FASHION in CENTRAL ASIA

   Fashion is the worldwide art we all know! We all wear, we all see, we all do. In America and Europe, we have pretty similar styles and our fashion brands are practically cousins. Now let's turn our focus on Central Asia. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. These six countries share food, culture, mountainous- regions, and.......FASHION. Fashion in Central Asia is colorful and modest. If you ever flipped through a National Geographic and read a page on Central Asia, you'd probably see the people in their traditional clothing like the Chapan, loose trousers, and women wearing colorful long dresses with shiny embellishments. In Afghanistan, Kamiz are popular dresses worn among women. It's a tunic, long-sleeved dress full of embellishments. This dress is the highlight of Afghan Fashion, with the thick cotton base and the sewed-on Gul-I-Pirahan, which are embroidered roundels for luck and fertility. These dresses do not have a theme color, they are just all over the place with color. A unique part of the Afghani dress is that the designers sew mirrors to them. The mirrors are sometimes sewed in a pattern and they are usually tiny circles. It certainly adds to the outfit and makes it stand out. In Uzbekistan, Kuylaks are their Kamiz's. Kuylaks are knee-length dresses, worn by women, paired with trousers, and have radiant, lively, patterns that contrast different colors. In Tajikistan, the Atlas dress is a well-liked clothing, also worn among women. This dress is a long, straight, brightly colored dress with geometric shapes that are a blast of sunset colors. Now, I will spare you some time and just say that the four other countries have pretty much the same thing, maybe with a few differences. Throughout these countries, in some regions, you can pair the dresses with these headbands with jewelry that droops down to the forehead. This addition is not only one that I find beautiful, but it is unique and unusual just like all these clothing. These cultures have passed down these pieces of the past to the next generations and they have taken care of them thoroughly with care. It's very different to the West because clothing is just another day for us. We first buy, use, throw away, and then buy, use, throw away. Where is the care? These cultures maintain culture and maintain fashion. These cultures took what they could from the development of their country and the civilizations down along the Silk Road to put together the perfect garment that represents their loyalty to their culture. I hope that you keep your traditions together from wherever you are from and maintain that fashion. If you are Scottish, wear your kilt. Indian? Wear your Sarees. From the continent of Africa? Wear your Dashiki. Or, you can just find the appreciation in your heart for human inventions. Anyways, these clothing are awesome, and honestly, if you are looking for your next dress for an event or a daily stroll, go get a Kamiz, Kuylak, or an Atlis dress. Maybe some Afghan Kuchi jewelry, and Kyrgstan Soyko. Anyways, hopefully, I see you down the street in some epic Central Asian-inspired clothing or not.