By Krisha Basrur
In today’s era, various types of culture are praised and adored from all around the world. Some factors that represent one’s culture may be food, dance, rituals, clothing, etc. Believe it or not, there are more than 1000 cultures and traditions present in our world today. Some are small, presented in small parts of rural areas, and some are large and dominating which influenced other cultures to adopt some of its practices and ways. No matter what or where they are from, each and every custom is glorious and well worth learning. So let’s explore some of the traditional dresses and suits men and women have worn throughout each region!
Afghanistan
Women usually wear a “Perahan”, which is a multi-colored top with loose sleeves and ends at the knees or between the calves. It’s made out of more than four yards of wool, cotton, and other types of textile, and its main purpose is to make the dress more comfortable. The colors of Perahan can vary from a bright mixture to a dark faded color. Bright ones are usually worn on special occasions. The trousers are called “Tunbaan”, which is usually made out of cotton and is loose fitting just like the top. The bottoms are usually made out of machines, and the designs are sometimes hand-embroidered with various patterns. The trousers come in darker colors like black, gray, marron, and sometimes solid white. The Perahan and Turban are together called “Perahan Wa Tunbaan”. It is also referred to as “Panjabbi”, although that term is more common in Pakistan. Afghan women also wear a “Burqua” or “Buqa” which is a type of scarf that covers their head and chest, and sometimes the body also. This type of clothing was influenced by the Islamic religion.
Men have the same “Perahan Wa Tunbaan”, usually in brown, white, gray, black, tan, or other dark, dull colors. It is a collarless, loose-fitting top with comfortable pants, just like a women’s wear. The most common headwear of men is Lungee or Turbans. The way Burqa and Turban are wrapped depends on which region the person is from. It also signifies social status.
http://www.afghanistan-culture.com/afghanistan-women-clothing.html
West Africa (Angola)
This “Panos” dress originated from West Africa. Both men and women wear hand-made clothes that are beautifully designed with symmetrical shapes like diamond, circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, dots, and teardrops. For women, the top has flowery and fluttery short sleeves and a skirt that usually matches the top. The dress may or may not be worn with a colored belt. A matching scarf is also worn at the top, wrapped around the head or waist. For men, the clothing is usually wrapped around the legs, like the Indian traditional “Lungi” clothing. As per color, more bright colors, especially warm-ranging hues are worn. Some men also wear animal skin clothing.
Panama
“Pollera” is a beautiful traditional dress worn by Panamanian women. It means “big one-piece skirt”. It originally came from Spain. It usually has a “U” shaped top with a few two or three layers that finish the first part of the dress. On the bottom, a long skirt would be worn. Both the skirt and three-layered top would usually be designed with flowers and leaves. It’s also made from multi-colored cloth and embroidery.
Armenia
“Taraz” is the traditional national dress of Armenia. This garment expresses class in social hierarchy, wealth, identity, and gender. The first textiles to be used in colonial times were wool and cotton. Some used to be made out of silk imported from China from trade. Silk became a symbol of wealth and class. Colors on the Taraz signify an important meaning. For example, white represents water, red is air, yellow is flames, and purple is for wisdom. Taraz also tells a lot about the person wearing it, like a bride’s special Taraz dress is believed to protect her from vicious evil forces casting black magic. If the person is rich and from a good household, jewelry and other valuable items will be worn with it. Men also have a long-sleeved Taraz, usually worn with a coat of cotton or fur which is hand-embroidered.
https://armeniadiscovery.com/en/articles/armenian-national-clothes-taraz
Austria
“Dirndl” is the name of a German-influenced dress that originated from the Alps. It consists of a bodice (A “V”, “U”, or heart-shaped upper garment of laces crossing over from the neck to waistline, made with heavy layers of cotton), skirt, and apron. The skirt consists of multiple layers, and it used to be separate from the bodice, but now it is typically sewn together as one piece. The skirt also has two or more pockets hidden behind the apron. Most designs contain a single color, with neat, and simple outlines. The apron is set to be a pale, light color, while the bodice embraces small delicate patterns. The Dirndl is considered to be a vital part of Alp culture, and it is still worn by women today on special occasions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirndl#Basic_desi
India
At more than 5,000 years of existence, the Indian saree is considered to be among the oldest form of the garment in the world still in existence. Its being ancient has in no way impacted its popularity. It is still worldwide – on-ramps at leading fashion shows, in Bollywood, on streets of rural and urban India. The saree is as entrenched in our culture as it ever was. The saree is considered to have evolved from a three-piece-attire consisting of unstitched stretches of cloth draped as a lower garment, a chest band, and a piece worn over one’s shoulder or head. While there exists a professional or classical style of draping a saree, there are more than 80 variations of it across the subcontinent. There’s the pleatless Bengali and Odia styles, the Kodagu style saree which is a back to front version of the classic style, the two-piece Malayali version, and so on. Variations also exist depending on the kind of fabric, as well as on methods of weaving that have been used. Hence there is the tie-dye Bandhani sarees, Chanderi cotton sarees, and the numerous silk saree varieties including the Kanchipuram, Banarasi, and Mysore sarees.
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