Traditional Clothing Around the World | Types and Cultural Significance – Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

Video Transcript

Dressing the World

The Japanese kimono dates to 800 B.C.E. Like the kimono, many traditional clothing styles date back thousands of years. In every part of the world, distinctive styles of clothing dominate the regions, and these articles help define each culture. Let’s take a trip around the world from the Americas to Asia and talk about the traditional clothing that makes each area unique. While there are thousands of traditional clothing that exist across the globe, for the length of this lesson, we will look at a few more familiar examples that highlight the concept of traditional clothing within a culture.

North and South America

From the arctic north of Canada to the southern heat of Central America and South America, cultures’ traditional clothing can date back thousands of years. Indigenous peoples alone have such diverse traditional clothing because of where they lived, what they held to be valuable, and what resources were part of their living conditions. Let’s look at a few examples of traditional clothing from these vast regions.

Poncho

A poncho is a waterproof top that covers the upper body and usually has a hood to protect the head. Ponchos date back to the pre-Incan times and are decorated with art patterns traditionally found in South American cultures. Diagonal designs are very popular. Ponchos are also brightly colored.

In Northern Canada, the Inuit traditional clothing has its roots in hunting and living in arctic climates. The traditional clothing of the Inuit people are parkas, footwear, mittens, and pants made from seal and caribou skins. While more modern clothing and footwear have replaced wearing these only, caribou skin clothing is still worn in remote areas as protection against extremely cold temperatures.

Flannel Shirt

The United States has multiple subcultures and is a country built on immigrants and Native American roots, so those traditions include a large variety of cultural apparel. For this lesson, we’ll focus on western wear for which Americans are known, particularly as representative of American country music and the movie genre known as ‘Westerns’. Western wear includes denim jeans, cowboy hats, and flannel shirts. These are long-sleeved shirts that are typically made from wool, though cotton varieties are also available. Flannel shirts have been and still are a major component of North American clothing having gained roots with western expansion, pioneering, farming, and ranching.

Europe

Lederhosen

European cultures vary greatly from Scandinavia to southern Europe to Eastern Europe with traditional clothing having roots that date back thousands of years or that exist based on climate conditions. Imagine how different traditional clothing would be in Ireland compared to Greece.

In Bavarian countries like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, lederhosen can be seen at Oktoberfests and other festivals, but ironically, lederhosen were not originally traditional clothing but clothing designed as leather overalls that provided peasants with sustainable, sturdy apparel for the demanding work. Lederhosen are worn by men and are made from leather and include shorts that hit just above the knee. After the nineteenth century, they became more popular as a costume or for everyday wear.

Kilt

The renowned Scottish kilt is a man’s knee-length skirt, and were what men and boys wore every day until they were banned by King George II in 1746 out of fear of rebellion. A kilt is made from twill woven wool and features pleats on the sides and back with a flat piece on the front. Kilts use a tartan design, which is the Scottish equivalent of plaid. Kilts are often accessorized with ornate belts, woolen socks, and a pouch that hangs in the front. Today, the kilt is worn at Scottish festivals and weddings celebrating traditional Scottish culture.

Gakti

Gakti is the traditional dress of the Sami people, who are from Scandinavia. Modern countries such as Finland, Russia, Sweden, and Norway incorporate gakti into their cultures. Gakti is a complete outfit made from animal hides and fur, and that comes in bright hues such as red, blue, and yellow. For women, gakti includes boots, a skirt, a top, and a cape. For men, it is boots, a tunic, and pants. The clothing is worn for special events, reindeer herding, and other outdoor labor. The pattern, color, and design of gakti tells the others where the person is from, the marital status, and sometimes their economic status.

Asia and Australia

Like Europe, Asia is rich with diverse cultures all including unique traditional clothing that reflects the beliefs and lifestyles of their peoples. Australian traditions include those of the First People and those who settled in Australia years later.

Sari

The sari is a piece of fabric that is draped over a woman’s body starting at the waist and ending over a shoulder. They’re often connected to India and the people of the Indus Valley region. The origination of sari goes back nearly 5,000 years, and the word ‘sari’ translates to ‘strip of cloth’. Sari come in all different colors and can be worn eighty different ways.

Kimono

The Japanese have worn kimono for thousands of years. A kimono is a dress worn by men and women that is wrapped around the body and secured with an obi, a fabric sash. Kimono can be worn for everyday wear, but they are expected to be worn for important events and ceremonies. It takes an entire bolt of fabric to make one kimono. Silk and linen are popular fabrics used to make them.

Hanbok

Hanbok is the traditional garb of North and South Korea. A hanbok consists of a top and a skirt for a woman, while a man’s hanbok consists of a shirt and trousers. The hanbok is brightly colored and allows for a lot of movement, as the fabric is rather loose. In the past, the hanbok could tell you about a person’s social status based on the quality of the fabric and symbols embroidered onto the garb. For example, a king might have a dragon embroidered onto his hanbok.

Maori Piupiu

The Maori Piupiu is the traditional grass skirt of the Maori tribe living in New Zealand. The grass skirt dates to the fourteenth century and makes a beautiful noise as the wearer moves. The skirts are worn by both men and women and can feature geometric patterns.

Africa

A massive continent with 54 countries, Africa is rich with multiple cultures and traditions associated with those cultures, including clothing unique to many. Some traditional clothing may span more than one area or culture, and some resulted from outside influence. To encompass traditional clothing associated with cultures from the deserts of Egypt to the mountains of Rwanda would be difficult in a short lesson. Let’s narrow down to two.

Kanzu

Reserved for the men in Eastern Africa, the kanzu is a tunic-style outfit made from white fabric. It was introduced to African people through trade with the Middle East. Kanzu are heavily embroidered on the sleeves, collar, and midriff region. Kanzu isn’t worn alone, though; the men wear a black blazer over it.

Boubou

The boubou is worn by many people in West Africa, particularly in Ghana. The boubou is made up of a pair of pants, a floor-length sleeveless gown, and a long-sleeved shirt. Boubou goes by another name – agbada – and many other names depending on who is wearing it. In modern African culture, the boubou can be without the sleeveless gown, which may be called a kaftan. Kaftans are worn primarily by women.

Lesson Summary

As you can see, traditional clothing around the world is very diverse. Traditional clothing can be linked to climate, beliefs, lifestyles, and many other influences that reflect the culture across time. Here are a few we looked at today:

• The poncho is a waterproof top connected to South American cultures.
• Inuit caribou skin clothing from the Canadian arctic region is worn for protection against the cold.
• Wool flannel shirts are long-sleeved shirts worn in North America.
• Different Bavarian cultures wear lederhosen, a leather outfit for men that includes shorts.
• Scotland is known for its kilts, which are woolen skirts with pleats that men wear.
• Gakti is a traditional outfit for the Sami people from Scandinavia.
• Western African cultures wear boubou, a pair of pants, a floor-length sleeveless gown, and a long-sleeved shirt.
• Eastern African cultures use the kanzu, a tunic-style outfit made from white fabric.
• In India, women wear sari, a piece of fabric draped over a woman’s body.
• In Japan, citizens wear kimono.
• Both citizens of North and South Korea wear hanbok, the traditional garb of North and South Korea.
• In New Zealand you’ll find the Maori piupiu, a grass skirt of the Maori tribe.