[go: up one dir, main page]
More Web Proxy on the site http://driver.im/
Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Folk costume

Traditional clothing usually associated with a geographic area From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Folk costume
Remove ads

Folk costume is clothing of an ethnic group, nation or region, and expresses cultural, religious or national identity. It includes both everyday and formal wear.

Thumb
Thumb
Thumb
Thumb
From top, left to right: Filipinos (Igorot), Kenyans, Ukrainians and Peruvians dressed in traditional garments

Terminology

Folk costume may also be called national costume, regional costume, traditional dress, traditional attire, folk attire, or regalia; an ethnic group's clothing may be called ethnic clothing or ethnic dress.

The word costume in "folk costume" is sometimes considered pejorative, particularly among Native Americans, as the word has more than one meaning.[1][2][3]

Overview

Following the rise of romantic nationalism in parts of Europe,[4] pre-industrial peasantry came to serve as an ideal of authenticity. Garments evoking peasant dress were made from traditional pre-industrial textiles.

In regions where Western dress styles are common, traditional garments are often worn during special events or celebrations. International events may cater to non-Western attendees with a compound dress code such as "business suit or national dress".

In some contemporary societies, traditional garments are required by sumptuary laws.

Remove ads

Africa

Summarize
Perspective

Central Africa

Cameroon

Thumb
Toghu or tugh, the official traditional regalia of Cameroon

Traditional clothing in Cameroon[5][6] includes the pagne, kabba, head tie (female), toghu, boubou, kwa, and gandura (male). Dress is highly dependent on region and ethnicity.

Central African Republic

Traditional attire of the Central African Republic includes the pagne and the boubou.

Chad

In Chad, folk attire includes the boubou, jalabiya, and pagne.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Folk attire of the Democratic Republic of the Congo includes the pagne, Liputa style of dress, and kuba cloth.

Republic of the Congo

In the Republic of the Congo, the pagne and boubou are part of traditional attire.

Equatorial Guinea

The pano is part of the traditional dress of Equatorial Guinea.

Gabon

Traditional attire of Gabon includes the pagne, boubou, and the Abacost suit.[7]

São Tomé and Príncipe

The pano and boubou are traditional attire in São Tomé and Príncipe.

East Africa

Burundi

The imvutano is traditional clothing in Burundi

Comoros

Traditional attire of the Comoros includes lesso, shiromani, salouva, kandu, bwibwi for women, and kofia for men.[8]

Djibouti

In Djibouti, traditional attire includes the macawiis and koofiyad for men, and the dirac and garbasaar for women. The Afar people have their own style of traditional clothing.

Eritrea

Thumb
Tigrinya women dancing in traditional zurias
Thumb
Variety of cultural dress of the Oromo people in Ethiopia
Thumb
A kitenge dress from Kenya
Thumb
A Maasai woman and child

Men in Eritrea wear Kidan Habesha as traditional dress. Women wear the zuria or Habesha kemis.

Ethiopia

Each ethnic group in Ethiopia has a traditional style of dress. Ethiopian traditional clothing includes the Ethiopian suit or Kidan Habesha for men, and the Habesha kemis for women.

Kenya

There is no official national costume of Kenya, but leso (kanga) is worn throughout the country.[9] Kikoi, similar to kanga fabric, is also widespread. All tribes have their respective traditional garments. For example, Maasai clothing includes traditional shuka and beadwork.[9]

Madagascar

Thumb
A Sakalava musician in Madagascar wearing a traditional lamba

The lamba is part of the traditional dress of Madagascar.

Mauritius and Réunion

In Mauritius and Réunion, the sega is part of traditional clothing.

Rwanda

Thumb
Rwandan dancers wearing imishanana

The mushanana is traditional clothing in Rwanda.

Seychelles

Thumb
Kamntole clothes in Seychelles

Seychelles traditional dress includes the kanmtole.

Somalia

In Somalia, traditional dress includes the kanzu or khamiis and kitenge. For men, traditional clothing also includes the macawiis and koofiyad. Women may wear the dirac, guntiino, and garbasaar.

Sudan

In Sudan, folk costume includes the jalabiyyah and taqiyyah. Men may wear turbans; women may wear the toob, a long garment.

Tanzania

Traditional dress in Tanzania varies by tribe, and may include the kanzu and kofia for men, and the kanga for women.[9]

Uganda

Folk costume in Uganda includes the kanzu and kofia (male), and the gomesi (female). In southwestern Uganda, women's traditional dress includes the mushanana.

Thumb
Baganda people in their cultural outfits. Men put on kanzu, and women wear the ggomeesi in Uganda

North Africa

Algeria

Thumb
Traditional gandoura, also called djebba fergani, from Algeria

In Algeria, cultural dress includes the burnous, ghlila, caftan, gandoura, haik, jellaba, m'laya, and sarouel. In northern Algeria, clothing includes the karakou (in Algiers), labsa Naïlia (among Ouled Naïl), and labsa M'zabia (among Mozabite people). In northeastern Algeria, dress includes Gandoura Annabiya (in Annaba), qashabiya and melhfa chaouïa (among Chaoui people), labsa Kbaylia (among Kabyle people), and binouar Staifi (in Sétif). In northwestern Algeria, traditional dress includes the blouza in Oran and the chedda of Tlemcen. In southern Algeria, the tagelmust is traditional attire; traditional clothing of the Tuareg people includes the akhebay. In Western Algeria, Sahrawis wear the el-melhfa Sahraoui.

Egypt

Thumb
Egyptian musicians wearing galabiyat

Traditional attire in Egypt includes the galabeya.

Libya

Traditional dress of Libya includes the jellabiya, farmla (embroidered vest), and fouta.

Morocco

In Morocco, traditional attire includes the djellaba, fez, balgha, and takchita.

Thumb
Moroccan women wearing takshita in 1939

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Cultural attire in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic includes the darra'a for men and the el-melhfa Sahraoui for women.

Tunisia

Thumb
Traditional Tunisian clothing, including safasir

Traditional attire in Tunisia includes the jebba, chechia, and fouta.

Southern Africa

Angola

Traditional clothing in Angola includes the pano.

Botswana

In Botswana, traditional attire includes the ieteisi and tshega.

Lesotho

Thumb
Basotho women wearing traditional blankets in Lesotho
Thumb
Malawian women wearing kitenge fabric
Thumb
Mozambican woman wearing a capulana

Traditional attire in Lesotho includes shweshwe clothing, basotho blankets, and mokorotlo.

Malawi

Chitenje is part of the traditional clothing of Malawi.

Mozambique

In Mozambique, cultural attire includes the capulana.[10]

Namibia

In Namibia cultural dress includes Herero traditional clothing, like the ohorokova dress and the otjikaiva hat.[10][11]

South Africa

Thumb
Xhosa women wearing Shweshwe fabric in South Africa
Thumb
Zulu traditional attire in South Africa

In South Africa, traditional attire of Xhosa people includes the umbhaco for men and women. For women, dress includes the faskoti, inxili (sling bag), ncebetha, iqhiya, and ibhayi. For men, it includes the ingqosha, isidanga, and unngqa.[10] Among Zulu people, traditional clothing includes the isicholo, isidwaba, umutsha, and ibheshu.[10] For Sotho people, traditional dress includes shweshwe, basotho blankets, and mokorotlo. Afrikaners and Rooineks may wear a slouch hat, safari shirt, veldskoen, knee-high socks, khaki Bermuda shorts or trousers.

Zambia

In Zambia, traditional attire includes chitenje.

Zimbabwe

Traditional clothing in Zimbabwe includes the ibhetshu, isidwaba, isicholo, and chitenje.

West Africa

Thumb
A Yoruba man in a traditional agbada

Benin

In Benin, cultural attire includes the dashiki suit, fila gobi, abeti aja, and kufi for men, and the Iro ati Buba and wrapper set for women.

Burkina Faso

Cultural attire in Burkina Faso includes batakari for men and kaftan for women.

Cape Verde

In Cape Verde, traditional attire includes the pano de terra.

Côte d'Ivoire

In Ivory Coast, traditional clothing includes the kente cloth for men and kente kaba and slit set for women.

Gambia

Traditional clothing of the Gambia includes the boubou for men and kaftans for women.

Ghana

Thumb
A drummer wearing a dashiki in Accra, Ghana

In Ghana, traditional attire for men includes the kente cloth or Ghanaian smock (called fugu or batakari)[12] kufi, and agbada. For women, it includes the kente kaba and slit set.

Guinea

Traditional clothing of Guinea includes the boubou for men and kaftans for women.

Guinea-Bissau

Traditional clothing in Guinea-Bissau may vary by ethnic group. Traditional attire of the Fula people includes the boubou for men and kaftans for women.

Liberia

In Liberia, traditional attire includes the dashiki suit and kufi for men, and the buba and skirt set for women.

Mali

In Mali, traditional attire includes the grand boubou and kufi for men, kaftan for women, and bogolan.[12]

Mauritania

In Mauritania, traditional dress includes the darra'a for men and melhfa for women.

Niger

Traditional attire of Niger includes souban cloth, melhfa, babban riga, tagelmust, alasho for men, and kaftan for women.

Nigeria

Thumb
A group of Nigerian women wearing pagne (wrappers)

In Nigeria, each ethnic group has a style of traditional dress, worn mostly for special occasions such as weddings and national holidays. For men, traditional attire includes the agbada, dashiki or isiagu, and fila gobi or fila abeti aja. For women, it includes Iro ati Buba and wrappers.

Senegal

Traditional attire in Senegal includes the Senegalese kaftan and kufi for men, and the kaftan for women.

Togo

In Togo, cultural dress for men includes the batakari, agbada, and ewe kente cloth, and the pagne or kente kaba for women.

Remove ads

Americas

Summarize
Perspective

Caribbean

Thumb
A woman wearing a traditional Guadeloupean dress

Antigua and Barbuda

For women in Antigua and Barbuda, national attire is a plaid dress with white pinafore, designed by Heather Doram.

Bahamas

There is no official folk dress of the Bahamas, though clothing made with Androsia may be considered traditional attire. Junkanoo costumes can be considered folk costume but fall more into the sector of carnival dress than traditional garment.

Cuba

In Cuba, traditional dress includes the guayabera and panama hat for men, and the guarachera for women.[13]

Dominican Republic

Traditional attire in the Dominican Republic includes the chacabana and panama hat.

Dominica

The madras is part of traditional attire in Dominica.

Haiti

In Haiti, cultural attire includes the karabela dress for women and shirt jacket for men.

Jamaica

Thumb
Women wearing the quadrille dress, greeting the British royal family in Jamaica

Traditional attire in Jamaica includes the bandana cloth Quadrille dress for women, bandana cloth shirt and white trousers for men, and the Jamaican tam.

Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, men's traditional clothing includes the guayabera and panama hat. Women's traditional attire includes the enagua.[13]

Saint Lucia

The madras is part of traditional attire in Saint Lucia.

Trinidad and Tobago

Cultural dress varies in Trinidad and Tobago. Tobago has an Afro–Tobagonian creole culture with bélé costumes as their typical garment, commonly made of madras. Trinidad has no defined national garment. During cultural occasions, Afro–Trinidadian and Tobagonian men wear guayabera or dashiki, and women wear a booboo. Indo–Trinidadian and Tobagonian men wear kurta, dhoti, sherwani, and women wear sari, choli, and lehenga.

Central America

Belize

In Belize, among mestizos, traditional attire includes the huipil for women and the guayabera for men. Among the Maya peoples, all tribes wear distinct kinds of dress.

Nicaragua

Among women in Nicaragua, traditional attire includes the huipil and rebozo. Men wear the cotona [es].

Guatemala

In Guatemala, traditional clothing includes the huipil, corte skirt, and tocado for women, and the todosantero suit for men.

Thumb
Young Mayan women in traditional dress in Antigua, Guatemala
Thumb
Mayan folk clothing in Guatemala
Thumb
Nebaj Ixil Huipil (c. 1950)

Panama

Traditional attire in Panama includes the pollera for women and montuno for men.

Thumb
Two women wearing pollera in Panama
Thumb
Emberá girls in Panama
Thumb
Guna women wearing molas
Thumb
Guna woman wearing mola

North America

Bermuda

Bermuda shorts are traditional clothing in Bermuda.

Canada

Thumb
Two Inuit women wearing amautiit (skirted style, akuliq) in Nunavut (1995)
Thumb
Cowichan sweater featuring the Thunderbird design

In Canada, different regions have different traditional clothing.

The traditional dress of First Nations peoples, which is often called "regalia", may include the button blanket, buckskins, moccasins, Chilkat blanket, Cowichan sweater, and war bonnet. Traditional attire of the Métis includes the ceinture fléchée, capote, and moccasins. In Nunavut and other Inuit communities, traditional clothing includes the parka, mukluks, and amauti.

For lumberjacks of Quebec and Ontario, traditional logging wear includes mackinaw jackets or flannel shirts, with headgear being a tuque or trapper hat; a good example is seen with folk characters like Big Joe Mufferaw.

In the Maritimes, Acadians wear their traditional heritage clothing on special occasions like the Tintamarre. The Scottish background in Nova Scotia has brought the Nova Scotia tartan as folk wear in the form of kilts, aboyne dresses, and trews for Scottish highland dance competitions.

In Quebec and among French Canadians, traditional clothing includes the ceinture fléchée, capote, and tuque.

In the Prairies, cowboy costume is common for events such as the Calgary Stampede, and is often worn with Calgary White Hats.

Newfoundland – Traditional mummers dress in masks and baggy clothes in Christmas season celebrations; the Cornish influence has also brought yellow oilskins and sou'westers as typical wear in coastal areas.

United States

Thumb
Chief Anotklosh (Taku) wearing a Chilkat robe (c. 1913)
Thumb
Alaska Native dancer performing in a kuspuk (2013)
Thumb
Winnemem Wintu chief Caleen Sisk in traditional dress (2009)
Thumb
Cheyenne dog soldier wearing a feathered headdress (2008)

In the United States, different regions have different traditional clothing.

Styles of traditional Native American clothing vary. Traditional pow-wow regalia for Plains Indians may include moccasins, buckskins, glass beads, breech clouts, and war bonnets or roaches. Among Alaska Natives, traditional attire includes kuspuks worn with dark pants and mukluks, as well as parkas. The clothing of the Yupʼik people is designed to keep the wearer warm and dry in cold weather.

Thumb
Texan folk costume comprising cowboy hats, jeans and checked western shirts (c. 1950)

Western wear is traditional dress in several areas of the United States, including Texas and the Southwest, and rural areas in the Midwest and the West. This attire, derived from Mexican vaquero and American pioneer garb, may include cowboy hats, Western shirts, cowboy boots, jeans, chaps, prairie skirts, and bolo ties.

Due to cold weather, clothing in northern areas—such as the Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and northern New England—tends to include heavier materials. This may include flannel shirts or Buffalo plaid mackinaw jackets, and a knit cap or, in the case of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a Stormy Kromer cap. The attire of folk hero Paul Bunyan may represent this style.

In the Deep South, traditional attire includes white seersucker suits and string ties for men, and sun hats and large Southern belle-style dresses for women. The Cajun people of Louisiana traditionally wear the colorful capuchon for Mardi Gras celebrations. Historically, Creole women wore the tignon, mostly in plain or madras fabrics; it is now sometimes worn for heritage events or for cultural reasons. Gullah communities in the South Carolina Lowcountry and the Sea Islands preserve the traditional African-style clothing and culture.

Thumb
An Amish family in traditional plain dress

Summer residents of Nantucket will often wear Nantucket Reds. In Utah, Mormons may dress in 19th-century pioneer clothing for Mormon Trail–related activities and events. The Amish (mostly found in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana) follow a style of plain dress.

Mexico

The folk dress of Mexico varies by state. For men, traditional dress includes the charro outfit, guayabera, sarape, and sombrero. For women, it includes the rebozo and china poblana dress.

In el Norte, traditional attire may include cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and bandana. Indigenous peoples, like the Yaqui, Seri and Rarámuri, wear traditional apparel. The cuera tamaulipeca [es] ('tamaulipeca leather jacket') is traditional attire in Tamaulipas.

In Querétaro, Hidalgo, and San Luis Potosí, traditional clothing includes the quechquemitl.

In Veracruz, traditional attire includes the guayabera. In Yucatán, it includes the guayabera for men and huipil for women.

The tehuana [es] is traditional attire in Oaxaca.

In Chiapas, the Chiapaneca outfit [es] is traditional attire.

Thumb
Dancers wearing traditional tehuana of Oaxaca

South America

Argentina

In Argentina, traditional folk attire is the gaucho costume. Each province has a specific design of poncho, with the poncho salteño [es] being the most recognized.

Thumb
Félix Díaz, a Qom leader, meets with President Mauricio Macri wearing traditional dress
Thumb
Argentinian man wearing Gaucho clothes

Bolivia

Thumb
Indigenous woman in traditional dress near Cochabamba, Bolivia

In Bolivia, traditional clothing includes the poncho, chullo, and the Andean pollera.

Brazil

In Brazil, each region has its own traditional costume.

In many states within the Amazônia Legal region, Indigenous peoples wear traditional clothes specific to their ethnic groups. An example is the kushma, used by the Asháninka.

In Bahia, the traditional outfits are the baiana [pt] and abadá. In Rio de Janeiro, samba costumes are worn during the four days of Brazilian Carnival by members of samba schools. Outside of Carnival, the most traditional men's attire is that of the malandro carioca ('carioca rascal') or sambista, which includes white pants, a striped shirt, a white jacket, and a straw hat. In São Paulo, Goiás, and nearby states, Caipiras (Brazilian country folk) preserve traditional folk styles of clothing, which are often imitated during festa junina celebrations. In Rio Grande do Sul, the traditional attire is the gaúcho costume. In Pará, the typical clothing is that associated with carimbó, a popular dance from northern Brazil. In the northeastern sertão, cangaceiro clothing is traditional.

Thumb
Baiana dress from Brazil
Thumb
Women wearing baiana dresses in Salvador, Bahia

Chile

In Chile, the traditional attire is the huaso costume, which includes a chamanto, chupalla, and poncho.

Thumb
Mapuche women from Tirúa (2015)
Thumb
Mapuche man in Chile (2007)
Thumb
Chilean huaso man wearing a chupalla and chamanto (1940)

Colombia

Each region in Colombia has a distinct costume. Traditional male attire includes the sombrero vueltiao, ruana, white shirt, trousers, and alpargatas. Women's attire includes a blouse, cumbia pollera, sombrero vueltiao, and alpargatas.

Thumb
Wayuu women in the Guajira Peninsula, which comprises Colombia and Venezuela
Thumb
Guambía people relaxing in Colombia
Thumb
Cumbia dancer holding a sombrero vueltiao

Ecuador

Thumb
Shaman of the Cofán people from the Amazon rainforest in present-day Ecuador
Thumb
Alicia Cawiya, vice-president of the Huaorani Nation of Ecuador, in traditional dress

In Ecuador, traditional clothing includes the poncho and Panama hat.

Guyana

Guyana does not have a designated style of national dress. Each ethnic group wears its cultural clothing during important events or occasions. Afro-Guyanese men typically wear a dashiki or shirt jacket, and women wear a booboo. Indo-Guyanese men wear a kurta, sherwani, or churidar, while women wear a sari or lehenga. Each indigenous tribe wears its tribal clothing during cultural events or important occasions.

Paraguay

In Paraguay, traditional clothing includes the ao po'i [es].

Peru

In Peru, traditional attire includes the chullo, poncho, and Andean pollera.

Thumb
Quechua women in festive dress on Taquile Island, Lake Titicaca, Peru
Thumb
A Peruvian man in traditional dress

Suriname

In Suriname, traditional clothing includes the kotomisse and pangi cloth.

Thumb
Surinamese woman wearing the traditional koto (c. 1910)
Thumb
Maroon woman wearing a pangi in Suriname (ca. 1900–1910)

Uruguay

In Uruguay, the traditional folk attire is the gaucho costume.

Venezuela

In Venezuela, traditional male attire is the llanero costume, which includes the liqui liqui and pelo e' guama hat. Traditional female attire includes the joropo dress and pelo e' guama hat.

Remove ads

Asia

Summarize
Perspective

Central Asia

Tajikistan

In Tajikistan, traditional attire includes the chapan, the tubeteika, the turban, and the paranja.

Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, traditional clothing includes the shapan, zhargak, zhegde, and the kalpak. Men's attire features garments such as the jargaq shapa, while women's clothing includes the saukele, kimeshek, koylek, and shalbar. The kupe is worn by both men and women.[14]

Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, traditional garments include the chapan, terishym (a type of salwar), and the kalpak for men. Women's attire includes the saukele, beldemchi, koylek, and elechek.The koinok is worn by both men and women.[14]

Turkmenistan

In Turkmenistan, the chapan is commonly worn as part of cultural clothing.

Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, traditional attire features the khalat, tubeteika, chapan, turban, and paranja.

East Asia

China

Thumb
Women in at Temple of Heaven in Beijing
Thumb
Women wearing ruqun in China

In China, the traditional clothing of the Han Chinese includes the hanfu, which encompasses styles like the shenyi, ruqun, and shanku. It may also include influences from the Manchu people with garments such as the tangzhuang, cheongsam, and changshan.

The Manchu people traditionally wore qizhuang, which includes the magua, tangzhuang, cheongsam, and changshan. Mongols wear the deel. Muslim ethnic groups such as the Uyghurs and Hui people wear items like the tubeteika, khalat, and chapan.

Japan

Thumb
Japanese women wearing Kimono

In Japan, traditional attire is referred to as wafuku, which includes garments like the kimono, jūnihitoe, and sokutai.

In Fukuoka Prefecture, traditional garments include the mizu happi and shime-komi. In Hokkaido, the Ainu people wear traditional clothing such as the tepa, a sacred belt called raun kut or upsoro kut, konci (hood), hos (leggings), and grass-skin jackets like tetarabe and utarbe. Ceremonial garments include the sapanpe and the matanpushi. Ryukyuans wear ryusou as traditional attire. In Okinawa Prefecture, the Kariyushi shirt is traditional clothing.

Korea

Thumb
Traditional hanbok

In South Korea, the traditional attire is the hanbok; it is known as the chosŏn-ot in North Korea.

Mongolia

Thumb
Mongolian deel

In Mongolia, traditional clothing includes the deel.

Taiwan

In Taiwan, Han Taiwanese people wear garments such as the hanfu, cheongsam, and changshan. Among Taiwanese indigenous peoples, traditional attire varies by group. The Rukai people wear garments like the ibibogo (a men's daily jacket) and the dalabu (a women's daily top).[15] The Atayal people wear pearl-adorned shirts and skirts.[16] The Bunun people use the design of the hundred-pace viper in their traditional dress.[17]

Thumb
Amis/Pangcah dancers in Dulan, Taiwan
Thumb
Paiwan and Rukai people celebrating a harvest festival in Sandimen, Taiwan

Tibet

The Tibetan people, native to Tibet, traditionally wear the chuba.

North Asia

Thumb
Tuvan horse-riders wearing deel

Russia

In Russia, traditional clothing in the Urals, Siberian Federal District, and Far Eastern Siberia includes the clothing of Siberian nationalities such as the Buryats, Yakuts, and Altaians. In Buryatia and Tuva, the traditional garment is the deel.

In the Altai Republic, Southern Altaians wear items such as the ton (fur coat), sürü börük (cap), kaptal (overcoat). The chegedek (Altai-Kizhi) or chedek (Telengits) is a sleeveless cloak historically worn by married women; it is now used as bridal or festive attire.[18]

South Asia

Thumb
Baloch men wearing traditional dress, including shalwar kameez

Afghanistan

Thumb
Afghan children wearing traditional clothes in Kabul

Traditional clothing in Afghanistan includes the Pashtun dress. Men may wear the pakul, lungee, chapan (khalat), and shalwar kameez; women may wear the firaq partug, burqa, chador, and niqab.[19]

Bangladesh

Thumb
A Bangladeshi bridal handloom sari

In Bangladesh, men wear the sherwani, kurta (panjabi), lungi, fotua, and gamcha. Women's clothing includes the shari, long skirt, mexi,[20] selwar kamiz, orna, and kurtee.[21]

Bhutan

Bhutan has sumptuary laws. The driglam namzha mandates what citizens should wear in public spaces.[22] Bhutanese citizens must wear the traditional clothing of the Ngalop people, including a gho and kera for men and a kira and wonju for women,[23] including for official business, schools and institutions, and official occasions and assemblies.[24] The clothing of the Ngalop people also includes the toego and kabney for men, and rachus for women.[19]

These restrictions apply when people are in or near "monastic fortresses (dzong), monasteries (gompa) and temples (lhakhang), and government buildings. Karin Altmann, a textile art scholar, describes the intent behind this law "to prevent specific features of Bhutanese culture from disappearing," and "to emphasize national identity",[24] but it has contributed to conflict due to the ethnic and cultural diversity of Bhutan.[25]

India

In India, men wear the achkan, sherwani, dhoti, phiran, kurta, and turban. Women's clothing includes the shalwar kameez, sari, patiala salwar, lehenga, choli, pathin, dupatta, and churidar. The mundum neriyatum is worn by the Malayali people of Kerala. The veshti is worn by Tamils. The Monpa people also have traditional clothing.[26][27]

Thumb
A variety of cultural clothing common throughout the Indian subcontinent, including lehengas, cholis, salwar kameez, and dupatta

Maldives

In the Maldives, men wear the dhivehi mundu. Women's traditional clothing includes the dhivehi libaas, feyli, and buruga.[19]

Nepal

In Nepal, traditional attire for men includes the Daura-Suruwal and Dhaka topi. Women wear the Gunyou Cholo. Other traditional clothing includes garments worn by the Newar, Sunuwar, Rai, and Limbu peoples, such as the bakku and chuwa.[19]

Pakistan

In Pakistan, men wear the Peshawari turban, shalwar kameez, and churidar. Traditional clothing for women includes the shalwar kameez, dupatta, and sari, although the sari is worn less frequently. The pagri is worn by men and women.[26]

Sri Lanka

Women's clothing in Sri Lanka includes the lama sariya, kandyan saree (worn by Sinhalese people), and the nivi draped saree. Men wear the jathika anduma, mul anduma, and kavaniya.[19]

Southeast Asia

Thumb
Malay women wearing Baju Kurung

Brunei

In Brunei, traditional clothing includes the Baju Melayu and songkok for men, and the baju kurung and tudung for women.

Cambodia

Thumb
Cambodian Sompot Chong Kben

In Cambodia, traditional attire includes the sampot, apsara, sabai, krama, and chang kben.[28]

Indonesia

Thumb
Indonesian girl wearing traditional Palembangese songket

Indonesia has many national and regional styles of clothing due to its cultural diversity. Among the Batak peoples, the ulos (tenun fabric) is traditionally worn. Javanese people wear garments such as the beskap [id], batik shirt, blangkon, songkok, and sarong for men; and the kebaya, tudung, and sarong for women. The Malay people traditionally wear the Baju Melayu, Baju Kurung, and songket. Among the Papua, the koteka is part of traditional dress.[28]

Laos

Traditional dress in Laos includes the xout lao, suea pat, pha hang, pha biang, and sinh.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, men traditionally wear the Baju Melayu and songkok, while women wear the Baju Kurung, baju kebarung (a kebaya/kurung hybrid), and tudung. Each state has its own baju style, including a distinct style for the Federal Territories.

Myanmar

Traditional male dress in Myanmar includes the longyi, gaung baung, and taipon. Female attire includes the thummy and eingyi.[28]

Philippines

In the Philippines, cultural attire for men includes the barong, while women wear the baro't saya, Maria Clara gown (or traje de mestiza), and terno. Other garments include the malong, patadyong, tapis, and salakot.

Thumb
Filipina women wearing Maria Clara gowns (1899)
Thumb
Visayan women wearing Baro't saya featuring their skirt patadyong while performing in festival dance

Singapore

Cultural attire in Singapore varies. Among Chinese Singaporeans, traditional clothing includes the hanfu, cheongsam for women, and tangzhuang and changpao for men. Indian Singaporeans traditionally wear the sari for women, and the dhoti and kurta for men. Malay Singaporeans wear the Baju Melayu for men, and Baju Kurung and sarong for women. Peranakan women traditionally wear the kebaya; men traditionally wear the Baju Lokchuan.

Thailand

Thumb
Thai traditional dress

In Thailand, chut thai (literal translation"}]],"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"literal translation","href":"./Template:Literal_translation"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"Thai outfit"}},"i":0}}]}">lit.'Thai outfit') includes formal clothing such as the Thai Chakkri for women, and the suea phraratchathan for men. Both men and women may wear the Chong Kraben and sabai.

Timor-Leste

Traditional clothing in East Timor includes the tais mane and tais feto.[28]

Vietnam

In Vietnam, traditional clothing includes the áo giao lĩnh, áo trực lĩnh [vi], áo viên lĩnh, áo đối khâm, áo tứ thân, áo ngũ thân [vi], áo yếm, áo nhật bình, áo gấm, áo tấc [vi], áo dài, áo bà ba, and cổn miện.[28]

Thumb
Traditional áo ngũ thân [vi]
Thumb
Hmong girls in Vietnam wearing traditional dress

West Asia

Armenia

Thumb
Armenian women wearing arkhaligs

In Armenia, traditional attire (taraz) includes the arkhalig (long jacket), arakhchin, burka, chokha, kalpak, papakha, and shalvar.

Azerbaijan

Thumb
Traditional Azerbaijani dress, including kelaghayi

Traditional dress in Azerbaijan includes the arkhalig, chokha, kelaghayi, and kalpak.

Cyprus

In Cyprus, traditional clothing includes the zimbouni (waistcoat), vraka (men's breeches), and saiya (women's formal festival dress).

Northern Cyprus

In Northern Cyprus, traditional garments include the cepken (yelek vest), salta, yazma, potur, and boynuz kemer.

Israel

Thumb
Traditional Yemenite Jewish gargush

A national symbol of Israel is the tembel hat. Other traditional items include the sudra, gargush, the Hasidic rekel, the Sephardi kavese[29] (hat), and biblical sandals.

Iran

Thumb
An Iranian family celebrating Nowruz in their traditional ethnic attire

Traditional clothing in Iran includes the chador, turban, thawb (dishdasha/kameez), zardozi, and battoulah. Kurdish clothing includes the Sanjabi selte (jacket) and chokho-raanak (trousers).

Iraq

In Iraq, traditional attire includes the chador, Hashimi dress, charawiyya, keffiyeh, agal, sayyah, sidara for formal occasions, bisht, dishdasha, sirwal, and Kurdish clothing.

Jordan

Traditional clothing in Jordan includes the keffiyeh, bisht, thawb, and Bedouin attire.

Lebanon

In Lebanon, traditional clothing includes the tantour, labbade, sherwal, keffiyeh, and taqiyah.

Kuwait

Traditional attire in Kuwait includes the dishdasha and the keffiyeh.

Oman

Thumb
Gulf Arabs wearing traditional 'athwaab and headwear in Oman

In Oman, traditional dress includes the dishdasha, khanjar, and keffiyeh.

Palestine

Thumb
Woman from Ramallah wearing traditional Palestinian dress, including a taqsireh and smadeh (c. 1929–1946)

In Palestine, the thawb is a traditional garment, with popular styles from Bethlehem and Ramallah being decorated with Palestinian embroidery. The black-and-white patterned Palestinian keffiyeh is a symbol of Palestinian identity.

Qatar

In Qatar, traditional items include the thawb and keffiyeh.

Saudi Arabia

Traditional clothing in Saudi Arabia includes the thawb, ghutrah, agal, bisht, abaya, jilbab, niqab, and the Hejazi turban.

Syria

Traditional attire in Syria includes the dishdasha, sirwal, taqiyah, and keffiyeh.

Turkey

Thumb
Turkish folk dancer

In Turkey, traditional dress includes the kalpak, yazma, kaftan, turban, salvar, çarık, cepken-yelek, and boynuz kemer (horn belt).

United Arab Emirates

In the United Arab Emirates, traditional clothing includes the kandura, thawb, and abaya. Older women may wear the battoulah visor.

Yemen

Thumb
Yemeni women wearing abayat

Traditional dress in Yemen includes the thawb, izaar, turban, jambiya, and niqab.

Remove ads

Europe

Summarize
Perspective

Eastern Europe

Belarus

In Belarus, traditional attire include the slutsk stash and the national type of wimple (namitka).

Georgia

In Georgia traditional dress includes the chokha, which has varying regional designs. The papakha is also a traditional garment..

Ossetia

In Ossetia, traditional dress includes the chokha.

Russia

Thumb
Russian festive folk dress, including a rubakha (shirt), poneva (skirt), perednik (apron), and platok (shawl)

Many types of traditional dress exist in Russia, including bast shoes, boyar hat, ryasna, sarafan,[30] kaftan, kokoshnik, kosovorotka, ushanka, and valenki.

Among the Sámi people, the gákti and luhkka are worn in cold weather.

In Caucasus republics such as Chechnya, North Ossetia-Alania, and Adygea, the chokha, papakha, and ushanka are traditional.

In Mordovia, traditional attire includes the Mordovian national costume.

Ukraine

In Ukraine, traditional clothing includes the vyshyvanka, sharovary, żupan, and the Ukrainian wreath.[31]

Central Europe

Austria

In Austria, each state has its own national costume design; the most well-known is from Tyrol, featuring the characteristic Tyrolean tracht and dirndls.

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, traditional clothing is known as kroje.

Germany

Every state in Germany has its own version of regional costume (tracht). Bavaria's lederhosen and dirndl are widely recognized.

Thumb
Young women in German dirndls

Hungary

Thumb
Hungarian women in folk dress

Elements of traditional dress in Hungary include pendely (linen underskirt), gatya (pleated skirt-like pants), elejbőr (sheepskin vest), kacagány (fur pelt), and ködmön (sheepskin coat).[32]

Liechtenstein

In Liechtenstein, traditional clothing includes tracht and dirndl.

Poland

Thumb
People wearing regional Łowicz-style folk dress in Poland

Traditional clothing in Poland includes the czamara, żupan, kontusz, and rogatywka. Regional styles include those of Łowicz, Kurpie Zielone, Biłgoraj, Lachy Sądeckie, Kraków, Podhale, Szamotuły, and Kaszuby.[33]

Slovakia

Thumb
A traditional Slovak kroj

In Slovakia, traditional dress is known as kroje.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, each canton has a distinct national costume. The best-known Swiss folk dress comes from the German-speaking cantons of Appenzell, Bern, and Zug.

Northern Europe

Denmark

In Denmark, traditional clothing includes folkedragt [da].

Faroe Islands
Thumb
Faroese folk dance club with some members in national costumes

On the Faroe Islands, traditional dress is known as the føroysk klæði.

Greenland

In Greenland, traditional attire includes the anorak.

Estonia

Traditional dress of Estonia includes rahvarõivad [et], also known as rahvariided.[34]

Finland

Each region of Finland has a specific design of national costume (kansallispuku, nationaldräkt). They vary widely; some resemble Swedish clothing, and some reflect Russian influences. For Sámi people, each place has its own gákti or luhkka for colder weather.[35]

Iceland

In Iceland, traditional clothing is known as the þjóðbúningurinn.

Ireland

Traditional attire in Ireland includes the aran sweater, Irish walking hat, flat cap, grandfather shirt, Galway shawl, brogue, and costumes used in Irish stepdance.

Latvia

In Latvia, Latviešu tautastērpi [lv] (tautastērpi) vary by region.[36]

Lithuania

In Lithuania, traditional dress differs by region. Styles include the Aukštaičių rūbai [lt], Žemaičių rūbai [lt], Dzūkų rūbai [lt], Suvalkiečių rūbai [lt], and Klaipėdos krašto rūbai [lt] (also known as Mažoji Lietuva).[37]

Thumb
Girls wearing regional Aukštaičių-style folk dresses in Kaunas, Lithuania

Norway

Thumb
Norwegian woman wearing bunad (1965)

In Norway, each county and Svalbard) has a designated folk costume, or bunad. The most famous bunader are from Hardanger and Setesdal.[38] Sámi people wear gákti and, for colder weather, luhkka.

Sweden

In Sweden, the traditional folkdräkt varies by province. Since 1983, an official national costume, Sverigedräkten [sv], has also been used.[39] The Bäckadräkten became the first unisex design in 2022.[40] The nationella dräkten was worn in the 18th century.

Sámi people wear gákti and, for colder weather, luhkka.

United Kingdom

England
Thumb
English dancers wearing Morris folk dress

Traditional styles include English country clothing, Morris dance costumes, and English clogs.

In Northern England, traditional clothes include the maud and flat cap. In Lancashire, traditional attire includes the Lancashire shawl and clogs. In the northeast, traditional attire includes the rapper dance dress and Northumberland kilts and tartan.

In Southern England, traditional attire includes the smock. In Cornwall, traditional items include the sou'wester hat, fisherman's smock, gansey, bal-maiden clothing, and Cornish kilts and tartans. In London, traditional dress includes that of the pearly kings and queens.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, traditional dress is similar to the rest of Ireland.

Scotland
Thumb
A modern Scottish kilt and sporran

In Scotland, Highland dress includes the kilt or trews, tam o'shanter or Balmoral bonnet, doublet, Aboyne dress, and brogues or ghillies.

In the Scottish Lowlands, dress includes the maud and blue bonnet.

Wales

In Wales, the traditional Welsh costume is often worn by women on Saint David's Day or by folk dancers, such as at the Eisteddfod. It was historically worn in rural areas.

Southern Europe

Albania

Traditional clothing in Albania includes fustanella, tirq [wikt], xhamadan, and opinga.

Andorra

Traditional garments in Andorra include the barretina and espadrilles.

Bulgaria

Thumb
Bulgarian traditional folk costume

In Bulgaria, every town has its own design of a national costume (nosia), with different types of clothing traditional for each region of the country.[41][42]

Croatia

Traditional dress in Croatia includes the Lika cap, and the Šibenik cap.

Greece

Thumb
Greek folk dress

Traditional clothing in Greece includes the fustanella, breeches (vraka), and the Amalia costume. The Greek fisherman's cap is commonly worn in coastal villages by the Aegean Sea.

Italy

Thumb
A young Italian woman in traditional Ciociaro dress (c.1869)

Traditional clothing in Italy includes Italian folk dance costumes.

In South Tyrol, traditional garments include tracht and dirndl.

In Sardinia, each town has its own traditional Sardinian folk attire.

In Sicily, traditional dress includes the coppola and Arbëreshë costumes.

Kosovo

Traditional clothing in Kosovo includes the qeleshe, tirq [wikt], xhubleta, xhamadan, and opinga.

Malta

Thumb
Traditional għonnella, or faldetta, once ubiquitous in Malta

In Malta, a traditional women's garment is the għonnella.

Montenegro

Traditional attire in Montenegro includes the Montenegrin cap.

North Macedonia

Traditional clothing in North Macedonia includes the Macedonian national costumes.

Portugal

In Portugal, each region has its own specific design of national costume. The most famous examples come from Viana do Castelo and Nazaré.

Romania

Thumb
Romanian teens in traditional dress

Traditional clothing in Romania is represented by the national costume.

Serbia

In Serbia, each region has a distinct style of national costume. Traditional items include the Lika cap, Montenegrin cap, opanci, šajkača, and šubara.

Slovenia

In Slovenia, traditional clothing includes the gorenjska narodna noša.

Spain

Thumb
Man wearing a zamarra, a sheepskin coat traditionally worn by Basque shepherds

Each autonomous region in Spain has its own national costume.

In Andalusia, traditional garments include the sombrero cordobés, traje de flamenca, traje de luces, and the montera.

In the Basque Country, traditional dress includes the beret and espadrilles.

Each island of the Canary Islands has its own style of traditional dress. In 1934, Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre designed a pan-island costume adopted mainly in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria.

In Catalonia, traditional garments include the barretina and faixa.

In Galicia, each province has its own regional costume.

Western Europe

Belgium

In Belgium, the bleu sårot is a traditional garment in Wallonia.

France

Thumb
Traditional Breton headwear worn by women and girls

Each region in France has a style of folk costume, varying by department. For example, Brittany has the Breton costume, which differs by department and is predominantly used in Celtic circles, pardons, and festivals. In the French Basque Country, traditional garments include the beret and espadrille.

Netherlands

Many areas, villages, and towns in the Netherlands used to have their own traditional clothing [nl]. In the 21st century, only a few hundred people still wear traditional dress daily, mainly in Staphorst, Volendam, and Marken. Outside of the Netherlands, the most well-known parts of Dutch folk costumes are the Dutch woman’s bonnet and klompen. In North Brabant, the poffer is a traditional garment.

Remove ads

Oceania

Summarize
Perspective

Australia and New Zealand

Australia

Thumb
Noongar traditional dancers in Perth

In Australia, traditional attire of Aboriginal Australians includes fibrecraft-made clothing and possum cloaks. European Australian dress includes the cork hat and rural bushwear such as moleskin trousers, bush shirt, Akubra slouch hat, Driza-Bone coat, and Australian work boots. In the Torres Strait Islands, traditional dress includes the Augemwalli.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, Māori traditional garments include the piupiu, korowai, and kakahu huruhuru. Traditional attire for New Zealand Europeans includes the Swanndri bush jacket, slouch hat, walk shorts with knee-high socks, and black singlets with rugby shorts.

Thumb
Māori man wearing a korowai and piupiu
Thumb
A kapa haka performing the warrior challenge in traditional piupiu at the swearing in of the 21st Governor-General
Thumb
Māori poi performance in traditional dress

Melanesia

Thumb
People in traditional dress in Fiji
Thumb
Kanak women wearing Robes mission
Thumb
Huli wigman from Papua New Guinea in festive regalia
Thumb
Men wearing traditional nambas during a N'gol ceremony on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu (1992)

Fiji

In Fiji, traditional garments include the sulu, chamba (sulu i ra), tapa cloth (called masi), and i-sala. The kuta, made in the village of Dama in Bua Province, is another traditional item. Also traditional are sarees, shalwar kameez, and other Indo-Fijian traditional and religious clothing originating in South Asia.[43]

New Caledonia

In New Caledonia, traditional dress includes the manou and robes mission.[44]

Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea, traditional dress includes the meri blaus, lap-lap, koteka, bilum (traditional string bags),[45][46] and grass covers.[46]

Solomon Islands

In the Solomon Islands, traditional attire includes the tapa cloth,[47][48] grass skirts, kap-kap,[49] and breastplates called tema, tambe, or tepatu.[50] For women, traditional attire includes the kabilato and aba obi; for men, traditional attire includes the fo'osae.[51]

Vanuatu

In Vanuatu, traditional clothing includes the Aelan dress and the lap-lap.[52]

Micronesia

Federated States of Micronesia

In the Federated States of Micronesia, traditional dress includes the lap-lap for men and grass skirts for women.

Thumb
People performing a welcome ceremony in traditional dress on the Ulithi atoll
Thumb
Yapese men in traditional dress celebrating Yap Day

Palau

Thumb
A ceremony in Palau

In Palau, traditional dress includes the lap-lap for men and grass skirts for women.

Polynesia

Thumb
Rapa Nui dancers (Easter Island)

Cook Islands

In the Cook Islands, traditional dress includes the pareo.

French Polynesia

Thumb
Tahitian woman in festive regalia (c. 1906)

In the French Polynesia, traditional dress includes the pareo.

Hawaii

In Hawaii, traditional garments include the holokū, and pāʻū skirts made of kapa or grass. Men traditionally wear the malo (loincloth). The Aloha shirt and muumuu are also traditional clothing.

Thumb
Hawaiian musicians wearing traditional dress, including a muumuu
Thumb
Hula kahiko performance at the pa hula in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Samoa

In Samoa, traditional clothing includes the lavalava, puletasi, and 'ie toga.

Thumb
Samoan women wearing puletasi
Thumb
Samoan woman wearing a lavalava in Apia
Thumb
Samoan canoe performers in traditional dress

Tonga

In Tonga, traditional dress includes the tupenu, ta'ovala, and tapa cloth.

Thumb
Tongan college students performing the kailao dance (1988)
Thumb
Tongan newlyweds wearing their wedding taʻovala
Thumb
Young boys wearing traditional Tongan tupenu
Remove ads

Further reading

  • Sedakova, Irina; Vlaskina, Nina, eds. (2016). "Folk Costume". Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore. 66. doi:10.7592/fejf2016.66. ISSN 1406-0957.
  • Shukla, Pravina (2015). Costume: performing identities through dress. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-01577-8.
  • "What is a Folk Costume?". Nordic Folklife: Sustaining Scandinavian Folk Arts in the Upper Midwest. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
Remove ads

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads