Clothing, Traditional—Mongolia

Mongolian costume shares many characteristics with Chinese, Tibetan, and Manchurian costume forms and its manufacture and styling reflect a nomadic lifestyle. Because the climate is often very cold, costume pieces are worn layered and may be padded and quilted. Many of the long robes worn in Mongolia also have side or front and back slits to accommodate horse riding. Garments are cut and sewn with as little waste as possible, and are not closely tailored to the body. They are cut to hang loosely and comfortably on the body. Garments can be folded easily for storage and transport.

Fabrics used for Mongolian garments include imported cotton, silk, and velvet, indigenous wool fabrics, and animal skins and furs. Chinese silk fabrics are prized, especially silver and gold silk brocade fabrics. Cotton is used for the everyday dress of the common people and as a lining for silk garments. Chinese color symbolism is used in Mongolian costume, and yellow and red are considered to be sacred colors. Colors used in Mongolian costume are stronger in value and hue, however, than those used in Chinese costume. The use of animal skins with the fur worn towards the body is common, and is necessary for warmth in the winter season.

Garment details and embellishments vary depending on the tribe, but basic costume forms are similar for men and women throughout Mongolia. The debel is a long caftan-type robe, fastened at the throat, right shoulder, and down the right side with a variety of knot-and-loop closures. This basic garment is constructed from silk fabrics, cotton fabrics, wool felt, or animal skins. Often fur-lined, the debel has long sleeves that end in horse-hoof cuffs or in wide striped cuffs. (Horse-hoof cuffs resemble the hoof of a horse: they are wide, flaring cuffs that, when turned down, extend over the hands of the wearer.) The debel is seldom completely hidden by other garments layered over it.

Garments worn over the debel may fasten down center front or to the right. The uudji is a long, sleeveless, collarless robe that often has center back slits; those that close to the right have side slits. The olba is a sleeved garment that ends just below the waist; it may be collarless or have a stand-up or shawl collar. The sleeveless khargilchi is a vest that is collarless or has a stand-up collar.

Omudun are pants worn by men and women and constructed by sewing two leggings together with a crotch gusset. Men and women may also wear khoshiya, or wraparound petticoats; when worn by men, these may be hunting and dancing skirts. The khoshiya is also part of lama dress. Mongolian footwear includes shoes and boots made from materials such as black cotton, silk, velvet, and black or brown leather; the surfaces of shoes or boots are usually highly decorated with embroidery. Mongolian shoes may be similar to the flat-soled Chinese shoe, or may have a wooden platform sole in the style common in the Manchu court of China's Qing dynasty (1644–1912). Boots, or grotal, have flat leather soles that cover the bottom and sides of the foot and that turn up at the toes. Stockings are cloth or felt and may be padded and quilted.

Diverse headwear is worn in Mongolia, not only for protection, but also to designate rank, status, and tribal or regional affiliation. Headwear includes conical hats, broad brimmed and upturned brim hats, bonnets, and hoods made from a variety of materials; headwear is often lined with fur. A popular soft hat has a helmet-like crown, with front and back brims and fur-linedearflaps; this hat may be fabricated from velvet, cloth, cotton, or fur and the brims may be turned up.

Mongolian men in traditional dress in Ulan Ude. (WOLFGANG KAEHLER/CORBIS)

Although men and women share general costume, there are differences that distinguish the sexes. Women are more likely to wear the uudji. Women's omudun are never visible. Women may also wear a highly decorated separate neckpiece, the ningdjala, which is worn so that only its stand-up collar is visible. Waistsashes or bous are worn with debel by men and unmarried women; married women wear unbelted debel. Other costume is used to signify marital status and varies tribe to tribe. One special costume piece is often called the "elephant ears" or "mountain-goat horn" headdress. Sleeves on a married woman's debel have a tall, stiffly padded sleeve cap; married women also wear embroidered boots with felt uppers, and a red dot on each cheek. Married women wear much jewelry, including earrings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, and hair ornaments; the jewelry is part of the wealth of the family.

Special costumes also exist for lamas, shamans, and wrestlers. Lama costumes are usually red or yellow, and many items are deliberately pieced or patched together. The orkimdji is a toga-like garment draped asymmetrically around the body leaving the right shoulder bare. Other lama costumes include a leather debel, a khoshiya or petticoat, a shawl-collared patch-work jacket, and a dagham, a full-length, pleated cloak with a red collar; a helmet with a red or yellow plume is also worn for certain ceremonies. Ritual costumes include the skeleton dress, a two-piece red and white costume representing a stylized skeleton; this is worn with a mask. Other ritual lama robes are similar to Qing court costume and include a dragon robe; many of these robes do not have closures and slip on over the head. Masks are worn for many ritual dances.

Shaman costumes include leather tunics and pants; the tunics have no closures and slip on over the head. They are embellished with a number of materials, including metal objects, shells, beads, animal fur, horn, and stuffed animals. Shaman costumes also include stylized animal masks. Wrestling matches are an important part of Mongolian festivals, and wrestlers accordingly have a costume that is very different from standard male costume. Wrestling costume includes a short-sleeved jacket that exposes the breast, very full trousers; embroidered leggings, a loincloth of embellished silk, and leather boots with upturned toes.

Hansen, Henny Harald. (1950) Mongol Costumes. Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendalske Boghandel.