COSTUMES - ARMENIAN FASHIONS
There is a rich tradition related to how our ancestors dressed. The Armenian clothes, costumes and styles have been complimented by a rich cultural tradition. Wool and fur were utilized by the Armenians and later cotton that was grown in the fertile valleys.  Silk imported from China was used by royalty, during the Urartian period. Later the Armenians cultivated silkworms and produced their own silk.

The pride in being Armenian essential to the preservation of their self-identity was most clearly apparent in the Costumes of Armenian women. For the Armenian woman clothing was a vehicle for self-expression. A combination of factors influenced the Armenian woman's apparel: regional traditions, family methods of dressmaking, as well as her own personal esthetic taste. The natural environment also played a role.  The warm clothing required because of mountain winters took the form of layers of garments common in Armenian traditional dress.

Women learned to make clothing and costumes from generation to generation. The objects a daughter produced were slowly assembled into her trousseau, an important part of a bride’s dowry. The clothing and costumes of Armenian women  typically  emphasized color and hand-worked ornamentation, elements which were subject to variation according to taste. Lace also adorned the costumes of Armenian woman.

Among the most popular dyes for wools, cottons, and silks was the distinctive scarlet-colored cochineal prepared from dried insects indigenous to the area of Mount Ararat. Armenians were particularly fond of velvet and silk, and were accomplished silkworm cultivators. Along with woven fabrics was the use of furs. Ermine (a word derived from Armenia) was among the most prized and was exported by Armenians in Europe.

There was a sharp contrast from women’s styles compared to men’s clothing. Men’s costumes resembled the non-Christian nationalities surrounding them. Thus, men could mingle with ease and conduct business transactions. Women, on the other hand, had few opportunities for outside contact and dressed in traditional Armenian styles to which they  had become accustomed to in family life.

The history of Armenian women’s costumes begins with ancient Urartu, to Armenian costumes bearing the Persian influence.  Armenian woman used their skills in weaving, spinning, dyeing, cutting, fitting and needlework.  The Armenian woman and her attire were one and indivisible. Her clothing was the repository of the crafts, values, and tastes expressed in her society. There was a reciprocal influence between Armenian and other Asian as well as European clothing styles, especially in the movement of basic fashion ideas.

The costumes of Armenians depicted women from all walks of life from queens and commoners, princesses and noblewomen, urban dwellers and rustic maidens, nuns and brides, in a social, regional and historical cross-section of Armenian society through the ages.

As you research the history, the collection of Armenian women’s costumes begins during  the Urartu time period, wherein dresses were designed with creamy white silk, embroidered with gold thread. The costume was a replica of a medallion unearthed by archaeologists at  Toprak Kale near Lake Van, which some 3,000 years ago was the site of the capital of the Kingdom of Urarta.

By the third century B.C. Armenia had become a key power in the east, and from this period, the costume of Queen Satenik was produced. Similarly , over the centuries other costumes were produced for Armenian  queens, aristocrats, nuns, citizen women, brides, with the design and color of the  costumes varying based on the region where the Armenians resided.

All of these costumes expressed the splendid heritage of a living culture. These costumes are part of the on-going legacy of a proud and gifted people whose creative contributions continues to draw nourishment from a three thousand year old history.

Excerpts of Article taken from: “The Costumes of Armenian Women” and  “ARMENIA Crossroads of Culture- by Anahid V. Ordjanian

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