in the field of clothing) in the course of field work conducted in many parishes in Estonia, which she relied on to write research articles. She also successfully presented her findings at conferences in Estonia and abroad and was a valued lecturer. Her body of work undoubtedly represents important source material for current researchers. Aino considered the museum a very important professional venue for her, and she became one of the main organizers of exhibitions on Estonian folk dress and art at the museum. Fittingly, her professional career culminated in a grand folk dress exhibition displayed in Tallinn (1982), Võru (1983) and Leningrad (1983–1984). The aforementioned three-volume Estonian Folk Costume, published in conjunction with the artist Melanie Kaarma in 1981, can be considered a summation of her life’s work; it remains an invaluable reference text for people choosing folk costume. As a popularizer of the wearing of folk costume, Voolmaa played an outsize role, and advocated making traditional clothing according to historical models appropriate to a certain place. With almost pedantic accuracy, she kept an eye on the making and wearing of traditional clothing and pointed out any mistakes. Characterized by an active mindset, Voolmaa fulfilled various social outreach duties both within and outside of the museum. She joined the Party in 1964, but it did not lead to any significant advancement on the career ladder. Her aspiration for a doctoral degree did not come to fruition but her influence as an ethnographer in Estonian society was quite extensive and enduring, particularly in the field of folk costume.

The article examines how some Russian folk costume items were depicted in folklore genres for children, such as lullabies, nursery rhymes, and tongue twisters, and why they were mentioned in the children’s folklore texts. The list of pieces of clothing and costume details includes a wide array of items ranging from infant attire to outfits for young adults and married and elderly people. The author demonstrates the use of hyperbole, metaphor and metonymy, as well as variants of modality in the depiction of costume elements from the perspective of reality/unreality, possibility/impossibility, intention and desire. The article especially focuses on the goals of the inclusion of these subjects in the pictorial fabric of the texts of children’s folklore. These goals could be cognitive (i.e., not only improving vocabulary but also providing a deeper understanding of the correspondence of certain details of the costume to the socio-age stratification), of a programming nature (in terms of the well-being of the child’s fate), developmental regarding the child’s emotional perception of reality, and socializing.

The oldest elements of women’s wedding folk costumes in Europe on the examples of Mordovian and Macedonian costumes

Josef Gutkaiss (1834 – 1913), born in Austrian town Margarethen am Moos close to Linz, contributed significantly to the development of European and world photography. He lived and worked in Switzerland and Italy and in 1864 he moved to Banská Bystrica. His studio was located and operated in Dolná Street. As the years went by, he opened branches in other cities in the area of present Slovakia. Using large-scale photographic devices captured Josef Gutkaiss scenes of everyday life, industrial plants in Pohronie, figures from central Slovakia dressed in traditional folk costumes, as well as important people from public and political life. He also contributed significantly to the promotion of Banská Bystrica.

The inhabitants of the Czech-German city of Brno stopped wearing traditional costumes in the mid-nineteenth century, and only several suburban villages supplying the market with local products kept them as a sign of quality. Material documents have disappeared; the oldest pictorial sources date from the turn of the twentieth century. Under the influence of svéráz [» peculiarity] and due to the need to demonstrate belonging to the Czech nation, festive folk dress from the Kyjov area was worn in the interwar period. In the second half of the twentieth century, this type of folk dress was also worn at kermesses. In the new millennium, individual city districts have made greater effort to restore the original folk dress ensembles. Sometimes, this is initiated by members of folk ensembles and local history and geography enthusiasts, but in many cases this activity comes from the ranks of political representatives. The restoration of folk costumes has thus become a matter of prestige, leading to competition between neighbouring city districts. The quality of the folk costumes corresponds to the level of effort to achieve credibility, and the financial resources available.

The article the effective means of displaying the spring-summer cycle of Ukrainian calendar rites in folk dance ensembles by choreographers have been identified and theoretically substantiated, namely: dance vocabulary of Ukrainian folk stage dance, dramaturgy of the work, dance patterns, Ukrainian folk costumes, the Kupala tree, Ukrainian folk and mythological images: Ivan Kupala, Marena, lyrical images of Ukrainian girls, courageous images of Ukrainian boys, images of birds, Spring. The features of vesnyanka, haivka and Kupala rites of Ukrainians and the specifics of their display by Ukrainian choreographers in modern choreographic works have been highlighted.Methods and methodology. The following theoretical methods were used in the study: the method of analysis and synthesis was used for the purpose of researching literary sources on the subject of a scientific article; the method of systematization of information sources made it possible to systematize different views of scientists on the problem being studied; the method of terminological analysis was used to clarify and specify the content of the concepts: «freckles», calendar rites of Ukrainians»; the culturological method was used to analyze the peculiarities of the display of Ukrainian calendar rites by ballet masters in folk stage dances; activity approach - was used to analyze the ritual dances of modern Ukrainian ballet masters and the specifics of their use of expressive means of dance in them.The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time effective means of displaying the spring-summer cycle of Ukrainian calendar rites by ballet masters in folk dance ensembles have been discovered, namely: dance vocabulary of Ukrainian folk stage and stylized dance, dramaturgy works, dance drawings, Ukrainian folk, Ukrainian folk and mythological images: Ivan Kupala, Marena, lyrical images of Ukrainian girls, courageous images of Ukrainian boys, images of birds, Spring; the essence of the key concepts of the study was specified and concretized: «calendar rites of Ukrainians», «freckles».Results. As a result of the scientific research, it was found that the calendar rituals of the springsummer cycle are associated with certain natural phenomena or the change of seasons, for example, the ritual of Ivan Kupala or the spring equinox ritual, during which vesnianky were performed. Additionally, the classification of vesnianky has been refined: zaklykalni (invocative) – invoking the arrival of spring (the Volyn-Podlasie “rogulky”); khorovodni (round-dance songs) (greeting and praising the arrival of spring); haivky (related to Easter celebrations by the time of their performance); Yuriyivski, Tsarski, and Rusalni (Trinity and bush rituals). An analysis was conducted on the repertoire of amateur and professional folk dance ensembles in Ukraine that reflect the rituals of spring welcoming and Kupala rituals, namely: the Honored Academic Bukovinian Song and Dance Ensemble, whose repertoire includes the one-act ballet by H. Asenkova; the Honored Dance Ensemble of Ukraine «Yunost» with the choreographic ethno-performance «Look at Our Land,» which showcases the ritual of Ivan Kupala (choreographer M. Vankovska); the People’s Dance Ensemble «Barvinok» with the choreographic piece «Ivan Kupala» (choreographer M. Kvitchata), and the choreographic group «Kraski Tantsa» with the production «Kupala Festivities» (choreographer S.Zhitskaya).Conclusions. Thus, a distinctive feature of Ukrainian ritual dances of the spring-summer period is the organic combination of words, music, mimics, dance vocabulary (mainly round dances), dramaturgy (syncretism), Kupala and spring artistic images (Spring, birds, Ivan Kupala, young girls and boys), compositional patterns, national attributes (wreaths, Kupala tree, river, fire), and Ukrainian national costumes (embroidered shirts, tunics, ribbons, wreaths), which ensure the integrity of the phenomenon. Considering the expressive means of dance (music, compositional patterns, dance vocabulary, artistic images, dramaturgy), Ukrainian ritual dances of the spring-summer cycle are divided into the following groups:1. Dances with a circular structure featuring one, two, or a group of girls around (Marena, Kupala);2. Single-line dances («Kryvyi Tanets»);3. Double-line dances («Verbova Doshechka»). It should be noted that the theoretical propositions of the article can be used by choreography teachers, leaders of dance groups, and ballet masters in the creation of highly artistic choreographic works based on Ukrainian calendar rituals.

The work represents a study of the clothing item, the chimir, also called a leather belt, or a belt for men. When examining the wide leather chimir called the key functional element of the Moldovan folk costume for men, a number of museums, art centers from the North, Center and South of the country were visited, including: the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History, belt craftsmen from the territory of the Republic of Moldova, specialists of the National Library and other institutions that have information about this researched product. As a result of the research, it was observed that the chimir is different in size, ornamentation, such as the method of fastening, the raw material from which it is made and regional diversity. Thanks to the skills of the country’s folk craftsmen, the chimir has been preserved to this day in the costume of ethno-folkloric ensembles, orchestras. It is worn by performers and artists from ethnocultural, folklore centers and various dance ensembles. In Moldova the chimir is present in the authentic and original clothing of the popular men’s wear, being a reflection of our unique culture. The historiography of the work includes a variety of bibliographic sources found in libraries and museums, as well as recorded techniques for making belts by folk craftsmen.

The article analyzes the experience of the Russian Ethnographic Museum (REM) in preparing exhibition projects dedicated to the study and display of traditional clothing typical of the peoples of Eurasia in the 18th–20th centuries. These projects in the context of “Anthropology of the Thing” were divided into exhibitions of complete costume complexes; exhibitions of individual costume elements, and exhibitions demonstrating various materials and techniques for making folk clothing. These thematic exhibitions held with the annual scientific conferences “Fashion and Design: Historical Experience – New Technologies” held by the REM jointly with the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design and the State Hermitage Museum. The long-term exhibition project “Anthropology of the Thing” allows us to consider the issues of costume and textile design using the example of studying museum collections in combination with discussions at scientific conferences attended by both museum staff and a wide range of specialists in the field of costume and fashion history, archaeologists, ethnographers, art historians, designers, fashion designers, etc.

The purpose of the article is to analyze information about the clothes of the northeastern Bashkirs contained in the field records of the famous historian and ethnographer Rail Gumerovich Kuzeev and introduce them into scientific circulation. These materials complement previously published ethnographic sources about the northeastern complex of the traditional Bashkir costume, clarify and concretize our ideas about its evolution, about the time of transition from homespun clothes to clothes made from factory fabrics, about the tradition of abundantly decorating it with tambour embroidery. Since collecting information about Bashkir folk costume was not the main purpose of R.G. Kuzeev’s field research, information about clothes in his field diaries is fragmentary and distributed among his other records, which makes it difficult to perceive and use them. Therefore, their identification and analysis were an urgent task for specialists studying the problems of traditional clothing of the peoples of the Volga-Ural region, the issues of ethnography of Bashkirs. The great value of the information contained in the field records of R.G. Kuzeev is that they were made in the middle of the twentieth century. (in 1959), and the older of his informants were born at the end of the XIX century. and could describe the clothes of the late XIX — early XX century. The twentieth century and the changes that took place during the first half of the twentieth century. This article continues the series of articles by the author devoted to Bashkir clothing in the materials of R.G. Kuzeev’s field diaries.

The article is devoted to the problem of decorating the texture of interior textiles with smocking. The article systematizes information on the history of smocking development, develops a classification of smocking designs, and substantiates recommendations on the geometric parameters of smocking on interior textiles. The paper uses descriptive and historical approaches to systematize and classify the types of smocking designs. As a result of the analysis of literary sources and museum exhibits, it was found that smocking as a figurative gathering of the fabric into several rows of assemblies have been known in Europe since the 16th century, and were also used in folk costumes of Ukraine and England. Since the 1970s, smocking has gained popularity as an element of clothing and interior textiles embellishments. As the review of clothing models with smocking of various designers showed, the most common in clothing is embroidery on top of the assemblies, Waffle and Basket smocking. Smocking is placed on the bodice, on the top of the skirt, on the bottom of the sleeves. In interior textiles, smocking is placed mainly in the upper part of curtains, on pillows, on bedspreads, on tablecloths. An author’s classification of smocking has been developed according to their design and technological features: the method of execution, the shape and arrangement of cells, the type of stitch, materials for the formation and decoration of assemblies.