Central Asian men, women and children dressed in essentially the same T-shaped coats their nomadic ancestor had worn centuries before. These warrior horsemen had found tunics, trousers and wide coats practical and comfortable attire. The nature of the cloth and the number of coats worn spoke volumes, communicating affiliation with a cultural or tribal group, social rank, occupation and age. Subtle differences existed between men and women's coats but size was not one of them. The practice of layering coats meant that the outermost one could be enormous. As many as ten coats might be worn by men and women of high status, although three or four was more customary for the well to do, especially in winter (1). This layering resulted in a much admired dramatic contrasts of colors and motifs.

Over their coats, men wore a sash or belt with a pouch and knife tucked into it; under them, a long cotton shirt. Their other clothing consisted of a small cap over which an elaborate turban was draped, wide-cut trousers of patterned cloth with tapering legs or leather riding breeches, for no man walked who could ride. A pair of leather high heeled boots finished the ensemble. Although bolder fabrics in bright colors were usually reserved for women, sophisticated and dandified Bukharan men wore them with pride (2).

Although women wore much the same garments, some styles, like the more fitted munisak, were worn exclusively by them. Women and adolescent girls wore headgear, which, depending on the region, might be a cap or kerchief. On special occasions, a tiara of filigree work held the scarf in place. Indoors, women wore soft leather boots, adding curly-toed leather galoshes with iron fittings when they went outdoors (3). A woman's dowry consisted of several robes, including everyday, special occasion, and mourning garments, which were expected to last throughout her life. For some reason, women were thought to need fewer clothes than men, and normally received only one outfit per year (4).

Very long sleeves were typical for both sexes and allowed the multiple layers of coats to be displayed to advantage. In many cases the sleeves ceased to be utilitarian since the robe was worn over the shoulders as a cape or over the head. The parandja covered Muslim women from head to toe in compliance with their interpretation of the Koran and was accompanied by a heavy horsehair veil to cover the face. The Islamic tradition of covering the hands when at rest was commonly depicted in miniature paintings and is still considered a gesture of politeness (5).

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(1) Kate Fitz Gibbon and Andrew Hale, Ikat: Splendid Silks of Central Asia: the Guido Goldman Collection (Lawrence King Publishing in Association with Alan Marcuson Publishing, 1999), 156.
(2) Ibid., 158.
(3) Ibid., 161.
(4) Ibid., 168.
(5) Kate Fitz Gibbon, "Ikat: Costume in Central Asia," Ornament 21, (Fall/ Summer 1997-1998): 59.