Larisa Shoglyaeva, Kalmyk Dress

Abstract

Larisa recounts that when the Kalmyks returned to Kalmykia from Siberia, in Iki-Chonos where she lived many people wore traditional dresses. There were two kinds of dress, one for everyday use and the other to wear during holidays. An everyday dress was made from chintz. Berz, a married woman’s dress, was a long dress with its back made from a thick fabric to keep that part warm. A winter berz was made from warm materials such as wool and fur. Larisa’s mother had three dresses for everyday use that had a standing collar. However, she had none to wear during holidays. In the past, buttons were all hand-made, and the metal that was used was silver or gold. The front of a smart dress was decorated with embroidery resembling steppe grass, flowers, the sun, the moon etc. Larisa’s mother had several tokugs and wore shivrlyk around her plait. Made from a black fabric, velvet or satin, her shivrlyks were attached to a hat with a button. Traditional hats were colorful: the front was blue, the top either green, blue or multicolored. They were also different from modern stylized hats. Traditional dresses did not have waist or belt. On the right side where the waist would be, hung a napkin. In the past, girls made their wedding dresses themselves. Girls or single women wore long dresses with beautiful belts decorated with various ornaments. A girl’s skill was judged by the dress she wore. If a woman had two plaits, it was a sign that she was married. Only single women had a single plait. In the past, people made clothing themselves, including boots and shoes. Boots were made from goat pelt that shone when people danced. Goat’s wool was considered soft, but that of cows – rough. Girls and women did not wear trousers. Galina says that today in the local temple in Orgakin village where she lives, women and girls are not allowed into the temple wearing trousers. She thinks that, by wearing trousers and looking like men, women stop respecting them. In the past men wore only wide trousers. Larisa recounts a story about her husband’s uncle whose trousers were always stained with grease and fat. After eating, the uncle would clean his hands by rubbing them on his trousers, because according to him by washing their hands people also washed away their luck. In the past, men also always wore hats and carried a knife on their belts. Every-day clothing was dark colored, whereas celebratory clothing had a part called manishka with embroidery at the level of the chest. Boys wore shirts. When in Siberia, Kalmyks sewed fur coats and cotton trousers. Old people wore traditional clothes. Larisa also recalls that she felt ashamed that her mother wore traditional dress and asked her not to do so. Now she thinks that she was ignorant of Kalmyk culture.