How I Survive Winter Wearing Only Historical Clothing (ft. Some VOLGA TATAR FASHION!)
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- Опубліковано 12 січ 2024
- Winter is definitely here for all of us in the Northern Hemisphere, and wearing historical clothing daily means I need to be quite deliberate about how I layer my garments. It's taken me a few years to really solidify how to dress historically for winter weather. In this video, I show you two of my go-to historical fashion winter looks layer-by-layer - a Victorian working-class ensemble as well as my Volga Tatar fashion, as well as offer some tips for how to stay warm in winter wearing historical clothing (some of which can also be applied to modern clothing).
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Clothing list:
Victorian chemise - www.etsy.com/shop/LadyJanesCl...
Corset - www.etsy.com/shop/theboudoirkey
Bust padding - www.etsy.com/shop/theboudoirkey
Rear padding - secondhand, can't remember the seller name unfortunately
Cotton and wool stockings - www.darcyclothing.com/collect...
Combinations - www.etsy.com/shop/romlya
Under petticoat - me made, self drafted
Petticoat - Etsy seller closed their store
Wrapper dress and belt - me made, using pattern Laughing Moon no. 118
Sontag - commisioned from a friend
Icelandic sweater - made by a grandmother in Iceland years ago, reknit commisioned from a friend
1872 jacket - commisioned from a friend
Travelling or winter hood - commisioned from a friend
Red cloak - can't rememeber the shop unfortunately
Шәл (şäl) - secondhand
Камчат бурек (kamçat burek) - me made, self-drafted
Leather gloves - secondhand
Muff - secondhand/vintage
18th century shift - got it off of Etsy years ago so unfortunately can't remember the shop
Ыштан (ıştan) - me made, self-drafted
Wool trousers - secondhand
Kүлмәк (külmäk) - me made, self drafted
Wool arm warmers - me made, crocheted using a pattern many years ago (can't remember the pattern sadly)
Outer coat - 1940s vintage
Sources:
-M. Zavyalova, 'Tatar Milli Kieme' [Tatar Costume], Kazan', 1996
Guzel Valeeva-Suleimanova, 'The Decorative Applied Art of the Kazan' Tatars', Moscow, 1990.
-Суслова С. В. 'Татарский костюм: историко-этнологическое исследование', Казань, 2018.
-groznijat.tripod.com/fadlan/r...
-folkcostume.blogspot.com/2011/... - Розваги
Thank you so much for watching and for continuing to support my channel and art! See you all in two weeks for another video 🥰
You seem so much happier in the last two videos - I hope your life is getting easier and more full of joy...!!!
This sounds like a wonderful choice. You have such great vision for your own wardrobe & outfits! 💖🌟👍
@@catherinejustcatherine1778 thank you Catherine! I hope you’re well ♥️
@@VBirchwood you are so welcome! I am very well, thank you. I am conquering a fussy repurposing project (it presents as a hooded swing coat to me, but, I believe there are other terms for it.) I am making it out of a retired factory made comforter/polyfill blanket.
I hope you and your loved ones are well too!😀
I took a thrift store Fur coat removed the silk lining and I am using the fur for the inside. I was thinking of using upholstery fabric, then after watching this ahhhh I have a tote full of woolen fabric that will make a great bille tun but I like the shape of your 1940s coat. hmmmm brewing up ideas much love Wyld Child Designs
This just makes such perfect sense, doesn't it? Coal and firewood were expensive, rapidly consumed, and not that great at heating larger spaces anyway. Textiles were super expensive too, but you could wer them for years and years.
Absolutely! And at least textiles can be remade into other garments, and the worn fabric pieces made into other things for the house, smaller clothes, etc. Versus coal or firewood which is gone as soon as it burns up.
@@VBirchwood yup. And once its truly unusable, selll it off to the rag man.
And that’s not even including the need to walk places in the cold where the fire isn’t
We used only one small room with a small stove. No heating in the sleeping room. House built in 1948 (bad quality).
People would use coal to heat a room not the entire house. Also they used quilts. Wood is fine if you have a decent setup. My grandparents all used wood. We have millions of acres of dead pine forests waiting for a fire here in Utah. It’s going to burn.
But yes I totally agree good textiles are worth buying. I buy carhart simply cause they last an extra year longer.
Cowboy boots if you spend $250 or up for actual solid leather or leather with replaceable plastic bottoms they can last two to five years and just get them resoled.
I don’t think most people can repurpose clothes except maybe rags but you could use them tk make soap I read the pioneers did that.
I'm so happy to find someone who is not only the same ethnicity as me but also sews Volga Tartar fashion. Because I'm so not interested in sewing or wearing Victorian or Edwardian dresses.
Cәлам!! This is so cool to read 😄 If you need anymore info on Volga Tatar fashion, send me a DM on Instagram. I'll also eventually release a 500 years of Volga Tatar fashion video, but it'll be a while as I'm still heavily researching.
@@VBirchwood искиткеч! 🥰
Тяжело быть помесью и не иметь культуры. Завидую тебе, друже😢
Надеюсь хотя бы мои дети смогут ассоциировать себя с народом, страной или регионом, а не как я, без имени и происхождения фактического
*I USED TO BE VERY ANTI-FUR* until I went to Prague in the winter and the windchill was -45C and all my fancy modern winter clothes were completely useless.
I realised you either wore a dead mammal or you became one.
EDIT: controversy in the comments - this was 1995, Im sure modern Genuine Polar gear is now better than my expensive pseudo polar gear was 30 years ago...!!!
"I realised you either wore a dead mammal of you became one. " LOL
When even the thickest wool and most tightly woven silk are insufficient, fur reigns supreme.
@@lalaithan 😀
@@ragnkja I bought this very expensive gortex coat for the trip - like £600 in 1998, I put it on and went out of the hotel, I was fine until I got to the end of the block to the T that intersected with the street at 90 deg which the wind was blowing down.
*ALL MY BODY HEAT* disappeared down the street in less than a second, it was a literally shocking experience, I clung to my partner and we staggered across the road into a bar.
I have never known cold like it in my life, it was very scary. We went bar to bar to bar until we got to the fur market and bought coats, gloves and hats and after that everything was fine.
Modern coats can cope with low temperatures but as soon as the wind gets up, they fail - in my experience. [Im sure the genuine polar gear is fine]
😄
Having been raised in a less-than-rich household, my instinct when it’s cold is not to turn up the heating but to add an extra layer of clothing! We have low heating bills …
Same here, But I remember Jimmy Carter getting in TV to tell folks to wear a sweater during the energy crisis
Also, I see no point in sitting on your sofa in shorts and a tee when it's freezing outside, a hoodie, sweatpants and warm socks are so much cozier!
Living in the Northern Midwestern US, having clothes that actually keep me warm sounds delightful 😭 I want to make outfits like this so badly
Oh go ahead and do it! I live in south-west Germany and i still have lots of knitted woolen winterwear. Especially woolen socks, unbeatable in winter (while i live in the warmest area of the country, we still have the black forest right next to us and getting snow and cold from there right now).
I love your Volga Tatar gear! It's very cool to see more ethnicity-specific and working class historical fashion content. Where I live, -35 C isn't unusual in the winter. I've been able to stay incredibly warm in a vintage wool jacket with a big coyote fur collar, plus a sweater or two underneath. I haven't found any modern winter jackets (in my price range at least) that are as comfortable or warm. I also have a pair of Canadian army surplus wool pants from the 50's that are great for winter activities.
I've also come to really appreciate fur as a material. It's beautiful to look at and beautiful to touch, very warm, and will not shed microplastics. It connects me to the wilderness. I only own vintage fur, but I have a lot of respect for trappers with humane and sustainable practices and I hope their industry gets more recognition.
I lived in Iceland from 99-03 and I still use my Iceland wool hats and gloves. I'm amazed at how well they have held up.
So cool that you lived there too! There's no wool quite like Álafosslopi in my experience. Lopi in general is a very unique and durable material.
@@VBirchwood That stuff is legendary among knitters. I'm lucky to have easy access to it through a local Nordic goods shop, even though I'm in the US.
What! No "lopapeysa"?
I've inherited a 60's or 70's wool cardigan (not Icelandic) and it also holds very well.
"- and people think you're really weird but you don't care cause you're having a joyful time" That's how I feel ALL THE TIME! Let me explain, I'm a pre-teen who wears Victorian & 1950s clothing so I can completely relate to this!
Vasi seems to be having genuine fun in her recent videos. Great to see her evolution
She does seem more happy on a deep level. There is so much joy in her.
Thank you! I genuinely _am_ much happier. When you experience a lifetime of living in a threat state or survival state, the way you start to operate becomes so usual, you don't even often realise there is another side where the body is calm and life just flows. It's incredible how many areas of life c-PTSD impacts, and the reason I am this joyful today is because of my ongoing recovery treatment with my therapist. Of course, things are still hard sometimes and I'm still very much actively healing, but everything is just a bit different now.
@@VBirchwood I'm so so happy for you and thank you so much for replying!
@@antoinepetrov thank you!!
@@VBirchwood Im deeply happy for you. I was in a very abusive relationship with a narcissist for just 3 years, but it left me bankrupt and with brain damage, I know what you mean that your body retains this hyper-vigilance you are unaware of until it starts to pass...
I recently got my mum to recreate a sontag for me. That one piece of clothing has single handedly been responsible for me being able to keep the heating down by two degrees (Celsius) compared to the last couple of years. It's really surprising how much of a difference it makes. And it does not impaire my freedom of movement at all, which I struggle with when layering modern clothes. It baffles me, that sontag shawls didn't stick around longer. They are so practical and cosy.
My mother is currently knitting me one!
@@dawnmoriarty9347 hooray, for all the mothers who love to wrap their children in handmade knit wear! 🥳
Right? I thrifted this big knitted shawl long before discovering sontags and used to wrap it around my body criss-cross just because it was practical and kept me warm through many winter days. Guess some things are timeless after all
I remember my Grandma telling me about a similar garment her Mom and Grandma wore, only she referred to it as a hug-me-tight 😊
@@jwolfe1209 hug-me-thight is actually kind of the perfect term. When I showed my sontag shawl to a friend her reaction was "oh, it's shaped like a hug."
You are a breath of fresh air in the historybounding world. All your videos are so encouraging and supportive. I love that you freely mix time periods in your wardrobe and your outfits, for some reason I still find myself hesitant to do that. Thank you for the reminder that they're MY clothes, and I can wear them however I want 🙂
Yes!! Thank you for saying that better than I could. Vasi has such an authentically welcoming presence that I really see shining through more and more each video.
Sadly I lost my mother's muff, so now I'm scouting through thrift stores to find old fur coats etc to re-create it and make a fur coat lining/vest to keep me warm. Thank You for inspiring yet again!
I live in one of the coldest cities in the world, and I wear 17th/ early 18th century mens clothing whenever I go out. It is really hard when it comes to wearing my little shoes and stockings when it is -35C so when it’s cold I usually go with my earlier 17th century during the English civil war outfits with the extremely tall boots, or I put on my giant brandenberg coats
Tall boots were probably the invention of the nomads of the this region.
Layers is definitely key! Here in winter-y Sweden we make sure to protect the five areas where the cold air might creep in; head, neck, wrists, ankles and lower back, basically the same places you should cool down if you're overheating. But that's not gonna be a problem here for several months yet ❄
Both outfits look so lovely and warm. I'm pagan and for those COLD SO COLD outside rituals I came up with a set of thermal underwear, a fleece lined heavy cotton robe, a fleece lined half cape, a thin set of gloves inside a thicker set of gloves, and scarf on my head with a knitted cap over that. My friends laughingly accused me of cheating once they found out how many layers I had on. They all stood around shivering while I was bordering on getting too warm. Layers win every time!
Thanks a lot for sharing Tatar clothing 💛 I'm also Tatar, and I've always wondered why our "traditional" costumes shown at celebrations look so artificial, synthetic, boring, and historically inaccurate!
I'm going through a kinda ethnic identity phase, and trying bring more tatar language, music and culture into my life. Your video brought a lot of joy! Рәхмәт!
Сәлам! This is so beautiful to hear! I’ve also been going through a big process of deepening my relationship with being Tatar, and what that means more in a historical context. If you want to talk about it at all, send me a DM on Instagram!
How wonderful to find your channel . Your Great great Grandma who be so amazed to your research and passion of her essential wardrobe. My family history is of Volga German. Catharine the Great gave land Grants and Germans migrated to Russia. Years later they escaped down the Volga river to America. I will binge watch all your videos and the future. Thank you for such great content!
Thank you! My grandma is Tatar actually (and she helped to raise me). She’s still alive but has dementia, so I believe she is proud of me for all the research 😊
In days of old, it got COLD! There were warm spots, right by stoves and fires, but much of the house was not. (Trust me, I've lived in some historical houses.) It makes a HUGE difference! Nowadays, if you turn the heat down to conserve fuel there are NO warm spots. Sigh.
I read that in the early 19th century, the Chinese kept warm by piling on layers of clothing. If you were cold, put another on. Of course, they also made clothing with cotton batting for insulation, too.
I have NEVER seen a cuter outfit than the hat + wrapper combo at 10:19!!!! 😭😭😭 Vasi. omg. That hat is perfect on you.
thank you!!☺
THIS presentation is SO RICH in historical information and examples,
I just loved it. Many sections I watched more than once just to
drink-in this history.
As someone who grew up riding horses, those seamless undergarments are so smart!! I also had not heard of the Volga Tatar people and culture, so I will now be falling into a research rabbit hole, so thank you for the education!
Check out Maimam or horse face skirts, they were meant for horse back riding and are very simple to sew, if you are keen!
Cheers
I love your Tatar dress, that's so pretty on you! And you do look very warm in all of that!
You need a quilted petticoat. They are amazingly warm.
Loved the outfits but even more your encouragement to dress to suit our own personal style. 🌻🍄
I love this video! I've been trying to 1) make more cold weather clothes and 2) find how I personally want to incorporate historical styles into my existing wardrobe and this gave me some good ideas. Thank you!
I'm so glad the video gave you some new ideas! Best of luck with the wardrobe building 😊
Just found your channel and I really love your individual Tartar/Victorian style. Super cute. As a Muslim I'm always looking for ways to keep warm in winter while wearing skirts, and keep cool in summer too, as I live in the northern hemisphere and the traditional "Islamic" garb isn't suited for northern climes. When I say "traditional" I mean modern traditional which is always thin synthetics nowadays. So over recent years I've started wearing a more vintage style as I reasoned it's best to take inspiration from how women used to live in long skirts back in the day. I wish I could sew my own clothes, it's been an ambition for a long time, but situation and circumstances have prevented it, so I try to find what I can to wear. I've been coping in winter by wearing 90% cotton leggings, wool legwarmers, two layers of cotton summer skirts as petticoats, or a cotton skirt and wool skirt (which I found cheap on eBay) as petticoats, then my usual unfortunately synthetic skirt or dress on top. Sometimes I can find a fabric mix outer dress with cotton but it's hard to find natural materials.
Your shawl you wear on your head is similar to a hijab, with your tartar hat on top looks so pretty!
I'd love if you could do a video like this for how you survive summer too. I struggle to maintain modesty in summer as layers feel too hot, but a single thin dress + summer breeze = reveals everything.
Clothes that cover the whole body are the best for the heat as long as they’re made right! Loose fitted garments that create airflow help keep the body cool, but choosing the right fabric is necessary too. If you google search Bedouin clothing experiment you should be able to find out about the test that was done! Their clothes are so effective at cooling that the colour makes no difference, their black robes are just as cool as their white ones.
I find that the shape of skirts makes a difference in the wind. Circle skirts are the worst! And I’ve always imagined that there must a way to make skirts heavier at the bottom so they don’t fly up? I’ve never tried it though. Maybe instead of using cording and things like that to add support to a top it could be used to weigh down the bottom of a skirt? I imagine you could make a channel around the hem and put something heavy in somehow. Maybe if you experiment you’ll figure something out! Even if you can’t sew your clothes modifying them might still be possible? There’s no-sew options that might make it easier for you! I don’t think you can make a whole garment with those techniques but you can definitely modify them. Good luck! I’m not a Muslim but I know it’s difficult when the clothes available to you don’t suit your needs 💕
@@EmL-kg5gn Your instinct is correct - cording was used in 19th C dress hems to help keep the shape; a wool braid that covered the hem to protect it from wear also added weight. Additionally, small metal weights were sewn in to weigh down the fabric - like they sometimes do with modern curtains.
@@davyd28 Oh wow that’s so cool!! Thank you for telling me 😊
I am an Italian American Hetero man 66 years old and like older period cloths rather than modern. When I am outdoors hiking & camping or just about, I incorporate late 1800's & early 1900'S cloth's with my modern clothing. Coats, waist coats and the collarless loose fitting shirts. When I go out for an overnight hike/camp I also go with old school gear like canvas/wool blanket bedroll, canvas Haversacks and Oilskin Tarps for shelter. No modern light weight gear. In the house I wear ancient Roman Tunics in winter and summer to pay homage to my culture and it is comfortable and looks cool. It is a shame more people do not wear old school ethnic clothing more often. I recently bought 2 Roman Wool Tunics for my wife and I and she loves it. You should do videos on Mens Vintage clothing. Great channel.
If you don't mind? I just subscribed to your channel. Even if it isn't really a channel yet. Some small videos from you would be so interesting. But no pressure. Just support and interest.
I live in a tiny community, mostly logging and fishing. I am easily spotted because i dress in 1930’s style tweed wool jacket and waistcoat and heavy wool trousers with tall leather Irish stockman’s boots. Locals used to ask where i am going so dressed up. My answer has always been “here!” After many years my neighbors are used to it. And always many of the teens like it. Tell me i am “cool” if the ladies ask why i am so dressed, i tell them “l do it for you, dear”
I recently visited Cambridge Massachusetts and it's January so there was a lot of snow. I visited the MIT campus, walked 30 minutes there and back from my hotel I wore a long woolen pea coat and stayed warm and dry the entire time, everyone else had their coats soaked through within 20 into the tour. Wool definitely works.
Muffs are so good! I have a Victorian-passing long coat and we made a matching muff for it. I wear with when it gets below freezing.
*IVE NOT SWITCHED THE HEATING ON FOR 5 YEARS* Its -5c outside right now and its 13c inside and I am in my super warm 1910 winter weight wool suit...
I did it as an experiment the first year and found I was fine and saving €100 a month, which might be €200 not IDK cos I don't put it on.
please be aware that you heavily risk mold in your home with these inside temperatures and you (and maybe other people) creating condensation by breath. you don’t have to heat it up super snuggly, but a minimum of 16 °C is recommended to prevent mold.
@@alessazoe - I live in a SUPER dry climate in Bulgaria. Its that dry here that ice and snow from last week has EVAPORATED. Its not melted it turns directly from solid into gas.
Im British, I totally understand mould, but no, here I can literally dry fruit on the counter. When I first moved here I had to have wet towels all around the house to get the humidity up to near British levels.
@@piccalillipit9211 great to read! letting my first comment sit there for anyone else who might not be aware and in another climate :)
@@alessazoe Absolutely - if you lived in my sister's house at 15C in the north of England yo would be in hospital in a week with black lung LOL
She has to have 2 dehumidifiers running 24/7 to stop the wallpaper going mouldy.
@@piccalillipit9211 As a Bulgarian, I'm surprised that a British person is living here, but I can understand why you can allow yourself to keep the temperature at 13°C, especially if you live near Plovdiv, where I'm from.
As a life long Dark Ages historical reenactor, I entirely get it. Wool tunics and trousers with leg wraps, a linen underlayer, and a wool cloak over all of it i and a wool cap are SUPER toasty and warm. I dont wear it every day, but i wear it whenever I can get away with it, especially when I am out in the woods camping.
I just discovered your vlog. I find your historical fashions really charming and also fun and practical. It's great you can wear them as everyday wear! It's also cool you can incorporate your own ethnic heritage into the outfits which are very beautiful. My mother's parents were immigrants from Belarus, Poland and Lithuania in 1912.
I finally understand how the word 'muff' got its secondary meaning.
Also, I have no desire to spend any time on horseback but those wide-legged trousers look amazingly practical!
Beautiful and practical looks!
Thank you! 😊
This is great content! I did American Revolutionary War reenactments for a few years and wearing the outfit of a British soldier I can say that I really love the clothing. Wearing multiple layers of wool in the summer was super hot, however, the inner layers would actually absorb sweat too and keep you cool while you're in the field.
Mentally filed this under "stuff I would never have expected to keep me transfixed and genuinely interested". Very cool, thanks.
The sontag deserves a comeback.
I’m here for ALL the historical things, but…can we talk about that GORGEOUS deep red color ❤❤❤
The background and the stunning thumbnail made me click this video faster than I’ve ever clicked anything in my life!
Awww, thank you so much!!
8:35 ULLARPEYSA!!! Iceland represent! Woohoo!
Remember, it is not the frost that will kill you, it is the rain and the wind!
Her ancestors are from a region where you won't rain, but find an anomaly when birds and other animals freeze in the air. You live in a mild climate. But she's from hell.
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I made a vintage inspired setesdal style cardigan last year and I'm planning an 1866-1867 outfit for my birthday and found out one fashion plate exactly from that period where a lady wore a color work cardigan that has the same shape as mine (only a smidge looser but my cardigan looks tight even by modern and vintage standards so it's just part of the unique design lol)
Love love love that you’re dressing more traditional to your heritage!!! Clothes tell our story wherever we’re from and you look beautiful 🤩
Wow ,I live in Florida and never see such beautiful skin😮
Just finishing up a hand stitched skirt.Hand stitched clothes are so much nicer than machine stitched clothing. Something about those little stitches and the waxed thread ❤.thanks for the incaregment to give it a go.Im hooked👍
I completely agree, something about your fingers working along the seams structures them. I love looking at my perfect seams too. Looks finished on the inside and outside.
Watching while wearing:
thermal under-bottoms & undershirt, 2 pair socks & 2nd under-layer
2 pair sweatpants, 2 shirts
denim vest & hooded sweat jacket
Truly a fashion icon in my own time.
Very interesting and refreshing. Thankful for your boldness to try new (old) and mix-match for your style. very impressive research and history. Thanks for sharing about your experiences and family history. nice voice and conversational style, like we were going to set down for tea and visit. Thanks again.
Phenomenal! You have made so many beautiful garments. The coat is wonderful and works so well, even if it’s from a different time & place.
A timely video with beautiful pieces! The different pieces of Volga Tatar clothing and stand-ins work to create a truly lovely look and purpose!
First time I've found your channel and such a great, informative video! I'm writing a Solarpunk novel and spend a lot of time thinking about random things like what people will evolve into wearing in a more ecologically minded future, so this was all great. Thanks :)
I wear corsets everyday, and wool corsets in the winter up here in the sub Arctic. The wool ones really make a difference in warmth.
As someone who grew up in Texas, these look like what I'd bundle up in when it hits 40○F
I love your outfits so much! I also wear historical fashion daily and I find it so much warmer than all my normal clothes!
Thank you so much! That’s awesome that you’ve had a similar experience as well 🥰
Stunning. So much joy and beauty shining out - both from the clothes, and from you.
I just ordered a blanket I’m going to turn into a hooded dress with pockets.
I just found your channel yesterday and I love it so much! It's so cool that you make your own clothes and they turn out so beautiful! Now I want to go back and watch all of your old videos too!
This is all SO interesting. Historical and beautiful. Thank you! Well done.
The Volga Tatar look is so darling and cozy looking!
Just discovered your channel and very glad I did! All those lovely warm layers must keep the cold at bay. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful advice and clothing collection ❤
I dabbled in historical clothing in the 90’s and made an under cape of a fluffy wool fabric. When worn under my ordinary tightly woven cape it was insanely warm. I could be out in -15° and wear nothing else.
You are absolutely correct in feeling good and confident wearing the historical Outfits that you have created. You look absolutely Beautiful in those Clothes. You actually look like you belong in a different time.
Love how you make do with what you have. Very resourceful and the clothes are beautiful 🥰
I'm glad to see a fresh video. I'm making a proper coat for alaskan winters. You were amongst my first teachers on my sewing journey. Thanks so much.
Vasi, I was hoping you might be able to give me some clarity about something. So I've been getting more and more interested in researching my ancestral lineage-specific people, where they lived, when they came to America, etc.-and the culture and history of those places. It's been awesome to feel a connection with my ancestry. However, the more I get interested in it and the more I want to talk about it with people, the more I seem to develop a weird sense of shame about declaring something like "I'm a quarter Lithuanian" (grandfather first generation), because in the US (and I think outside of the US) no one cares where the ancestors of an American came from and only consider you to be 100% American (technically true). How can I feel confident about developing my interests (clothing, language, culture, history) in Lithuanian, Scottish, and English culture without feeling inadequate that I'm not purebred or born in those places? I hope this makes sense as a question...
One of the most unfortunate things that I think is true about being American, is that the centuries, even millennia, of familial and cultural ancestry seems to get stripped from your identity when you're born here. No one from America nor that country will respect your ancestral ties to it. (Although I have seen Italian Americans, and possibly some others I'm forgetting, curiously receive more respect about it. I think the English-speaking countries of the British Isles receive the least respect, maybe because so many Americans came from there.) And while America certainly does have an identity to be endowed upon people born here, the country is only a couple hundred years old and a huge melting pot without many singular ideas. And this can make people like me feel confined to some social construction of who they are that absolutely does not tell the whole picture. Is it weird to learn the language, dress, or history of people who left Scotland 200 years ago? Or from Lithuania 100 years ago? Or even identify with it more? Seeing you get into your Tartan and Volga identity really warms and inspires me! 😊 I would love to honor my ancestors through dress or language, as a way of being grateful for the sacrifices and risks they made to come here to give their children better lives, as I doubt they felt they had much choice to immigrate either (they were all very poor) and had to give up their culture when they did.
Hi internet stranger! This is just my own personal take on this topic, I'm no authority on this, just my unsolicited opinion. I have kind of contradicting feelings and opinions when it comes to this topic. On other hand I find myself annoyed by americans claiming their ancestors ethnicities, but on the other hand I sort of feel the struggle too. I am half Finnish and half Estonian(citizen of both countries, I speak both languages but I was born and raised in Finland) with roots in Karelia and Poland. The conclusion I came to for myself when for example tipping my toes into learning more about my Karelian ancestry and their cultural practices, was that I will not claim to be Karelian. That is because I feel like it would be rude and inauthentic to do that, but instead frame it to be only about connecting with my own family. I'm not sure if I was able to explain that very well, but shifting the mindset from "I am xyz" to "this is part of my family's history" has helped me a lot in terms of feeling like a fraud. I do this with my spouse's culture too, "I am now part of a family that is xyz and that is why I want to learn this". I hope this makes some sense and that I didn't come off too rude😅
Hi! This is a really interesting question, but I’m not sure I’m the most equipped to answer (and I’m sure every person would have a different response too). English isn’t technically my first language and I grew up in a very Russian/Tatar household (even though I was born in America). My Tatar grandmother helped to raise me and made sure I knew every day of my life that I am a Volga Tatar - she didn’t want me to forget it (which I’m grateful for). I spent many months throughout my lifetime in Bashkortostan where my family is from (neighbouring region to Tatarstan) but I grew up speaking Russian though, and not Tatar, which I’m learning now (a common experience amongst many Tatars).
Where I can perhaps relate is on my father’s side I know my ancestry is Ukrainian and Irish/Scottish. I have delved a bit into the fashions and heritage of both, because I am curious about what my ancestors would have worn. A big part of that is because my father was adopted so on that side I had very little connection to my ancestry until recently, so it’s been a fun and long-time-coming exploration. I can very much understand, however, how you’re feeling and all these feelings are totally valid!
I think sometimes cultural identity can be looked at in many ways. There’s the place we live and grow up in, and then there’s the places we are connected to through our ancestors. I think it’s a beautiful thing to connect with our ancestors regardless, as it can teach us so much about ourselves, and about what they may have sacrificed to get us to where we are today (what a beautiful thing!) And I think learning a new language is always a positive thing. Whether it’s to connect more with our own ancestry, or even just to connect more with others. I think that if connecting with your ancestry and languages brings you joy and gratitude, then that’s wonderful.
My "two cents" is just explore ! My heritage is I was first born in the USA, to two Canadians, both of Scottish decent.
I know in Boston (lived close to it most of my life, though I did go back & life in Canada a few years as a young adult) there is a "Canadian/American club in Watertown, Mass. (Years ago, there were a LOT of Canadians coming down to Boston to work. Some stayed, and some went back. This club was started then.) Most of the culture of this club is Scottish based, the dances, the fiddles, etc. However, I do have a friend who is a dancer who fell in love with the dances & music and is now a teacher of dancing there. No one cares that she's not of that heritage. No one can deny she teaches & and promotes it.
Also, these clubs NEED younger people ! People, like my parents, (I am 61 ) are getting old and passing. For the culture to survive, it needs new blood.
@@stealthyshrek7466 Hello, I love your way of looking at it! That makes a lot of sense to me..just a simple language change can reframe the whole thing. Thank you!
Our ancestors knew a lot more than we give them credit for, we can learn much from their wisdom if we only listen to their words.
It is currently 0°F where I live in Minnesota, which is equal to about -18°C if you round to the nearest whole number.
I have been wearing dresses full time since I was in my 20's, but have found that I freeze every winter in Minnesota. I recently started experimenting with floor length dresses, even though they are not in the Victorian style. I want to layer underneath. I have two Edwardian chemises that I made. I have a couple of long petticoats and one cotton flannel petticoat that I recently bought. It is about floor length. I have one pair of cotton split crotch french knickers, but I don't wear them often. My husband doesn't like them. I mostly wear modern cotton/Spandex knickers instead. I also use modern neutral coloured leggings underneath my dresses or stockings and bloomers. Unfortunately, I need more bloomers and I don't have a pattern that fits me well.
I would like to eventually transition to a more Victorian/Edwardian wardrobe in winter, but my sewing is no where near as good as yours. I am impossibly slow at it and I always seem to find that I don't have time. I have an Edwardian skirt partially cut out, but I can't seem to find the time to finish it. I want the skirt. It will keep me warm in the winter because it will be a lined wool skirt that goes to the top of my shoes.
This is truly impressive, I love everything about what you are representing. The fact that you sew by hand, we need to bring that back. Your clothing is beautiful.
I had a muff when I was a little girl. I absolutely loved it! Now you've got me thinking about making one for myself now - and I could really use it in the upper Midwest! Your outfits are lovely, your sewing is beautiful, and your joy is contagious! Thank you!
Absolutely lovely!
I just love how your face lights up as soon as you start speaking about the various clothing pieces & when you like to wear them.. absolutely fabulous and i love your style, and it suits you! You give so.many people confidence to sew and have the confidence themselves to wear what they like and have umph in their stride..
I have a mixed wardrobe but majority of my dresses are big and long and i have been asked if i have fallen from the set of little house on the prairie 😂 i just love that look and feel really comfortable in them.
Take care V.
what a wonderful video, thanks so much for your clear labelling of many of the pieces too. I have always been interested in tatar textile history but as you say, writen information can be confusing, so it's really nice to find someone like yourself with a personal connection to learn from; your joy in your clothing really comes through. you should definitely be very proud of yourself for achieving such a rich hand sewn and self made wardrobe, too. i am not able to wear historical clothing in my daily life but even just having natural fibre layers has made a huge difference in my comfort this northern hemisphere winter.
Historybounders unite!❤ it’s so refreshing how you love to create a wholly new look based on the silhouettes and styles that bring you joy and express your identity.😊
Just fabulous Victoria. Thank you ❤
I like bright colors as well, and especially in winter for the same reasons. ❤
I am so glad to see you so happy!
I love the decision to live how one *wants* to live, because there is always going to be one or more judging person/s.
Your clothes look great! I am glad you wear them how you want to wear them😀👍🌟🦋💖
I really enjoyed this video!! I have Latvian heritage so I relate to wearing clothing to connect to my ancestors. Very inspiring, thank you!
Wow! What a fascinating video - thank you! And your pieces and ensembles are beautiful. I know you said that you choose colours and styles which suit you, but these really are gorgeous looks. I hope you're proud when you're out in public in them, and i hope you secretly inspire the folks who see you.
Hi, I truly enjoyed your video. I am absolutely intrigued that you "hand sew" all of your clothing! Honestly in my life I have also hand sewn much more than I've ever used a machine!
I love how you keep your video moving. I don't have much time to watch very long videos. I've subscribed.
Wonderful video, Vasi!
Wishing you a warm and prosperous winter and new year!
Thank you dear! Wishing you a beautiful winter and new year ❤
I always love watching videos like this, since everyone looks so warm and cozy, as I long to be (I get chilled easily). Your thick wool layers and the beautiful fur hat would fare wonderfully in my area of the world.
My boyfriend is turkic and I am really loving how you show Volga Tatar Folklore! Something you don't see every day
Thank you so much for sharing. I love how your wardrobe is beautiful, practical, and meaningful.
Thank you so much!
Fascinating! Thank you!
I love this. So glad I found you.
i have never seen anyone speak so well and comfortably while standing in their under ware... good for you for making your beautiful clothing and thanks for sharing...Creator bless...doug
Got to have that color running through the wardrobe, I love that. Thanks for sharing that you still wear the earlier makes, that makes me happy since they were your passion at the time and they were all handmade. I like the mix it up technique.
Thank you!! I definitely still wear many of my earlier ones 🥰
Congratulations! You are amazing and your work, too!
This was wonderful! I’m always cold so I’m always looking for tips ☺️
I’m So happy to see some tatar clothes!
This is truly fascinating.
Your smile in this video warms my Tatar heart, so deep and beautiful. Бик матур! Thank you so much for sharing Tatar outfits, looking forward to see more of that side you.
lovely, vassi! thank you so much for sharing! i love love love your victorian wrapper gown. i have two from an etsy shop, both ~1880s style...i loved the comfort, adjustability, and ginormous pockets of the sage paisley one i bought to wear at home so much that i bought a black one to wear when i work in my local halloween haunt (i blend invisibly into the shadows and scare the daylights out of people when i pop out...hehe!) :)
You are so inspiring thank you for videos and info.
I always wish I could reach out and feel the fabric when you talk about each garment. You are so talented, brave, and beautiful!
How stylish! The last one (black) quite chic.
So lovely to see. Beautiful clothes and wonderful attitude.
Thank you! 😊
Nice video! I’m from a cold weather area as well and enjoy learning more about historic clothing. I’m here thanks to your episode on Steve Ramsey’s podcast
You are adorable and I love your explations. I greatly admire your hand sewing, which I used to do a bit. Your wardrobe is phenomenal !
Magnificent clothing. You are perfect. Thank you for sharing
I have to say I would never see these outfits by themselves and be attracted to them, but you make them all look so beautiful!