Middle East Fashion - Turkey - Research Paper Example

Teacher 21st February Middle East Fashion – Turkey Middle Eastern region starts from Egypt in the West and ends on Iran in the East; it starts from Turkey in the North and end on Yemen in the South. Middle Eastern region is one of the major and strategically important regions in the world. Middle Eastern region is very diverse region comprising on many peoples. Middle Eastern region comprises on 18 countries of Asia and Africa. This region is rich in natural resources, especially, oil and gas. (Louay M. Safi) Fabric and Textiles Costumes and Accessories of Turkey Apparel and Textile industry of Turkey produces all kind of garments product. Turkey also export garment products to different countries. Turkey is a country where people from different ethnic origins live. People of the cities that border Arab world are like that bordering countries. People of the cities that border European cities are like that European counterparts. Pants, shirts, ties are the main accessories of the Turkish clothing for males, females and children of all ages. On the other hand, the people who like to wear traditional dresses also use accessories like loose pants, long shirts, caps, and scarf. People still use traditional shoes (www.turkishculture.org) . Traditional Shawls People also use different types of ornaments. Ornaments are especially used by women. Women in Turkey like to wear gold, platinum and diamond ornaments. Some people also like to wear silver ornaments. Most of the modern people of Turkey do not give important to ornaments. And scarcely use ornaments and additional accessories of clothing. Official dress in offices is pant and shirt. Traditional Socks Location, History and Traditional Culture of Turkey Turkey is located at a geographically most important region of the world. Many countries share borders with Turkey. Greece, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Georgia are some of neighboring countries. Turkey is the only country that has some part land (Istanbul) in Europe and major part (other than Istanbul) of land in Asia. Turkey has always been an important country in the world. During the era of Ottoman Empire, Turkey was one the major powers of the world. Turkey is still a major economy of Asia and the world. Turkey is also part of elite G20, which is group of top 20 major economic powers of the world (www.kwintessential.co.uk). Culture of Turkey is heterogeneous in nature and it is heavily diverse in nature. Culture of Turkey is hybrid in nature. Culture of Turkey is combination of Islamic culture and modern Western culture. Some parts of Turkey (like Istanbul) are just like part of Europe with respect to culture and clothing. Today, most of the men and children like to wear pants and shirts. But the traditional dress of men and children is different. Traditional dress of men and children is similar to pant and shirt. Traditional women dresses in Turkey include long and loose dresses and also cover their head with a scarf or a cap. Traditional Costume and Accessories Worn by Men, Women and Children Majority of people in Turkey like to wear Western style clothes. Unlike other Muslim countries, skirt is vastly worn by women of all ages. Rural is area is still a major part of modern day turkey. Traditional dresses are widely worn by men, women and children in villages. We have discussed in the previous section that the traditional dress of men and children is similar to pant and shirt. Women in Turkey wear a variety of traditional dress. One can observe a similar pattern of traditional women dresses. Traditional women dresses are up to feet long in nature. These traditional dresses of women are of different colors. Traditional dresses in Turkey are accompanied by either scarf or cap or both scarf and cap (www.turkishculture.org). Traditional Bridal Dress Special Clothing for Occasions - Festivals, Weddings and Traditional Activities Most of the time people of Turkey like to wear Western style clothes. Especially men and children like to wear Western style clothing. People in Turkey like to dress up in different type of clothes than casual clothes on special occasions. People of Turkey like to dress up in traditional Islamic, Turkish and European clothes. The nature of clothing depends on the particular festival and event. People of Turkey like to dress up like western wedding clothes. Men wear suits on weddings, whereas, women wear long or short skirts and other dresses like dresses Western societies wear on weddings. People dress up in pants and shirts on music and other art related festivals. On the other hand, some people wear pants and shirts on Islamic events, whereas some people like to wear Islamic and traditional clothing on Islamic events. (www.kultur.gov.tr) Comparison between Past and Present Status of Clothing Clothing in Turkey has greatly changed due to governments. Historically, people were used to abide by the Islamic code of principles for clothing. But in the aftermath of Second World War, the clothing rules from government greatly changed. Mustafa Kamal, who was leading the Turkish nation after Second World War, introduced new laws that prohibited hijab and some other Islamic dresses. Until recently, women were not allowed to leave home without wearing skirt. According to the constitution of Turkey, Republic of Turkey is a secular state but majority of people, who are Muslims, like to abide by Islamic principles. Justice and Development Party of Turkey has soft corner for Islamic principles. It has introduced some relaxations in the laws regarding clothing. Now women are allowed to wear what they like. Seljuk Period Clothing Seljuk Turks came from Central Asia and established dynasties in Iran, South Asia and Asia Minor at the end eleventh century. Wool, felt, camels hair, fur, cotton and silk were used to make clothing of these people. Seljuk’s clothing was much like the clothing used in Central Asia. Ottoman Empire and Clothing As we have discussed in the previous section that governments of Turkey played important role in devising the dress code for its citizens. Government of Turkey has always tried to uplift the traditional arts and craft. Moreover, some NGOs are also trying to promote the traditional clothing and culture of Turkey. The clothes used in Ottoman palaces were quite showy. But the general people of Ottoman Empire were quite simple that they were used to just cover their body. During the reign of Suleiman, administrators had devised laws to regulate the dress code. The men wore şalvar (trouser) with long and baggy coat called entari. They covered head with kalpak a high-crowned cap usually woolen. Women, on the other hand, wore long (frock like) dresses. Following pictures show the dresses from Ottoman Empire era, 19th century Portraits of Jews in the Ottoman Empire by Pascal Sebah Institution US Library of Congress A late 18th century Ottoman woman 1: Muslim lady from Thessaloniki 2: Jewish lady from Thessaloniki 3: Bulgarian woman from Prilep Works Cited Louay M. Safi “Middle Eastern Society and Culture”, University of Missouri, Missouri http://www.umsl.edu/~naumannj/Geography%20PowerPoint%20Slides/extra%20g1002%20powerpoints/new%20nafrica%20swasia%20&%20centasia/Middle%20East%20society%20&%20culture.ppt www.turkishculture.org “The Art of Turkish Textiles” http://www.turkishculture.org/textile-arts/clothing-159.htm www.kultur.gov.tr “Clothes and Finery, Traditional Arts and Craft, Folk Paintings” Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Turkey, http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN,35223/clothes-and-finery-for-men-women-and-children.html www.kwintessential.co.uk “Turkey - Turkish Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette” http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/turkey-country-profile.html Read More