Men costume

The base of the traditional male costume of all armenians - depending on richness - was from pat or silk. It was a colour shirt «shapik» with low collar and lateral clasp. As well as the pants, it was tied at the foot with a broad winding.

Over the underwear east armenians put on cotton wool or silk «arkhalukh» - throw open cloth with low standing collar, fastenning from collar before waistline on hooks or small buttons and got to knees. Over «arkhalukh» they carried long get dark wool chukha (the type of Circassian coat) with folding and drooping from shoulders sleeves, fitting in waistlines and girded with a narrow belt, that was made of cloth or more often leather, but later (at the end of XIX c.) with dialed-up silver belt with high buckle. These were massive expensive belts usually preferred by the handicraftsmen, as well as Armenian-kinto from Tbilisy who were small peddlers, seller verdure and fruit. According to their words the belt was a sort of "capital for burial".

Among the west armenians instead of «arkhalukh» more short and opened waistcoats and jackets were wide-spread.

The Upper cloth were the different types of the caftans, with fall close-fitting in the west and bell-bottomed from the waistline, with narrow sleeves, standing collar or without collar at all. Most often upper cloths was of a dark colour, but well-off people had it blanching or light-sulfuric. One the upper caftan was girded and often decorated by trimming.

Armenians decorated the shirt by embroidery on the collar. The usual material was cotton, but inhabitants from west Armenia loved wool of an angora goats. The fantasy of armenian designers developed, first of all, when making upper throw open cloths of the type of caftan. The Traditional cloth was circassian coat, which was put on over the shirt and caftan. It was considered indecent to come up to public place without it even in hot weather the felt cloak «burka» that was carried over one’s shoulder in winter and in summer, protecting from the rains, winds and chill.

They also wore broad pants - "shalvar" - from dark wool or cotton, usually of blue colour, with broad cutting stitch on waistlines, in which was passed through belt "khojan" - fabric woven patterned and rather thick braid by width approximately in 2 sm with tassels on the ends, fastened at the front. The rural inhabitants usually carried «shalvar» with the patterns of knitted wool socks that were seen under them. Армянский национальный костюм /[Электронный ресурс] : Веб- портал : «Арвест». – Режим доступа : http://arvest.armenia.ru/2009/11/12/1532/armyanskiy-natsionalnyiy-kostyum/

Instead of the belt there was long broad woven scarf, swathed several times. Deep pleats were formed on the belt and used as a pocket for a hand scarf, a tobacco pouch, a purse, a tube, a knife or a dagger was stuck behind the belt.

In winter men usually put on broad fur coats made of basil without a belt. In west-armenian areas short sleeveless jackets from goat fur - "kazakhik" were wide-spread.

Armenians of west areas and migrants from Transcaucasia carried the special waistcoat – «jelack» instead of «arkhalukh» from beneath it there was seen an embroidered at the front and on sleeves shirt, which collar was fastened with left sides. On «jelack» they put on a bachkon – a short, to the waist, jacket with whole-cut sleeves and without fasteners at the front. The Broad pants «vartik» were narrowed to ankles; they were carried with puttee. In rural areas too broad pants were uncomfortable when working - so they were changed by more narrow ones. . Армянские национальные костюмы / [Электронный ресурс] : Веб- портал : «www.armeniYa.net.ru». – Режим доступа : http://armeniya.do.am/news/armjanskie_nacionalnye_kostjumy/2010-11-28-311

The clothes, especially the one that was carried by the youth, was usually embroidered by beautiful vegetable ornament, in which the archaic motives dominated. The cloth of old people was not decorated.

Over the shirt east armenians put an «arkhalukh» - and short caftan, with low stand up collar. Well-off people carried the dial-up belt from massive silver pendants.

The Main elements of the armenian male suit are the shoulders (the shirts, caftans, fur coats) and belts (the trousers, pants).

Especially colorful are the costumes of Shatakh’s armenian, made of woven from itch angora goats high-quality fabric, decorated by bright geometric pattern. Армянский национальный костюм // [Электронный ресурс] : Веб-портал : «www.Gisher.ru». – Режим доступа : http://www.gisher.ru/armyanskiy-nacionalniy-kostyum-t6272.html