The people of Uganda use the silk and cotton as the fabric for their clothing and prepare very colorful dresses, as normally the people of other African people wear. The traditional dress of Uganda comprises of many variations, however, the most popular of them in women and men is Gomesi and Kanzu. Although, historically the population is of Uganda, which was consisting of many ethnic groups used to wear the dresses made of the materials like leaves, plants and wildlife skins. These garments include the double piece clothes to cover the upper and lower body parts. The pure traditional dresses of the Ugandan people also consisted of many personal adornments like body marks, tattoos and facial paintings. Similarly they were also fond of wearing various ornaments like bracelets, earrings, nose pins, beads and headdresses. Ankle jingles, bird feathers and cowrie shells also played an important role in the adornments of the people of Uganda.

Traditional dress of Uganda : Image by sarahemcc

The modern dress of Uganda was evolved with the passage of time; especially with the advent of Christianity and colonialism. The Christian missionaries suggested the alteration in the dresses of the women of Uganda  as the ankle length Gomesi which is also known as Basuti, was introduced and for the Ugandan men, the change was the induction of the long tunic garments.

The Ugandan women wearing traditional Gomesies. Image by sarahemcc

The Gomesi is basically a floor-length, brightly colored cloth dress with a square neckline and short, puffed sleeves. The dress is tied with a sash placed below the waist over the hips. The Gomesi has two buttons on the left side of the neckline. Gomesi is the present national attire for the women of Uganda which they also use, not only in day to day wear but as the special functional dress too.  A well-made Gomesi can require up to six meters of cloth.Although, in the urban areas of Uganda, the women have a trend to use the western garments but overall, the majority of the Ugandan women dislike the western dresses.

Children of Uganda in cultural dress. Image by Bread of the World

Kanzu is the national and traditional dress for the Ugandan men which is considered as the adaptation from the typical Arabian dress “thobe”. The traditional kanzu has maroon embroidery around the collar, abdomen, and sleeves. The embroidery is called the omulela. The major center of kanzu knitting and production is Mende, Uganda. The modern Ugandan men also use suits and long sleeved jackets with shoes as their dresses.

Ugandan dancers performing in traditional attires .Image expo_2002

The use of stylish adornments along with the traditional dress of Uganda is also widespread these days. The traditional modes and fashions in the dressing are equally popular in all parts of Uganda.

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The Kurdish people have a similar tradition to dance together by holding each other’s arms like the Lebanese and Balkan traditional dances. The Kurdish traditional dance is a centuries old heritage of the Kurdish community which is a symbol of harmony and integrity. The Kurdish traditional dance is accompanied by melodious music and superb body movements and it is a primary part of Halparke (the Kurdish culture). There are slight variations in the Kurdish traditional dances that exist in various regions. The renowned versions are known as Dilan, Sepe and Chapi.

Kurdish traditional dance - Photo owned by Khosro Zabihi

Dilan is performed by the Kurdish men and women together in a circle holding hands with bright colored handkerchiefs. Chapi and Sepe are almost alike and consist of stepping forward on the left foot twice and then stepping back on the right foot twice while traveling in a circle. The only difference in Sepe is the motion towards the center of the circle and hitting the right foot roughly to the ground.

Kurdish people are considered as a brave and warrior nation. The Kurdish traditional dance is the regalia of the magnanimous and proud life style of Kurdish nation.

Jordan is an Arab country and the Jordanian culture is a blend of the Arabian, Islamic and Modern influences. The capital city Amman is a famous and ancient historic city.  The majority people of Jordan belong to Islam and they speak the Arabic language. English and French are also the official languages and the small geography of Jordan still possesses variation in the clothing and traditions due to various life styles of the Jordanians.

The traditional Jordanian dresses worn by the dancers - Image courtesy : mejourneys.com

The rural population mostly consists of Bedouin and Palestinian communities who have nomadic way of life. The Jordanian Arabians depends upon the agricultural farming and cattle breeding while the greater number of the settled urban Jordanians are educated and perform businesses and other official jobs.

A Jordanian man wearing the traditional dress - sarah g-love's Image

The traditional dress of Jordan is also very unique and fantastic as the traditional clothing for men consists of tunic shirts, trousers and an elaborate over garment with a belt or cummerbund. They also cover their head with the typical Arabian Scarf which is like a turban.

A Jordanian man wearing his traditional Arabic Scarf - Edward Wachtman's Image

The traditional dress for women is very decorative and full of superb craftsmanship and embroidery. This dexterity is full of amazing color patterns and fascinating patchworks. Apart from the heavy load of the tiresome household tasks, the Jordanian women love to wear delicate and embellished dresses.

A beautiful Jordanian girl in her Ttaditional dress - Colin McLurgjpg's Image

The most common part of a Jordanian women’s costume is a long rectangular cleavage which is decorated with tremendous embroidery and it is adjusted in the front of the dress.

A wonderful image of a Jordanian urban girl - Kaaa Teee's Image

In the Northern part, one of the traditional dresses of Jordan is Shirsh which is a long outfit with tight sleeves and a decorated neckline and embroidered sides.

An image of the Jordanian city girls wearing the modern costumes and scarves - Mr. Littlehand's Image

Often, the dresses of central and southern Jordanians are of double length with long pointed sleeves.

Traditional Jordanian Costumes ( Image Courtesy: Wikimedia )

The traditional dress of Jordan represents the unique and ancient culture of this small Arabian country. It also reflects the colors of the ancient Bilad el Sham; the greater Syrian Kingdom.

A Jordanian belly dancer dancing in her traditional costume - Sarah Ackerman's Image

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The most of the Kazakh people depended upon the livestock economy and their traditional practices, customs and living style was also of nomadic nature. Presently, lots of changes have occurred in the daily lives of the people of Kazakhstan and their sustenance and priorities have become more diversified. Especially after the Russian domination, the culture was become a blend of from the Western influences. With the passage of time when the cultural ties of Kazakhstan were evolved, the style of clothing of Kazakh people was also turned over from simplicity. Embroidery, floral patterns and new designs were placed upon the traditional attires of the Kazakhs. Similarly animal skins and furs that were used earlier as the raw material of clothing were replaced by imported materials like silk, brocade, velvet and cotton.

The beautiful Kazakh girls in their national dresses ( Image: Jonathan Newell )

The traditional dress of Kazakhstan was worn with a waist coat that was more like a jacket or a gown for a woman. The Kazakh men used to wear “zheyde” that was an outer coat along with the trousers made of thick cotton fabric. The skullcaps like the traditional “Kolpok” or “Kalpak” and “Takiya” were the important headdress of the Kazakh men. Bashlyk was prepared with camel skin, which was supposed to be worn on top of other hats, to protect from dust, sun, rain and snow. The Kazakh men normally liked the boots with high heels.

A Kazakh man with the traditional Bashlyk

The Kazakh women used to wear pants with a tight shirt but the outer coat was a loose out fit that was also called as “kamzol”, a type of dressing gown. The women belonging to different classes used various types of fabrics for sewing their dresses. For example, the upper class women made their dresses of silk, satin, velvet or brocade etc. Moreover, these expensive fabrics were also decorated with laces, embroidery and stripes of fur.

The folk group of Kazakh girls in their traditional costumes ( Image by Jonathan Newell )

The traditional dresses of Kazakh women were stitched with a little distinction for the women belonging to various age groups. The Kazakh girls also used to wear two kinds of headdresses; skull cap (Takiya) and a warm hat (Borik), decorated with otter, fox or beaver fur. A tuft of owl feather was often sewed to the top of Takiya for further grace. The footwear was almost the same like the men; the young Kazakh women loved the boots with high heels while the elder women preferred low-heeled shoes.

A Kazakh bride in her traditional red wedding costume ( Image: Zulkarnan Abdul )

As the wedding occasion was the most awaited and significant moment of the life of a Kazakh woman, the bridal costume was embellished with maximum adornments and decorations. The most noteworthy item of the dowry articles of a Kazakh bride was the headdress known as “Saukele” along with a facial veil. The wedding dress that was usually of red color and Saukele were prepared long before the girls reached the age of marriage.

Some native girls of Kazakhstan in traditional costumes ( Image: nasa-hq )

Although the modernism, Western influence and contemporary fashion attacks have affected the traditional dress of Kazakhstan, yet the Kazakh people are trying their level best to maintain their clothing heritage. The Kazakh fashion industry time and again introduces the traditional and national costumes prepared with a variety of applications and decorations. The traditional ornaments like earrings, flat and wrought bracelets and rings are still an integral element of the Kazakh women’s clothing.

Some young girls from Kazakhstan wearing yellow traditional dresses (Image by Mark Andrew Barrett)

The traditional clothing in Kyrgyzstan was much dependent upon the nomadic life style of the Kyrgyz people. The traditional dress of Kyrgyzstan was almost similar to the other central Asian states like Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

A Kyrgyz woman in her traditional dress ( tracingtea.images )

The Kyrgyz people especially women love the traditional embroidery on their dresses prepared with obscure patterns. During the last two centuries the trend of men’s wear was rapidly replaced with western style dressing and only the tradition of wearing Kolpok hat was remained. Only on few festive occasions the Kyrgyz men wear “jelek” which is the traditional coat made of blue, black, or brown velvet, with a belt at the waist. The trousers are liked with little beautifications.

A Kyrgyz man with his traditional Kolpok hat ( Image: Eric Lafforgue )

The young Kyrgyz girls wear the traditional “koinok” having high necklines with typical embellishment on the skirts and sleeves. They also cover themselves with a coat of heavy texture decorated with floral designs.

The Kyrgyz girls wearing traditional costumes ( Photo : AFP )

 A traditional headdress which is cone-shaped having feathers, coins or beads, is another accessory to the Kyrgyz girl’s dress. The middle aged or elder Kyrgyz women like simpler dress with big white head-dresses called “elechek”.

A Kyrgyz girl with her traditional fur hat (tracingtea.images)

The loveliest traditional dress of Kyrgyzstan is the wedding dress for a Kyrgyz bride is longer and it normally white. The sleeveless jacket is perfectly illuminated. The headdress for the bride is called as “shokulo” which is very high and cone-shaped, with a veil falling down the back; the veil may be used to cover the bride’s face.

The traditional Kyrgyz dance in cultural dress (Image: Go.Live.Serve.)