Yağmurluk
A knee-length overcoat worn only by men. Nowadays this word means “raincoat,” but in the 16th century it may have had a more general meaning.
Tag: clothing
Üçkur
Drawstring. Unlike European drawstrings, this was a substantial sash, often with embroidered ends. Üçkur were transferred between pairs of trousers or underwear, and were itemized separately in estate records.
Takke, Takye, or Tekke
Skullcap. Worn under a headdress to protect the headdress from sweat and grease. Poor men sometimes wore skullcaps as their only headgear.
Ridâ
A cloak or shawl.
Aba
A type of coarse wool cloth popular for making warm, hard-wearing garments like overcoats and men’s trousers. Aba was inferior to wool broadcloth (çuka or çuha), but also more affordable. As a result, it was mostly a working-class fabric. The aba was also an Arab garment shaped like a poncho with…
Beden
Literally “vest,” but more commonly paired with another word to indicate that a garment is sleeveless. For example a zıbın-ı beden or beden zıbını is a sleeveless underjacket.
Çuka or Çuha
Wool broadcloth, or a type of overcoat made of wool broadcloth.
Zıbın
The hip-length underjacket worn by both sexes over their gömleks. In the 16th century the zıbın was often visible and was made of valuable fabrics. However, by the end of the century, men’s zıbıns became less important and were worn mainly for warmth, not display. Women continued to wear zıbıns in expensive fabrics…
Yelek
A hip-length outer jacket worn by both sexes. Among men, it was particularly common among physical laborers, who needed warmth but couldn’t let long skirts get in their way.
Kebe
One of the most confounding words in the estate records. Kebe literally means “felt,” but it was liberally applied to a vast class of items made of felt: floor coverings, rug underlays, bath mats, saddlepads, horse blankets, and coats. The only clue to what a given “kebe” was is the…