Rus' Men's Costume

Men's costume:

The basic unit worn by all was the shirt. These were usually made of linen--usually white or natural coloured, but occasionally in a grey-blue. The aristocracy sometimes made them of brightly coloured silk. Richer folk would add multiple layers on top of the shirt, while poorer folk used it as the main layer of clothing. The shirt was commonly embroidered around the neck. Those who could not afford embroidery or who had little free time for such things often substituted strips of red cloth. Note the fact that the sleeves are cut longer than the arms (so one could tuck the hands inside for warmth.) To keep them out of the way for everyday activity, the Rus' either added a wristband or used bracelets. There is no collar, but there is a deep slit down the front, which is held shut with a button. The shirt is cut nearly to the knees and is always worn untucked, with a narrow belt of fabric or leather. The other essential garment was a pair of linen breeches, called porty. The rich added a pair of wool breeches over these, while princes might wear silk breeches. They were held up by a belt or rope in drawstring fashion, and were tucked into the tops of the shoes or boots. Finally, there was a traditional outer garment called the svyta . (A look at the traditional "Cossack style" coats of the Russians and Ukrainians will give you an idea of what this later evolved into). This was cut nearly straight, with only a slight widening towards the bottom, of wider wool fabric. It fit the torso quite closely, with a slit to the waist area done up by three or four buttons, and fell between the knee and calf. The aristocracy often decorated these with horizontal strips of braid or cloth. The sleeves fit closely as well, tapering slightly to the wrist. The garment was often lined or trimmed in fur, and a wide belt of fabric completed the look. As I have mentioned, the princes adopted modified Byzantine fashions for their parade dress. The very long Byzantine talaris favoured by the upper classes was cut slightly shorter by the Rus', though it was ornamented much like I have discussed earlier. The princes also used the Byzantine chlamys, which they called korzno. [[1]]