Cambodian Apsara dance costume

Recently I have visited Cambodia and while being impressed by the architectural wonders of the Angkor Wat I was absolutely captivated by the Cambodian Classical Apsara dance. This dance is very slow and delicate and every gesture and pose is full of effortless grace and beauty. And not only I was charmed by the dance itself but by the costumes of the performers.
Apsaras are celestial dancers who entertain the gods and kings in Hindu mythology. They are spirits representing water and clouds (since the fluidity of the dance). The power of Apsaras over men is beyond comparison as both mortals and divinities cannot resist the charms of the celestial dancers. The Apsara dance already existed in the 6th-7th centuries. Hundreds of Apsaras are depicted on the stone carved walls of the Angkor site, especially in Angkor Wat and the ancient city of Angkor Thom and costumes of the present day Apsara dancers are based on those carvings.

The Art of Kimono

photo courtesy Stefan Schlautmann

One of the things that I would definitely like to try on one day is a kimono. Such a simple in its construction garment yet so beautiful and elegant it looks on a woman. And the prints and motifs that decorate some special occasion pieces? They are simply fascinating, real works of art decorated with brush painting, embroidery, tie-dyeing, applique and even with gold and silver.

Court dress in Burma, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Throughout history there has always been significant difference between the costume of nobles and that of ordinary people. In many countries there were special laws that dictated what could or could not be worn by who. For those who appeared at court requiries were even more specific and more strict. My today's post is about interesting examples of court dress in the 19th century Burma, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Peranakan traditional wedding dress

photo courtesy Wyndson 

 During my last stay in Singapore a few months ago I visited the Peranakan Museum and was really impressed with the amazing examples of peranakan handicrafts: beadwork, jewelry and textiles. A whole chamber of the museum was dedicated specifically to Peranakan weddings and I have to say that their wedding ensembles are one of the most beautiful, colourful and rich ones that I have ever seen. First of all, who are the Peranakans? The term Peranakan generally refers to people of mixed Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage. Many Peranakans trace their origins to 15th century Malacca where their ancestors were thought to be Chinese traders who married local women. The Peranakans were also known as Straits Chinese as they were usually born in the British-controlled Straits Settlements of Singapore, Penang and Malacca. They combined the elements of the Chinese, Malay and sometimes European culture into their own.

The palm leaf hat of Vietnam

When I was on holidays in Vietnam I felt it would be such a pity to be there and not to try wearing something Vietnamese. Alas, the choice was not that big. Their traditional dress, ao dai, was not available in a ready-made variant and I was just too lazy to be bothered ordering it at the tailor's. So, the only other thing left was their traditional palm-leaf hat, nón lá. Especially considering that it cost almost nothing and was available literally at every corner.

This conical is a symbol of nation, the item that can be easily recognized at any part of the world as Vietnamese. These hats have been made by peasants from time immemorial. The popularity of it can be explained by the availability of the palm leaves and bamboo from which the hats are made from, by the simplicity of the construction techniques and by the multi-functionality of the hat itself. It not only offered protection from the sun and rain. It could serve, for example, as a fan, as a basket to hold things when shopping or as a water container for drinking. However the shape of a hat and the material it was made from depended on the owner's social position: different kinds of hats have been made for soldiers, mandarins, monks and even for kings.

Vietnamese Soldiers in conical hats statues at Khai Dinh Emperor's Mausoleum, Hue, Vietnam. Photo source

Besides, this simple conical hat plays important role in tradition of worshipping Holy Mothers. The Holy Mothers are worshipped in small temples and shrines that are sometimes built behind a pagoda. They symbolise the universe's four worlds: Heaven, Earth, Water, and Mountains and Forests. On the ceilings of the temples and shrines dedicated to the Holy Mothers hand many conical paper hats of four colours representing the four Mothers: red for Heaven, white for Water, yellow for Earth and green for Mountains and Forests.

Kate Moss by Bruce Weber for Vogue US June 1996. Photo  source

What are my personal impressions of wearing this hat? I can say that it is the best choice of a head cover to wear in such climate: it is light and being made of natural material it gives perfect protection from the scorching tropical sun without making your head sweating underneath. 

I wore it during our excursions to the ancient town of Hoi An and to the jungles of My Son, I wore it on the beach. Perhaps I didn't look that glamorous in it but still I felt gracefull enough and comfy. And yes, very Vietnamese.

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Beautiful Japanese dolls in traditional dresses

Some time ago there was an exhibition at the Japanese embassy dedicated to traditional dolls of Japan. Couldn't miss it because firstly, still have this childish weakness for dolls; second, Japanese dolls are really something special, they were created not as toys for children but like some type of art to admire; and third, those dolls are dressed in traditional clothes which would never fail to arouse my interest. Besides, Japanese culture has always been fascinating to me. At the exhibition I could not only enjoy the beautiful dolls but find out something new from the information written on the stands.

Strange smiles of the Ainu women

Ainu woman, 1901, photo source

I have already written about the Ainu people costume and jewelry (here). And today's post is about another interesting feature that used to distinguish this ethnic group, particularly women. I am talking about tattoo. What was so unusual about the Ainu tattoo? Well, until very recently (the last fully tattooed Ainu woman died in 1998), Ainu women had black tattoos, resembling clown smiles, around their lips. And though Ainu women were also tattooed on the backs of the hands, wrists, forearms, eyebrows and forehead as well, their tattooed smiles were the most characteristic feature, and the most striking for any newcomer I would say.

Not just a baby carrier

photo source

The women of many Dayak  tribes weave glass beads into fascinating patterns that are used to decorate the unusual baby baskets that are sometimes the most valuable piece of property that a family possesses.
This type of baby basket is called ba. Mothers use them to carry their babies around on their backs from their birth and until they are two years old. The framework for the basket is usually made of rattan, which is then decorated with a complex fabric of beads.

Traditional embroidery of the republics of Central Asia

Embroidered wall hanging, Shakrisyabz, Uzbekistan, 19th century. Cotton, with chain-stitch embroidery in silk and red wool, trimmed with djiyak braid. Design Museum, Helsinki 

Embroidery is an important cultural tradition in Central Asia. Literally everything is decorated with embroidery  - wall hangings, curtains, cushions-covers, bed-covers, bags, animal trappings, women's headdresses and tunics, trousers and boots. A guest may be offered a piece of embroidery as a token of friendship or as a good luck talisman for the journey.
All types of thread are used for embroidery: metal, wool, cotton, silk. The most common stitches are couching, buttonhole and chain stitch, herringbone. Usually one type of stitch dominates the embroidery of a particular ethnic group. For example, a lacing stitch is much used by the Turkmen tribes, satin stitch characterizes the Kohistan embroidery, and Uzbek and Hazara embroiderers use various types of cross stitch.

Ainu people costume and jewelry

Ainu wearing their traditional costume, photo courtesy  Roderick Eime

Have you ever heard about Ainu? Well, in case you haven't, they are indigenous people of Japan who used to live all over its territory in ancient times but not much of them are left now and nowadays they live mainly on Japanese Hokkaido and the Kuriles and southern Sakhalin Island of Russia. I decided to dedicate a post to this small ethnic group because the main element of their traditional costume, a robe worn by women and men alike, is considered one of the most unique and distinctive pieces of clothing in the world of ethnic dress. First, interesting were materials which Ainu originally used to create these robes: they could be made of plant fiber - bark of elm trees, for example; of animal fur/skin - dog's, bear's, seal's; of bird skin and feathers and even...of fish skin. Can you imagine a wearable robe made from fish skin? Honestly, I can't. But it turns out that garments made of fish skin are strong, light, durable and waterproof. Amazing, isn't it? It seems Ainu used all the nature resources available. Of course, nowadays nobody makes clothes from such unusual "fabrics" any more, with time cotton and silk started to be used, though traditional "bark" robes are still can be found.

Turkish beauties of the 1930s in traditional costumes

Baggy salvar pants, front-opening fitted gown entari worn over a chemise or shift, long-sleeved short jacket mintan, outer robe kaftan, small pillbox hat and large veil, woven sash - those are the elements of traditional woman's dress of Turkey that can be seen on these vintage 1930s photographs. Compromise between emerging western and traditional Ottoman ideas however is also noticeable: the dress is traditional, but not entirely.

Traditional costume of the republics of Central Asia

Girls at the National Dress Festival, Uzbekistan, representing Tashkent and Fergana. Photo  source

I've already written about ethnic jewelry of the republics of Central Asia and today's post is about their traditional costume.
Traditional costume in Central Asia is still very much alive and worn in everyday life, partly because it is the most practical wear for this region and partly because it fosters national pride.
The costume worn by men and women has same basic structure and at the same time greatly varies in embelishment, colour and weave of cloth. The three basic pieces are: a tunic, trousers and a variety of coats. Social status and ethnic origin are reflected in the materials from which the basic garments are made. Man's tunic usually comes just below the waist, women wear a longer version that reaches to mid-calf or to the ankle. The colour, pattern and decoration varies from group to group.

Ethnic jewelry of the republics of Central Asia

Turkmen girl wearing traditional guljaka ornament. Photo source

The republics of Central Asia region are Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan and Turkmenistan. The culture of this area has been influenced over the centuries by the many foreign travelers of the legendary Silk Route as well as by the invasive tribal groups of Mongolia and has much in common. Jewelry worn by women of the region, though with some regional differences and preferences, has also much in common.
Gold, silver, turquoise and rubies were mined in Central Asia since ancient times, which led to development of the craft of jewelry-making. The types of jewelry worn by a person varied according to the wearer's age - girls and young women wore more jewelry than older women; social status - the richer the family, the larger and more diverse was the collection of jewelry worn by the woman; and the purpose of decoration: ornaments for festive occasions were most luxurious.

Costumes at the Sri Lankan perahera carnival

When I was making a post about Gay parade in Kathmandu, which reminded me so much of a carnival, I remembered suddenly that doing series of posts about  Sri Lankan costumes I also wanted to show you what the Sri Lankans wear during their local street carnival called perahera but somehow I forgot about it. Well, doing this today. We accidentally bumped into the perahera procession on our way to Galle. It delayed our journey for a couple of hours but man! wan't it worth it! I enjoyed the show greatly. As any carnival the Sri Lankan perahera is a mixture of music, dancing and people dressed in amazing costumes. That was a spectacular sight and of course the most enjoyable for me was watching those bright, colourful and often unusual in design costumes.

Traditional costume of the Akha people

photo courtesy Hakbong Kwon

My today's ethnic post will be about traditional costume of the Akha people. The Akha are an indigenous hill tribe that live in villages in the mountains of southwest China, eastern Myanmar, western Laos, northwestern Vietnam, and northern Thailand. In all these countries they are an ethnic minority. The population of the Akha today is roughly 400,000.
The basic costume of an Akha woman consists of a headdress, a jacket, a short skirt, a sash with decorated ends and ornate leggings. The clothes are spun by hand, weaved together, and dyed indigo by the Akha women. The back and the sleeves of the jacket are embellished with embroidery, satin stitches of bright colours, seeds, silver buttons, coins, beads, shells or tassels depending on the sub-group of Akha.

Non-Hollywood smiles

photo courtesy Linda de Volder

Honestly, who of us doesn't aspire to possess the "Hollywood smile"? Shiny, pearly white even teeth are a dream of so many women and men. Such a smile is considered a major component of an attractive look. Uneven teeth of dubious whiteness no one would call beautiful, not to mention the lack of several teeth. So we spend lots of money on whitening toothpastes, leveling plates, and on regular visits to the dentist'.
However, there are places out there where white teeth smile is not considered beautiful at all, but on the contrary, the holders of such smiles risk to stay lonely and never get married.

Traditional headdresses of the Mongolian women

photo from here

Yesterday I posted a few pictures of the Mongolian wedding dresses that impressed me with their uniqueness and beauty. Today, too, the post is dedicated to the Mongolian women, or rather to their traditional headdresses, which impressed me no less. The most impressive, perhaps, was the head ornament of the married Khalkha women. The main element of their headdress is a special hairstyle, designed to mimic cow's horns. A cow for the Mongols has been the symbol of freedom and nomadic life (I wonder why, because for me there is no more domestic animal than a cow). According to another version, the hairstyle does not imitate horns, but the wings of some mythical bird. In my opinion however, it looks more like horns after all.

Mongolian wedding dresses

Quite accidentally I found these photos of wedding dresses for the Mongolian brides. I was amazed by their beauty and unusual design which combines traditional and modern elements. Very feminine outfits.

Dance costumes of Sri Lanka

Today I want to take you to Sri Lanka again and show you some of its dancing costumes which impressed me no less than the dances themselves. They are striking, colourful, unsual in style, and once seen can't be forgotten.
One of the most impressive from my point of view is so called ves costume, the common dance costume for most of the Kandyan dances. It consists of a large white loincloth, which is wrapped to form a kind of pair of loose trousers. The upper body is bare, except the large breast ornament, a kind of beaded net, constructed of small seashells and silver beads. The arm and shoulder decorations are also made of silver, like the impressive tiara-like headgear with its large ear ornaments. According to studies, it is believed that the outfit was simpler in older times - the tiara was in the form of a naga snake and now it has seven protruding “leaves” or “flames”. It was during the two last centuries that the outfit gradually got its present, spectacular shape.

Stretched ears, a symbol of beauty and high status

photo credit Eko Prianto/CIFOR

The Dayak of Borneo used to be easily recognized by their very much stretched earlobes. In the baby age their ears were pierced and small brass rings were placed in the holes. Then very gradually more and more rings were added with time which caused the earlobes to stretch more and more and the holes bigger and bigger. The more stretched earlobes a woman had the higher status she had in Dayak society (because usually the most stretched ears would have the oldest women). Besides the status thing the stretched ears were considered beautiful. But it is a dying practice now, younger women don't want to do this anymore.