A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.

dress with pleats and patches waziristan full

Rare style of dress with embroidery and hundreds of patches, hundreds of panels. Worn by Mangalli nomads of western Afghanistan on the border of Pakistan. Waziristan early 20th c.
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Comments

  • This is just stunning!

  • Fantastic, Is it with silk patches and is the dress heavy? I suppose also warm with so much material.

  • This one is the only one i have seen this way but I have had others that are full and more wide in nature and have the patch work.  The shape of this is more like other dresses that have a high waste.  It is very heavy and has tons of fabric gores.

  • Thank you  very impressive. Is it a party or ceremonial dress? Imagine several ladies together in a dress like this. Beautiful.

  • I think this is just what they wore, daily. Most groups had cloths that were worn daily, not many to change and others for a wedding or birth  perhaps, that's about it. Cloths would be handed down also so hence older pieces surviving.

    The same way woman wore nicer cloths in general years ago daily, remember hats and gloves daily , are now a thing of the past except for cold weather. We forget that dressing up now is considered for fancy wear but years ago , cloths were more integral in societies to denote status and class. Much of what has changed in daily dressing is the lack of standards which promoted this selective dressing. Woman's movement and working vs not working.  

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