Clothing, Traditional—Kyrgyzstan

Dress in Kyrgyzstan developed as a part of Central Asian costume, with clothing styles that were adapted to either a sedentary or nomadic lifestyle. In general, the styles and design of Kyrgyz costume were similar to those found in Uzbekistan and Tajikstan and reflect the old traditions of textile manufacture and design that developed along the Silk Road. Political conquests brought in new techniques, such as felting, weaving, and quilting, that were adopted for clothing and textiles in the region. It is difficult to estimate origins of any kind of ethnic dress, but it is safe to say that traditional Kyrgyz dress developed over a few centuries and only began to show significant change in the mid-twentieth century after Westernization began.

As in much of Asia, men in Kyrgyzstan rapidly adopted Western dress and today few wear the traditional costume except for the hat (kolpok). For festivals, men may wear a traditional jacket (jelek) made of blue, black, or brown velvet, with a belt at the waist. Men's jackets have very little decoration, but may have trim around the neckline, at the sleeve edges, and down the center front. Pants are velvet and cut like Western pants, but might have decorations at the hem, like the salwar of India.

Women's dress is much more complex. Traditional dress is worn more frequently by women and is commonly seen at weddings, rituals, festivals, and other cultural events. There are three categories of female dress, based on age.

Girls up to age seventeen wear long dresses (koinok). These dresses are semi-sheer, have high necklines, and have many layers of flounces or frills at the neck, sleeves, and skirt. White, red, yellow, and other bright colors indicating youth are preferred for girls. A sleeveless jacket (kamzol) is worn with the dress. These vests come in different lengths, but girls usually wear the shortest vests. The kamzol is made from heavy fabrics, usually velvet, and can be many colors; it is decorated with embellishments referred to as saima. The decorations are most extensive on the center front corners of the kamzol.

Girls' hair is traditionally arranged in about forty braids (besh kokul) and is covered by headdresses such as a cone-shaped hat (tebetei) that may have feathers and silver or gold coins, precious stones, pearls, threads, and beads.

For their weddings, brides wear more elaborate versions of the traditional dress; the wedding dress is long and white, and the kamzol is richly decorated. The special bridal headdress, or shokulo, is very high and cone-shaped, with a veil falling down the back; the veil may be used to cover the bride's face. Once a girl marries, her attire becomes a visible symbol of her married status. Dresses are longer and have fewer frills. For married women, kamzols are longer and plainer. In the winter, velvet wrap skirts (beldemchi) with appliqué designs decorating the edges and hem can be worn over the koinok. They are sometimes lined with fur.

Hair and headdresses also change with marriage, in deference to values of female modesty. Hair must be kept covered after marriage and is worn parted into two plaits (symbolizing the couple). If a woman's husband were to die, she would braid her hair into only one plait, indicating her solitary status.

As women age, their entire ensembles continually become simpler, plainer, longer, and duller in color. Middle-aged and elderly women wear big white head-dresses called elechek. Approximately ten meters of fabric are needed to make this turbanlike headdress with a drape under the chin, similar to a wimple from the European Middle Ages. In winter, shawls are worn for warmth, as are jackets (called chapan), often made of velvet or fur.

Women in Central Asia

Kennett, Frances, with Caroline MacDonald-Haig. (1995) Ethnic Dress. New York: Facts On File.

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