Mongolian Clothing Young people in Mongolia favor western style clothes, while older Mon¬golians still wear the traditional deel (pronounced del) at and away from work. In the countryside most people also prefer the deel and boots (gutuls) as they re more practical. In winter, young, and old, city and urban dwell¬ers wear cashmere and fur to keep warm. Deel The deel is a loose, calf-length, tunic made from a single piece of ma¬terial. It has long sleeves, a high collar and buttons on the right shoulder. The three right shoulder buttons are either silver balls, or narrow strips of cloth tied into intricate knots. A deel is worn with a brightly colored sash, and has the same cut whether worn by men or women, although male deels are wider and made of more somber colors than their female counterparts. Each of Mongolia s ethnic groups boasts its own deel style, distinguished by cut, color and trim; despite being obvious to Mongolians, these differences typi¬cally go unnoticed by foreigners. Generally, there are three different types of deel each worn during a par¬ticular season. The dan deel is made of light, thin, brightly colored material and is only worn by women, only during the late spring and summer. The terleg possesses slightly more padding and is worn by both men and women while the winter deel is a serious padded tunic, lined with sheepskin or lay ers of raw cotton.
Gutuls Gutuls are knee high, heelless boots, made from thick, stiff leather and decorated with leather Aplique. The gutuls' toes are upturned and seven eral explanations have been oils this unconventional style. One of the most plausible explanations is a religious motive. Lamas were traditionally forbidden from disturbing "the earth’s blessed sleep" i.e. kicking soil as they walked, so, the story goes, gutals were designed to prevent devout Buddhist practitioners from disturbing the earth as they walked. Another explanation is that the unturned tip prevents a rider’s feet from slipping out of the stirrups. Whatever the historical rationale it’s also true that gutuls are so thick and rigid that they would be almost impossible to walk in if they were flat, these hefty boots are still worn by some in Ulaanbaatar and by many people in the countryside. Hats With regards to hats, fur-trimmed hats, mostly made of sable, maintain their popularity in urban Mongolia. This piece of headgear, a staple of male and female winter attire. Has two flaps, which can be tied to the top of the hat, or lowered to cover the wearer’s ears.
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