The Russian national costume is a symbol of the national image.

Our people are rich in a great history and have suffered many hardships and difficult times. Clothing in the old days was very different from what we are now accustomed to seeing on modern girls. Russian national costume is the unity of harmony with nature and the artistic taste of our ancestors. When creating it, they had a sense of proportion and were attentive to every detail. The knowledge of how the Russian folk costume looked like helps modern people understand how they lived in those vague and difficult times. The maiden national image is unique, and this manifested itself in clothes.

So, how did the Russian national costume look like? First of all, its base was a shirt in the form of a tunic with wide sleeves. For each occasion, there was a shirt, whether it was a holiday, weekday or ritual. So there were funeral, pre-wedding and wedding ceremonial shirts. Each bride had a large chest in which the dowry was kept. It was in him and lay shirts for any occasion. Suppose, the most beautiful girl put on the day of her wedding. For its manufacture, always used only homespun cloth, which was considered the best. The costume of Russian folk can not be imagined without embroidery. In a certain place an embroidered shirt was considered to protect from evil forces. But various pieces of fabric, bindweed, ribbons and laces for decoration began to be used only in the 19th century. But embroidery, of course, remained the main motive in Russian clothes. It was always thought out, and every kind of ornament meant something. The rhombus was its main symbol, as it was associated with the sun.

The Russian folk costume supplemented the ponaise. This skirt, which was sewed from three cloth panels, and was pulled together at the waist by a narrow belt. People used wool. In addition, hemp was weaved into it. It was thanks to woolen and vegetable threads that a checkered pattern was obtained. Like the shirts, the ponies also shared in common, everyday and festive. And they differed in detail. It is noteworthy that only married women wore ponevu. The girl put on her immediately after the wedding and wore the most beautiful skirt before the birth of the first-born. Then it was supposed to change it to a simpler ponve.

Ah, this Russian sarafan ... Without it, it's impossible to imagine a Russian national costume. First there were kosoklinnye sarafans, which were sewed from two cloths and had seams on their sides and in the center. Their hem is richly decorated with gold braid or red cloth. In place of kosoklinnymi came straight sarafans. They were sewed from 4-5 cloths of a rectangular shape, which gathered on the back and chest under the lining. Such a sarafan was held only thanks to straps on the shoulders. Basically, they were worn by their young girls, and even then on a holiday.

The Russian folk costume supplemented the apron. He was put on top of poneva, shirt or sundress. The manufacturing technique is simple: the panel was folded in half and made a rectangular cutout for the head.

The girlish image would be incomplete without a headdress. Young women plaited braids and put on their heads bandages, hoops, wreaths, which were embroidered with beads and river pearls. But scarves appeared in the 19th century.

Well, of course, great value for the national costume had jewelry. Necklaces of beads and pearls, amber beads, crosses, ribbons, earrings, colored belts and sashes wonderfully complemented the girl's image of that time.

Shoes were worn based on social status. So the peasants put on bast shoes, but the girls from wealthy families could afford and boots.

Those who are interested in the history, traditions and culture of our people can see how the women of that time looked on the Internet. Russian folk costume in pictures and in photos will help to more clearly imagine our ancestors.