Among the ready-made items purchased by Kyrgyz people, in addition to light robes, were quilted chapans made by Uzbeks and fur coats (ichik). Kyrgyz people also bought men's shirts, tubeteikas, and leather shoes. Uzbek waist scarves (cotton and silk, with and without embroidery) became widely popular, as well as large women's scarves that came to the market from Eastern Turkestan and Bukhara. Various silver jewelry and corals, mother-of-pearl, precious stones, and pearls brought from Kashgar found a significant market among the Kyrgyz.
Kyrgyz people purchased items not only in cities (Andijan, Kokand, Margilan, Osh, Uzgen, etc.) but also from wandering Uzbek and Tajik traders (saudagerler), who delivered goods on donkeys and horses to the most remote mountain villages and nomadic places.
Trade was a significant, albeit not decisive, factor influencing changes in clothing styles and the emergence of new ones. These changes became particularly noticeable starting from the last quarter of the past century. The Nalivkin spouses noted the Uzbeks' fascination with new types of fabrics, robes, scarves, and shoes. This fascination did not pass by the Kyrgyz, whose attire also reflected the influence of fashion.
Naturally, the initiators of this were wealthy Kyrgyz.
Social contrasts in clothing were significant. In the attire of the affluent, expensive fabrics, robes, costly shoes, and an abundance of silver jewelry predominated. V. I. Kushelevsky, who was well acquainted with the life of southern Kyrgyz, noted the differences in the clothing of Kyrgyz from different classes.
Among the wealthy, he wrote, shirts, trousers, robes, fur coats, fur hats, etc., are tailored. The poor often wear only trousers and a sheepskin coat, which is worn over the bare body and serves as clothing, blanket, and bedding. They do not take it off and wear it until it falls apart.
Besides trade, changes in the clothing of southern Kyrgyz in recent years occurred for other reasons. They were caused by new forms of economy associated with the transition to settled life, closer interaction with neighboring peoples, the decline of some domestic industries, such as weaving, and the increasing connection with the city. From this time, tribal differences in clothing began to blur intensively. In the process of its development, more uniform forms entered everyday life. The evolution of clothing forms occurred in the closest connection with the surrounding peoples — Uzbeks and Tajiks, with whom, as has been repeatedly noted, the Kyrgyz have been in close contact for a long time. As a result, a commonality of forms was created. This became especially noticeable in the men's clothing of the southwestern regions. Here, there is no difference in appearance, material, form, or manner of dressing between an Uzbek, a Kyrgyz, and a Tajik. K. K. Yudakhin, who visited the Lailak Kyrgyz, aptly remarked: "The striped robe, the favorite outerwear of the Kyrgyz from the Lailak region, stands out to a person accustomed to the old clothing of the northern Kyrgyz... If the epithets found in the old Kyrgyz epic, zhalan tet (open chest) and ala chapan (colorful robe), are necessarily associated with Uzbeks or Tajiks among northern Kyrgyz, for the Lailak Kyrgyz, these same epithets mean absolutely nothing, as he can recognize both his neighbors and himself in them."
Some elements of clothing, so characteristic of the feudal period (for example, brocade and silk robes, embroidered suede trousers, etc.), began to gradually disappear, roughly from the 20th century. Uncomfortable bulky women's headgear and certain types of jewelry ceased to be worn, and the cut of clothing changed: sleeves became shorter, and dress lengths decreased. New, more comfortable, and practical items replaced the old ones.
In the following exposition, we attempt to trace these changes and note the features of the main types of men's and women's clothing.
Clothing of Southern Kyrgyz. Part - 1