Geometric Construction for Central Asian Caftans
You can't ride a horse in a toga.
The construction of pre-modern clothing can be divided into three basic categories. The first to develop was the draped garment, originally made of skins and later of woven fiber. This category includes the peplos, the toga and many others.
As cutting and sewing skills developed, two additional categories appeared; the tunic and and the coat. The tunic, or layers of them, were widely worn by agrarian peoples and it suited the lifestyle well. That all changed with the domestication of the horse in Central Asia.
The garments that developed in response to a lifestyle now spent in the saddle was the coat and pants. Pants developed from unsewn leg-wrappings that had previously been used for warmth and were now in use to prevent chafing. The tunic became slit up the front and sometimes the side and back. The openings that began near or at the waist made riding easier.
The coat also developed front panels that were extra wide so they could be doubled over the front of the torso for additional warmth. You can see this innovation still in use in 'cavalry' shirts and modern motorcycle jackets. So, without the horse, no caftans.
The belted coat is also incredibly practical for Central Asian with its wild temperature changes and continual wind. If you dress warmly and then sweat, when the sweat cools it reduces your body temperature and increases the risk of hypothermia. Layers of belted coats can be shrugged out of to cool the torso without the need to dismount. You can then put the coat back on as the day cools. There are a number of paintings of Central Asian riders with several pair of sleeves trailing over the rump of the horse.
If you are interested in the early history of clothing and clothing production, you should read Elizabeth Wayland Barber. She is brilliant and thorough.
Prehistoric Textiles
Mummies of Urumchi
Women's Work
Additional content coming soon.
You can't ride a horse in a toga.
The construction of pre-modern clothing can be divided into three basic categories. The first to develop was the draped garment, originally made of skins and later of woven fiber. This category includes the peplos, the toga and many others.
As cutting and sewing skills developed, two additional categories appeared; the tunic and and the coat. The tunic, or layers of them, were widely worn by agrarian peoples and it suited the lifestyle well. That all changed with the domestication of the horse in Central Asia.
The garments that developed in response to a lifestyle now spent in the saddle was the coat and pants. Pants developed from unsewn leg-wrappings that had previously been used for warmth and were now in use to prevent chafing. The tunic became slit up the front and sometimes the side and back. The openings that began near or at the waist made riding easier.
The coat also developed front panels that were extra wide so they could be doubled over the front of the torso for additional warmth. You can see this innovation still in use in 'cavalry' shirts and modern motorcycle jackets. So, without the horse, no caftans.
The belted coat is also incredibly practical for Central Asian with its wild temperature changes and continual wind. If you dress warmly and then sweat, when the sweat cools it reduces your body temperature and increases the risk of hypothermia. Layers of belted coats can be shrugged out of to cool the torso without the need to dismount. You can then put the coat back on as the day cools. There are a number of paintings of Central Asian riders with several pair of sleeves trailing over the rump of the horse.
If you are interested in the early history of clothing and clothing production, you should read Elizabeth Wayland Barber. She is brilliant and thorough.
Prehistoric Textiles
Mummies of Urumchi
Women's Work
Additional content coming soon.
