Uzbekistan - Ladies shoe-glass beaded velvet covered leather upper - Mid 20th C

The Republic of Uzbekistan has a wide mix of ethnic groups and cultures, with the Uzbek being the majority group. The most important part of Uzbek men's costume was the loose-fitting cotton coat, called the "khalat". It was long-sleeved, knee length or longer, and made from fabric with a variety of colorful stripes. Women's traditional dress consisted of a tunic, pants, a scarf, and a coat. The long, loose tunic had wide sleeves reaching to the wrists. Loose cut pants were often made of the same fabric as the tunic. The bottom of the pants was gathered and decorated with embroidered braid. Women's coats were similar to men's khalat. Textile patterns often included up to six or seven different colors in the typical geometrical or stylized floral design. Fabrics were brightly colored, in shades of red, yellow, blue, green, violet and orange. The color of the costume was an important signal of a person's age or social status. Above glass beaded shoes matched with such a dress.