Before the Empire

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   BEFORE the empire

T R A D I T I O N A L  C O S T U M E S

All of the various
Empires that have washed across the earth have made on impact on the
traditional costumes of the people they've assimilated.

Whether it's the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman
Empire, or whatever else - please share a few photos of how people in
your country dressed in the earliest years of your nation.

Bosnia and Herzegovina; female.
This costume was the most common traditional costume among Bosniaks in
Bosnia and Herzegovina prior to the establishment of the Ottoman Empire
in this region.

It varied depending on region. Most notably by altitude - women in
higher regions wore clothing of the same design but made with much
thicker, warmer fabrics. They also completely covered their faces, with
the exception of their eyes, during the winter months.

Bosnia and Herzegovina; male.
This was the most common costume worn by Bosniak men prior to the
Ottoman Empire's reign in this region. Ironically, the design and
purpose of the head gear was imported from what is now eastern Turkey.
It's earliest known existence in this part of the world comes from
sketches dating back to the early 1100s.

Men's costumes in this era varied greatly by class, much moreso than
did women's traditional garments. While wealthy and powerful women wore
much the same costumes as their poorer counterparts, they were simply
made with more expensive, rare fabrics. Men on the other hand wore
completely different costumes based on class. This is an example of a
"middle class" Bosniak peasant. A man of this stature would have been a
poor farmer, but he would have "owned" his land and the fruits of his
labors.