Karelian national costume

The Republic of Karelia is a land of amazing nature, beautiful picturesque places. It is on such a colorful corner of the earth that people of many nationalities live: Russians, Karelians, Vepsians and others.

It has long been customary that every good housewife had to have certain needlework skills: sewing, weaving, embroidery, knitting. Girls and women created luxurious sundresses and dresses, decorated with incomparable chain stitch embroidery. Finishing products necessarily had lace, satin ribbons and braid with a bright pattern.

Folk national Karelian costume reflected the life and way of life of ordinary people who are accustomed to work hard and do what they love.

Loose fit was the basis of all clothing. Sundresses, dresses were sewn from the following materials: flax, motley, wool, leather. The fabric was often made by the locals themselves. Karelians sowed flax, hemp, kept sheep. In many homes, home looms and spinning wheels were present. Skilled craftswomen spent a lot of time on such crafts as weaving and spinning various threads. Clothing was made from chintz, calico, which were bought at fairs and from artisans.

The national Karelian costume was everyday and festive clothing.What is included in this costume? The next chapter will detail the details and features of the costume. Today, the national costume is used exclusively for celebrations related to the history and traditions of the Republic of Karelia.

You can recognize the Karelian costume by some expressive details of the costume. Needlewomen have always decorated a dress or sundress with stunning embroidery. These were embroidered motifs with a cross stitch or chain stitch.

The embroidery included animals and plants, an ornament reminiscent of snowflakes and other geometric shapes. As a rule, needlewomen used a red thread to make beautiful motifs. The red thread symbolized the festive decoration for all outfits. Everyday dresses were decorated with white or beige thread embroidery.

The bright color of the sundress and dress is another distinctive feature of the national costume of Karelia.

Considering the style of the dress, stylists also note the special finish of the sleeves. Many versions of the Karelian dress have sleeves gathered with an elastic band and decorated with a lush frill.

Color was the determining factor in the national costume. Most of the Karelian holidays are held with dancing, singing songs. In winter, young men and women rode sleighs, jumped over the fire at Shrovetide. Therefore, the dress had to be a bright, noticeable outfit.

In addition to red embroidery on the product, many housewives preferred to sew red, blue dresses, but always in combination with a white background. Such a dress looked amazingly gentle, beautiful and luxurious.

Coming into contact with the milestones of Karelian history and culture, it can be seen that the clothes of women and men have always been free, not restricting movement.

Dresses, sundresses, men's shirts were sewn in a straight style. A lot of frills, frills complemented and decorated clothes.

The chastity of the Karelian peoples was confirmed by the length of women's clothing - it was sewn long, to the floor.

National costume - clothes worn from young to old. What did men's, women's and children's clothing include? The following review will introduce you to the national, Karelian clothing.

Men, like true gentlemen, were gallant and attractive. The men's costume consisted of a white shirt with embroidery, colored pants, ports, a black vest and a hat.

The hat could also be replaced by another headdress (cap). High black boots luxuriously complemented the men's suit. Boys and men tied their shirts with a belt. The shirt was sewn of 2 types: the length of the first reached the knees (it was made from homespun cloth) and the short one (from red calico, with a narrow stand-up collar). The neckerchief was an obligatory subject of the Karelian costume for men.

For women, the costume was more diverse. Needlewomen made up their outfit from a sundress and a loose jacket, or a skirt and a canvas shirt. A light flare is present on each sundress.

Very often, the hostess decorated a similar outfit with a beautiful apron. The apron was decorated with frill, traditional embroidery and even fringe.

The woman's hair was decorated with ancient headdresses. Girls tied their heads with a bandage or scarf. The bandage was often made of birch bark and had a beautiful weave. Married women chose warriors or kokoshniks as a headdress.The painting with pearls of such headdresses emphasized the well-being of the local residents.

To convey love for their people, culture, traditions, national costumes were also sewn to children. They were in no way inferior to the robes of adults. The girls were dressed in long sundresses, the boys had loose shirts with a woven strap and loose trousers.

Accessories are also present in the Karelian costume. In addition to beautiful sundresses, women adorned their shoulders with luxurious linen and chintz shawls. A neckerchief with a fringe was a must-have for every housewife.

From jewelry, women chose pendants, medallions, brooches. Some local nationalities preferred to wear pearl beads, bracelets, chains, rings.

Shoes are a special wardrobe item for Karelians. Winter in the Republic of Karelia is also famous for its frosts. Warm and comfortable shoes are simply indispensable here. Boots with fur had a toe bent to the top. Such shoes were considered the most beautiful and fashionable among many residents.

Felt boots are a more practical and warm option for severe frosts. Karelia is a republic of beautiful forests, birch groves and other amazing places. Other shoes - bast shoes - were often woven to the sundress. Bast shoes were made of birch bark and other wood.

Today in Karelia there are many holidays, festivals, concerts related to the heritage and culture of the republic. The girls' costume consists of a long sundress with embroidery and a flounce along the edge of the product.

Girls must wear a beautiful apron on top. Loose collarless shirt. Russian braid or loose hair is decorated with a bandage.

The Republic of Karelia is a land of craftsmen and real needlewomen.Original embroidery is a distinctive feature that is present in every national costume and other things, interior items, and souvenirs.