ES - Re:middle eastern costume

[willow l herbert]

Greetings from Willow de Wisp 
I sent this question out to some of the researchers that I am in
commucation with. These are their answers. Please read their answers and
add any data or any insights you might have.
Willow
Question:
	I have a middle eastern costuming question for you.  When you
make a Ghawazee
coat full in the skirt, is the traditional/documentably period way to use
1)
triangular gores, 2) rectangular gores, 3) no gores- just cut the skirt
full
circle, 4) none of the above??  And, if they are gores on the side of the
skirt, is the bottom hem rounded or straight lines?  Remember the bit
about no
curves cut in middle eastern clothing are period- is that true here, too?
	And, whether gores or full circle cut are used, if the cloth has
vertical
stripes, a chevron effect is created on the skirt sides, which looks very
suspiciously not right/period to me.  Do you have info that it is
documentable?
 
Answers:
The best book to look at for Turkish coat cuts is J.M. Roger's Topakapi
Saray: Costumes, Embroidaries, and Textiles.  It is filled with color
photo's of extant garments!  

If by ghawazee coat, you mean the one cut under the breasts; I have yet
to
document this in period.  All of the illuminations and extant garments
that
I have seen show a v-neck or a small mandarin collar with the coat worn
closed to the neck.  All of the coats that I have seen have side gores
added at the top of the hips and falling in a triangular shape to the
hem.
There are two ways to do the hem either round the edges or cut it
straight.
 I have seen both.  The triangular gores are cut to a point at the top if
the fabric is a heavy weight and rounded at the top if the fabric is
lighter weight( see J.M. Roger).  About the stripes - I have no idea.  I
don't like stripes so I have not really paid attention to whether or not
they are found in period coats and how the side seams fall.  Off the top
of
my head, the only stripes I have seen are post period.  However, striped
fabric was certainly available during period and men's garments were
often
made of it.  I just don't recall seeing any examples of Turkish women's
coats being made of it.  Could be though.
Hollie


I would suggest that this person look at some garments from the Topkapi
Sariyi Museum books or Suleiyman the Magnificent.  Both books have
garments
from the period and one can see the cuts of the different garments.  From
the experience of attempting to construct such garments, it seems that
the
lighter weight fabrics had gores that went perpendicular to the body a
few
inches and then curved down at an angle on the sides and were sewn
straight
down in the front.  The heavier weighted fabrics had less fabric bunched
at
hips/waist.  You had a more severe angle, almost a right triangle shaped
gore.  It is my perception that the lower part of the garment is not that
full, definitely not close to a circle.

In addition, I would remind someone that the cut under the breast is not
period.  The closure system for the garments seem to be dominated by a
buttons with loops system.  One can make your own button out of fabric or
use a contrasting color of buttons.  I haven't found any example of
buttons
holes although that is what I use if I am making a "run around" coat--not
to
be entered in an A&S or used as an example of what a coat should look
like.

As far as curved at the bottom, from looking at the pictures of garments,
they seem to be slightly curved to me.  Again, they really aren't that
full
at the bottom so not that much curve would be needed to make a straight
line
when the garment is worn.  

I hope this helps.

Isabetta Giovanna Rucellai, C, CL
Meridies


  
I have no documentable period women's clothing I can refer to.  But, the
men's
clothing from the period have gores that are cut with rectangtles, and
with
triangles on different garments.  Once again one source cannot be the be
all
and end all  of the research.  But if you research men's clothing the
cuts are
very very straight.  Even using the triangle and rectangle, the cuts are
straight.  Since most women;s clothing is very similar to the man's
clothing
in the middle east I would assume that The construction methods are the
same.
I do tend to discount alot of what is purported to be curved cuts on
antique
garments of this period.  I've seen garments taht are quite old give the
appearance of having been cut on a curve, but upon actually examining the
fabric it was cut on the bias and as it was worn the stretch in the bias
gave
away to appear curved (and therfore fitting the body better).   Most
cultures
used and reused fabric it was extremely precious. My personal guess and
this
is from having worked with fabric and antique garments, it that the
garments
were cut on the angles (bias) so that they would drape and give the
ghwazee a
more fitted garment to display their "wares" . Only in conspicuous
consumption
do you get wasted fabric.  i.e. Royalty, grave clothes, preistly
vestments.etc.  Some of the garments Jennifer Scarce uses are from
"bundles"
(I can't quite recall the technical or arabic name at the moment).  When
someone dies their clothes are wrapped in a bundle and covered to be kept
by
the family.  This was mainly in the wealthier ones and of course
specifically
with the royalty.  It was mainly mens garments rarely are the women's
garments
kept.  The hems I have seen in slightly out of period engravings show the
dragging out of kilter hemlines you get if something is cut on a bias and
not
trimmed off after hanging awhile.  As to the stripes not looking period. 
Well
most garments I've seen from the middle east are an assault on the
sensiblities of our western minds.  Please resend me you mailing address
so I
can send you come copies of the Anachonist book along with some other
articles
you might find interesting

Samiha  

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