Text b. Caftan and Coat

The term “caftan” is used to refer to a full-length, front-buttoned garment with long sleeves worn by both men and women. It is a variant of the robe or tunic, versions of which have been worn by many cultures for thousands of years. The garment may be worn with a sash or belt. Depending on use, caftans vary from hip to floor length. They are usually made of cotton or silk.

The origin of the caftan is usually tied to Asia Minor and Mesopotamia. By the 13^th century the style had spread into Eastern Europe and Russia, where caftan styles provided the model for a number of different basic garments well into the 19^th century. In Ottoman Empire, 16^th century, caftans of various lengths made from rich satins and velvets of silk and metallic threads were worn by courtiers to indicate status of a wearer.

Men’s caftans often had gores added, causing the caftan to flare at the bottom, while women’s garments were more closely fitted. A sultan wore two or three caftans for ceremonial functions.

Now caftan-style robes are worn in many parts of the world where Islam has spread, particularly in North and West Africa. In Western culture, caftans became part of the international fashion scene in the mid-twentieth century. In the 1950s, French designer Christian Dior adapted the caftan style to design women’s floor-length evening coats.

Coat is a very important item in any cold climate. It is an outerwear garment with sleeves and a centre-front closure, and incorporates many variations of style and shape. The garment is designed to be worn outdoors to protect the wearer from the damp, cold, wind and dust and is commonly worn over the rest of the clothes being slightly longer and wider than normal pieces of the wardrobe.

Coats that are used to provide the wearer with extra warmth may be cut from cashmere, tweed, or fur. Coats worn as protection from the rain or snow will be made from lighter materials like gabardine or cotton.

Although a man’s wardrobe has always contained at least one piece of outerwear to be worn as protection from the environment the overcoat has been a popular garment for both men and women since technical advances in the art of tailoring during the 17^th century.

Nowadays terms “topcoats” and “overcoats” are often used interchangeably, though a topcoat is lighter than an overcoat.

Exercise 6. Read the text “Caftan and Coat” and think over the answers to the questions.

1. What garment, the caftan or the coat, appeared earlier?

2. Which of them influenced the clothes in Eastern Europe and Russia by the 13^th century?

3. Why is the coat commonly longer and wider than other pieces of the wardrobe?

4. Do you see any similarities between the caftan and the coat in styles and materials? Name them.

5. Can the caftan be of any interest for a future fashion designer?

Vocabulary

advance n	-	продвижение, прогресс
art of tailoring n	-	искусство изготовления одежды
belt n	-	пояс, ремень
closure n	-	застежка
court n	-	двор коронованной особы
courtier n	-	придворный
to flare at the bottom v	-	расширяться внизу
front-buttoned garment n	-	одежда с застежкой на пуговицы спереди
gore n	-	складка «годе»
hip n	-	бедро
to indicate v	-	указывать, обозначать
outerwear garment n	-	верхняя одежда
sash h	-	кушак
thread n	-	нить
to tie v	-	связывать, завязывать