Clothing is closely connected with the nation’s history; it reflects more than any other element of material culture, the mentality of the nation and counts among its most stable ethnical characteristics. Clothing provides an ancillary source of evidences about the ethnogenesis, cultural and historical links and relationships of nations: it is influenced by the nation’s economic standard and geographic situation.

Among the archeological finds dating to the early epoch of the Bronze (III millennium B.C.) there are bronze awls and needles, which show that the ancient inhabitants of Azerbaijan sewed clothes for themselves. Clay statuettes from Kul – Tepe (II millennium B.C.) and Mingechaur (I millennium B.C.), drawings on signet – rings also found in Mingechaur (V century B.C.) give some idea of the clothing style of that times.

Excavations in the catacomb burials of the V – VI centuries A.D. in Mingechaur discovered remains of silk fabric. Another evidence pointing to the high standard of material culture of the ancient Azerbaijanis includes boot – shaped clay vessels and numerous precious – metal adornments (III – IV centuries B.C.). Excavations in the sepulcher of the Shirvanshah’s palace showed the remnants of luxurious brocade and silk fabrics.

The abundance and cheapness of raw material in Azerbaijan provided favourable conditions for the development of silk, wool and other kinds of weaving manufacture in medieval towns. Ever since the XVII century Azerbaijan became known as one of the main silk producing and silkworm – breeding areas in the whole Orient. The province of Shirvan was the topmost producer of silk in Azerbaijan. Shemakha , together with the nearby settlements of Sherban, Aresh, Kabala, Jevat, Agdash and some others were another important fabric producing areas in Azerbaijan. Also such towns as Ganja, Maraga, Nakhchivan, Mirand, Aresh, Tabriz and Ordubad were significant weaving centers.

In XVII century already Azerbaijan was a major producer of the following fabrics; zorbaft, brocade, satin, tafta, kanaus, kamka muslin, velvet, darai, makhud, shal, tirmya, various kinds of calico and other materials. Some of them also had other names in the Azerbaijan colloquial language such as mana bakh – look at me, geja gunduz – day and night and etc. Fabrics’ design constitutes elements of Azerbaijani national culture and a peculiar choice of a colour.

While female clothes were made mainly of silk and velvet, male clothes required makhud and sometimes shal (a home – spun wool fabric). Male and female underwear was made of cotton, flax and silk. In the XIX century Azerbaijan chief silk producing towns were Shemakha, Baskal, Ganja, Sheki, Shusha and etc.

A valuable data for studying clothes is provided by medieval miniatures and works of applied art, especially the murals of the Sheki Khan palace (XVIII century).
Azerbaijani clothing was essentially the same throughout the whole Azerbaijan. Minor differences between specific clothing styles in some districts represent some local varieties and peculiarities of the single Azerbaijan national style.
Holiday and wedding garment were made of more expensive fabrics and had more decorations. Also clothing emphasized family and age distinctions. There were noticeable differences between the clothes of unmarried girls and married women. Young women preferred bright colours, while the clothes of young girls and aged women had much fewer embellishments.
Male garments were in form of uniform. Nevertheless, they also reflected the class identity of a wearer.
Children’s clothes were identical to those worn by adults, but with different size and some other age and gender characteristic.
Azerbaijani female costumes of XIX and XX centuries consisted of under and outer garments and the latter in their turn were subdivided into shoulder and waist garments. Female shoulder clothes included “ust koinek” (outer gown), arkhalyg, chepken, labbada, kulaja kuyurdu, eshmiak, bakhari.
The outer waist female clothes were represented by tuman and chakhchur.

UST KOINEK (female shirt) had a straight cut in the absence of the shoulder seam. Its straight and wide sleeve was attached to the straight arm – hole; sometimes there were two or three folds on the sleeve near the shoulder. The gown had only one button near the neck. The outer gown was executed either of kanaus silk or poult – de – soie. The collar cut, edges of the sleeves and the lap were lined with a saryma (lace). Golden or silver coins or etelik (golden stamped trinkets) were attached to the lap in its front part.

CHEPKEN was a popular kind of outer female shoulder garment to be worn on top of the gown. Chepken had a lining and fit tightly to the body. The so – called chapugs (small side – flaps) were on both sides of the chepken. Chepken had long false sleeves with elchek at the end. Elchek is a small cape shaped after the palm of the hand. These sleeves hung freely from the shoulders. Sometimes sleeve cuts had clasps all along their length. Chepken’s sleeves were lined with expensive silk fabrics of contrasting colours. Chepken’s decorations included tapes, gilt lacework and etc.

ARKHALYG was very popular kind of outer female shoulder cloth. There were various types of arkhalygs. They were provided by the lining, some of them were waist long and fit tightly to the body and had baskas of varying width attached to the waist. They could be sewn either with folds or with small gathers. There were also straight short arkhalygs without the waistline but with small flaps on the sides. Usually arkhalygs’ sleeves were of different cuts. Some of them were straight and long, while others were straight way down to the elbow and then took the form of a false sleeve and ended up in an elchek. A third type of arkhalyg sleeve was the so – called leliufiar. Such sleeve winded into a broad bell below the elbow. Being attached to the cuff of the leliufiar sleeves had a form of a frill gathered into a fold. The collar cut of the arkhalyg was as a rule very low with straight or rounded corners. Also there were arkhalygs with straight and non – meeting flaps without fastenings. Other types of arkhalygs were fastened in front part with buttons or hooks. Arkhalygs were usually sewn of velvet, tirmya and various brocade fabrics and were lavishly decorated with various tapes, golden lacework and etc.

LABBADA had a quilted lining. Its front flaps never covered the breast but tied up at the waist with a tape. The sleeves of it were elbow-long and there was a cut in the armpit. Labbada was made of tirmya, velvet and various types of brocade. Its flaps, collar and sleeves were decorated with rich tapes, golden lacework and etc.

ESHMIAK was a quilted female outer garment. Eshmiak flaps did not meet on the breast and sleeves were elbow-long with a cut in the armpit. Eshmiaks were made of tirmya and velvet with the collar, lap and sleeves lined up with ferret fur. Similarly there was a ferret – fur lining inside. The collar, sleeves and lap were decorated with lacework and various tapes.

KURDU was a quilted jacket without sleeves. The front flaps were non – meeting and had a cut on the sides. Kurdus were made of tirmya and velvet. Their collar, laps, cuts and armholes were lined with ferret – fur. The other type of kurdu was known as khorasan kurdu. It was brought in Azerbaijan by pilgrims from the Middle East. This type of kurdu was made of dark – yellow shamois and had silk – thread designs covering their entire surface.

BAKHARI was sewn up on a quilted lining. It fit tightly to the body and reached the waist. It had so – called backa; it is a lap attached to the waist with small gathers. As to its length in this case bakhari reached the hips, the sleeves being straight and elbow – long and the front flaps unbuttoned. Bakhari was made chiefly of velvet, with the lap, collar and sleeve edges adorned with various tapes, oblique beika of a contrasting fabric, golden lacework and etc.

KULANJA was a part of female cloth. It was cut in the waist with its flaps attached to the waist with petty gathers. It had neither fastenings, nor clasps. In length it often reached knees. Kulanja was made of tirmya and velvet and its collar, lap and waistline were embroidered with golden and silver threads, beads, spangles, spiral and etc. The outer waist garments of an Azerbaijani woman included long tuman (skirt) and only in Nakhchivan – Ordubad zone skirts were short. Most women used to wear five or six skirts at the same time. The skirts worn between the outer and under skirts were called ara tuman. All the skirts were gathered at the waist into buzma (petty gather) or gyrchyn (folds). A home – made plaited string of silk threads called tuman baghi was run through the skirt’s hem. Both ends of the string ended at tassels made of colouful, silver and golden threads. The skirts of the type were made of diversified fabrics ranging from calico to the most expensive fabrics, including tirmya. The skirt’s lap was most often decorated with golden and silver lacework, oblique beika of a different fabric and also various tapes. In towns women, when going out, put on a chakhchur, a garment made of two trouser legs each of which was gathered at the ankle into small frills in the form of a cuff to which were sewn socks from the same fabric. Each chakhchur leg was independent. The chakhchur was made of different silk fabrics.

There were used large varieties of home – made and artisan – made bafta (tapes), such as sarima, garagoz, zanjire, gosa dumya and shahpesend (golden or silver lacewok) for adorning of the female garment. They were attached all along the cut of the breast, while the lap of the gown was decorated with stamped golden or silver midakhy or eteklik of various shapes together with golden coins known as imperials. Gulabatun (golden or silver threads, beads, spangles, etc.) was very popular in the embroidering of the female garments.

On top of arkhalygs or chepken women would wear kemer i.e. golden or silver belt. Also broad leather belts with silver coins and quilted buckle sewn on them were widely used. The most popular headgears were kelaghayi, naz – nazy and orpek. Kelaghayis were produced mainly in Ganja, Shemakha and Sheki.
In some areas women would wear arakhchin – a short hat with a flat bottom and with golden stamped trinkets sewn on it.
Women in town and nearby villages would wear yashmak. Before going out women were supposed to don yashmak or charshap on their clothes in some regions. They covered women from head to toe. Yashmak could be either one – colour piece of satin, or a checkered colourful piece made of locally produced silk. It was worn in combination with a rubend (a veil for the face with a fine net for eyes).

National clothes of Azerbaijani men also may be subdivided into under garments and outer garments, the latter in its turn being divided into shoulder and waist clothes. The outer male clothes included ust koynek (shirt), archalyg, chukha (shoulder garment) and shalvar (waist garment).

There were two types of UST KOYNEK. The first type was a shirt with a straight fastening in front of it. The second type was a shirt with the fastening moved off to one side. Both had a short upright stitched collar. They were fastened with hooks or with a small buttons made of silk lace. Mainly shirts were cut of satin or satinet.
Archalyg was cut – off in the waist into small gathers or folds, its sleeves being straight and tapering down. Archalygs were either single or double breasted, with short stitched upright collar, which commonly were buttoned or hooked. Archalygs were tight – fitting to the body and had length till the waist. They were made of silk, cashmere, plush, repp, satin and cloth. Young people would put on leather belts called rayish or silver belts called kamar on the archalyg. Old men used to wind their waists with a gurshag – a piece of fabric of 4 – 6 meters in length and half a meter in breadth. Gurshags were made of various fabrics, such as tirmya, shal, brocade and etc.

The other type of male clothing was CHUKHA. It was a cut – off article either folded or gathered at the waist. It was worn on the arkhalyg. Chukha’s breast remained open so that the arkhalyg could be seen. Chukha was lined down the waist with a cotton or silk fabric, and hooked or buttoned in the waist. There were two types of chukha in Azerbaijan – vaznali chukha and charkazi chukha. The attribute of the vaznali chukha was vazna gazur (a small pockets for bullets) on both sides of the chest. As the time passed it assumed purely decorative significance. Gazurs were made of wood and in the upper above-pocket part they had small golden or silver hoods with gilt and ivory. Sometimes there were golden or silver chains going up from the gazurs to the point where they were connected with a rosette. The chukhas of this type had long and straight sleeves.
Charkazi chukha was different from vaznali chukha; it had a cut in the sleeves and no gazurs. It ended up at elchek and lined with fur and it had false sleeves. In the lower part such sleeves had a full – length cut either fastened with little buttons or without them. Usually such sleeves were folded up to the elbow and tossed back behind the shoulders or were hanging loosely. Chukha was of different length. Sometimes it could be sewn till ankles and sometimes it could be slightly below the knees. Chukhas were made of makhud or shal. Often they were adorned with braids, golden laces and oblique beika of contrasting colours.

The outer male waist garment was SHALVAR. It was made of two straight tapering trouser legs with a triangular gore inserted into the groin seam. Shalvar was tied up in the waist with baghi (a plaited silk lace), which was passed through the lifya. The laces were home – plaited with fine tassels of golden or silver threads. Shalvar was sewn of shal and various manufactured fabrics.

Men’s popular winter garment was KURK – a fur coat made of sheepskin with the fur turned inside. Kurk was unclasped and had collar. Its length was normally below the knee. In towns and trading centers people wore a khorasan kurk – a fur coat of yellow tanned skin with embroidered ornament. In the highlands herdsmen wore yapinji – a cloak made of fur.

Headgear was very essential element of Azerbaijani male clothing and had an outstanding significance. To be bareheaded among people was disgraceful for men. There were such hats as bukhara papag and charkazi papag of black, grey or brown astarkhan, shialia papag of sheep wool commonly worn by herdsmen and etc. Papag is a fur hat. Also arakhchin was very popular. It is a tirmiya or silk skull – cap with rich and diversified embroidery and frequently with golden threads. Old men wore tasak under papag. Tasak is a small stitched skull – cap of white coarse calico. When going to bed men would put on shabgulakh. It is a tapering stitched or embroidered night – cap with a lining.

Knitted socks called jorab were very widespread throughout whole Azerbaijan. They were knitted of wool or silk threads. Threads were produced and dyed at home. Jorabs were remarkable for their lavish ornaments and bright colours. Socks had length either till knee or were short rising slightly above the ankles.

The morocco shoes were very popular in Azerbaijan. The most common type of morocco shoes was a bashmag shoe. Women mostly wore embroidered morocco bashmags. Male shoes of the type usually had no decorations and were made commonly of tanned or raw hides. Men in cities wore leather shoes produced in artisan workshops. In rural areas men wore charikh – soft shoes of raw hides whose upper part was plaited and with ties of wool lace