Costumes of the Ottoman Empire

This article deals with costumes of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkish peoples emigrating from Asia to Anatolia caused many cultures to integrate. This was reflected in clothes, symbols and motifs of the 24 Gagauz tribes which formed a united culture of their own. In the following years Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Uyghur, Azerbaijani and Tatar tribes coming to Anatolia were also affected by each other.

Samples of woven material, carpet and clothes belonging to the "Seljuk" and "Principality" periods are exhibited in museums. Clothes of the Seljuks were produced from materials such as wool, felt, camel's hair, fur, cotton and silk. The varied climate conditions in Anatolia required clothes to be used in all conditions. Cold climate areas broght in the use of fur linings.

Rise Period

frye need to get to work Clothes of this period display pre-Anatolian influences. The principal material was composed of works of the highly developed art of weaving. Materials forming bashlyks and clothes eventually gained variations. In the Ottoman period, as the borders of the empire expanded, new relations were set up, cultures and their clothing traditions reached a static state. Istanbul, Bursa, Bilecik, Denizli, Ankara, Konya, Trabzon, Rize, Kastamonu, Gürün were districts well specialized in weaving.

Religious

The clothing of Muslims, Christians, Jewish communities, clergy, tradesmen state and military officials were strictly regulated during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent.The socio-economic differences between the administrators and the common people also affected the clothing styles. While the Palace and its court displayed showy clothes, the common people were only concerned with covering themselves. The administrators occasionally brought about legal regulations on clothes. These applications were first initiated during the period of Süleyman the Magnificent. In this period men wore outer items such as 'mintan', 'zıbın', 'şalvar', 'kuşak', 'potur', 'entari'; 'kalpak', 'sarık' on the head; 'çarık', 'çizme', 'çedik', 'yemeni' on the feet. The administrators and the wealthy wore caftans with fur lining and embroidery, where as the middle class wore 'cübbe', 'hırka' and the poor wore collarless 'cepken' or 'yelek' (vest). Bashlyks were the most prominent accessories of social statues.

While the people wore "külah's" covered with 'abani' or 'yemeni', the cream of the society wore bashlyks such as 'yusufi, örfi, katibi, kavaze', etc. During the rule of Süleyman a bashlyk called 'perişani' was popular as the Palace people valued bashlyks adorned with precious stones. 'Kavuk', however, was the most common type of bashlyk. For this reason, a related tradesmenship was formed in the XVII. century. Fur was a material of prestige in that period.

Decline Period

Political crises of the 17th century were reflected as chaos in clothes. The excessively luxurious compulsion of consumption and show off in the "Period of Tulips" lasted till the 19th century. The modernization attempts of Mahmut II in 1825 first had its effects in the state sector. While 'sarık' was replaced by 'fes', the people employed in Bab-ı Ali began to wear trousers, 'setre' and 'potin'.

During the 'Tanzimat' and 'Meşrutiyet' period in the XIX. century, the common people still keeping to their traditional clothing styles presented a great contrast with the administrators and the wealthy wearing 'redingot', jacket, waistcoat, boyunbağı (tie), 'mintan', sharp-pointed and high-heeled shoes. Women's clothes of the Ottoman period were observed in the 'mansions' and Palace courts. 'Entari', 'kuşak', 'şalvar', 'başörtü', 'ferace' of the XIX. century continued their existence without much change. In the XVI. century women wore two-layer long 'entari'; and 'tül', velvet shawl on their heads. Their outdoor clothing consisted of 'ferace' and 'yeldirme'. The simplification in the XVII. century was apparent in an inner 'entari' worn under short-sleeved, caftan-shaped outfit. The matching accessory was a belt.

Women's wear heading for remarkable show-off brought about adorned hair buns and tailorship in its real sense began in this period. The sense of women's wear in primarily began in large residential centers such as Istanbul and İzmir in the 19th century and as women gradually began to participate in the social life, along with the westernization movement. 'Pera' became the center of fashion and the Paris fashion was followed by the tailors of Greek and Armenian origin. In the period of Abdul Hamid II. the use of 'ferace' was replaced by 'çarşaf' of different styles. However, the rural sector continued its traditional style of clothing.

These scetches are from 1878 journal of a travellers book explaining the life in Istanbul.

References

*Koçu, Reşat Ekrem. (1967) Türk Giyim Kuşam ve Süslenme Sözlüğü. Ankara: Sümerbank,
*Küçükerman, Önder. (1966) Türk Giyim Sanayinin Tarihi Kaynakları. İstanbul: GSD Dış Ticaret AŞ,
*Sevin, Nurettin. (1990) Onüç Asırlık Türk Kıyafet Tarihine Bir Bakış. Ankara: T.C. Kültür Bakanlığı,
*Feyzi, Muharrem. Eski Türk Kıyafetleri ve Güzel Giyim Tarzları
*Tuğlacı, Pars. (1985) Osmanlı Saray Kadınları / The OttomanPalace Women. Istanbul: Cem Yayınevi.