Russian sarafan. History and modernity

Russian sarafan by its origin, perhaps, is connected with Indian culture. A part of the root of the word "sarafan" - "sara" with the Indian word "sari", which means "piece of cloth" is very much associated. And the very word "sarafan" in translation from Iran means "fully dressed", and from Persian - "honorable clothes".

Forms of the classic Russian sundress came to us from ancient times, where people wore long clothes with freely falling lines, expanded hem. It is interesting to note that women's suits have been worn for a very long time without underwear, and it is the flared, multilayered clothing with a multitude of lower skirts that was designed to keep warm during fierce frosts.

Such a phenomenon as a sarafan Russian folk costume included from ancient times until the reign of Peter the Great, when a significant part of the population was ordered to wear European-style suits. Fashion trends of the time did not touch the clergy and the peasant class, so many samples of clothing, including sarafan, were preserved until the beginning of the XX century.

Russian sarafan was sewn mostly from linen cloths of varying degrees of bleaching and decorated with national patterns, many of which showed to which gender the woman belonged, or wore the character of amulets. Fabrics or threads were painted in additional colors with the help of broths of bark, infusions of grasses, flowers with the use of bread kvass and chemicals, like alum or vitriol. From multi-colored threads weaved so-called "pestry" - checkered or striped canvases. Later with the advent of weaving, elegant sarafans could be sewed from brocade, chintz, decorated with woven gold or silver braid, ribbons, silk embroidery.

Today, the Russian sarafan is worn mainly on folk festivals, folk ensembles, although its form is perfect for beach dresses, children's clothes or an unusual set of shortened sarafan and trousers.

When it comes to how to sew Russian folk dress, then there are a lot of varieties of patterns. You can take a detached monofilament fabric (preferably a satin) that is certainly larger than the width of the breast (1.2 - 1.5 times), prisborit to the width of the chest on an elastic band, sew a narrow strap. Or sew a sundress on the basis of a skirt-half-sun with a "girdle" at the chest level. Then the dress is decorated with a vertical bar along the length of the product transfer, a horizontal bar along the breast level and the same finish on the bottom of the sarafan. In some cases, symmetrical patterns are embroidered on the sides of the vertical bar. The summer version of this sarafan can be sewn from lightweight fabrics with a pattern without additional ornaments. In some historical versions of such a sarafan, all the folds gathered on the back panel, creating a peculiar "train".

The Russian sarafan of more exquisite forms is based on the pattern of a flared dress, with the creation of all the necessary darts and looks like a product with a bodice. The top of the pattern is cut at the level of the armpits, the straps are also cut out. In the sarafan, in the side seam lightning is sewn. Such a sundress fits well and looks like modern clothes. To emphasize that the dress is a national costume, in this case it is possible with the help of a narrow embroidery along the hem of the dress. It is not forbidden to sew a sarafan of such a silhouette with a button fastener along the entire length of the gear, In the XIV century, sarafans of such a "configuration", called "swings", were common in Russia.

In order for a suit in the folk style to look harmonious, a blouse with wide sleeves and embroidery on the collar and on the sleeves is put under the sarafan. The image is complemented by long pearl beads, kokoshnikom. Modern version can be worn with a turtleneck, and a summer sarafan - without additional items of wardrobe under it.