Jewish national costume

The traditional clothing of the Jews is quite colorful, which allows them to stand out from the crowd by dressing in things in the national style.

Like all national costumes, Jewish traditional attire has a rich history.

The first traditional outfits were created under the influence of the Babylonians. Freed from slavery, the Jews continued to wear two shirts (one linen, the other woolen), a caftan and a wide belt.

During the reign of Solomon, Jewish attire became more luxurious - light airy fabrics were used, costumes were decorated with gold embroidery and precious stones. Noble women liked to weave strings of pearls even into their hairstyles, emphasizing their social position.

But over time, such luxury disappeared from the outfits of ordinary Jews. Traditional clothing has become more restrained, with a lot of attention paid to detail and to the outfit emphasized the religiosity of a person and his belonging to a particular community.

In the twentieth century, in order not to stand out too much, Jews borrowed from Europeans fashionable at that time black hats and long coats. In this form, it was easier to merge with the locals, settling in any town in Europe. And even when all over the world such things went out of fashion, the Jews continued and continue to wear them.

Speaking about the national costume of the Jews, a number of nuances should be mentioned that distinguish this outfit from others.

In national Jewish clothes dominated by neutral tones. The main one is black. In winter, they also wore brown or blue outfits. In summer, white color dominated in clothes. Bright "colorful" outfits are not at all about the Jewish traditional costume.

Jewish culture has always been exclusively urban. Therefore, women did not manufacture the material themselves, but bought it. The materials used are very different, from cheaper to expensive.

Traditional men's suit consists of a simple black frock coat and cape.

A distinctive feature of this cape is that it, although looks like outerwear, but is worn not only over but also under a shirt. The main thing is that the brushes are located on top of the trousers.

Women's national costume consists of a dress or blouse with a skirt and an apron.. The apron performed not only the function of protection against household dirt, but also protected from the evil eye.

The dresses of women of the old faith were long and decorated with hand embroidery or lace. The arms were hidden behind long sleeves that tapered to the wrists.In such a dress there was also a stand-up collar, decorated with lace and tightly wrapping around the neck. A leather belt also wrapped around the waist in a tight ring.

A children's costume for girls practically did not differ from an adult outfit. The dress was also quite closed, but shorter. Boys under the age of thirteen did not wear the citit cape. It was allowed to be worn only by those who reached the age of majority, celebrating bar mitzvah. It was after this event that the boy was considered a man.

Each Jew complements his traditional attire with a headdress.. Sometimes there are even several of them at once - a yarmulke and a “casket” or “dasha” on top of it. "Caskets" look like caps of the old style and are widespread among Jews living in Russia and Poland.

In everyday life, a black hat is part of the traditional Jewish costume. This laconic headdress, despite its apparent simplicity, can tell a lot about its owner.

Deep meaning lies in the style and size of the yarmulke. Generally speaking, it is a round cap, which we associate with Jewish attire. The name of the yarmulke comes from the phrase "yere malka", that is, "fearing the lord." These words are used to call believers.

Yarmolki are created not only in different colors and styles, but also from different materials. They can be either felted or woolen or knitted. But Jews choose them, focusing not on their own taste. The choice of a particular model depends on what other Jews from the community wear.

Of the accessories in the Jewish costume, a wide belt and, in some cases, a matching tie are used.

As for women, they also decorated their heads with hats, wearing wigs under them. Beads were also used as decorations, which were worn in two rows.

Shoes in traditional Jewish costume are simple and inconspicuous. Black high boots with lacing were worn barefoot in summer, and over knitted stockings in winter.

In the modern world, the traditional Jewish costume is still quite popular.. Religious Jews also use yarmulkes and traditional capes. A full suit is used for various ceremonial events and gatherings.

Often people wear national costumes to perform traditional dances. In this case, women use more modern options, since it is not very convenient to move in traditional attire.

The traditional Jewish costume is a reflection of all the features of the worldview of this nation. No matter how changeable the world around is, the Jews successfully adapt to the changes in it. So their national clothes, changing depending on the era and habitat, remain unique and not like the costumes of other nationalities.