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SOCIETY

THE COSTUME AS
IDENTITY

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Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume
Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume

Traditional Bhutanese attire plays a very important role in preserving the country's cultural identity. The people take great pride in wearing their attire at religious ceremonies and in offices, and children also wear it at school.

Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume
Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume

The men's costume is called Gho . To a Westerner, at first glance, it looks very complicated to wear, and it is! I myself needed a lot of trial and error to get it right, and I actually think they were just being nice because I must have never done it properly. It consists of a long coat that you wrap around your body and that covers you from neck to knees, with lots of twists and turns in between. There are thousands of patterns and fabrics available to buy, and as everywhere it is often your wallet that decides which one you choose. I found fabrics for $4,000 USD, at the level of those worn by royalty. At the waist, you fasten a belt called kera , which is also very colorful and has a trick to tighten at the end. Underneath, the men also wear a kind of long-sleeved jacket made of a very fine, white fabric, tegu , which is intended for interior comfort and has a strategic twist on the sleeves as a final aesthetic touch.

Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume
Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume

The female costume is called Kira, also a long piece of fabric (about 2.5m by 1.5m) with equally complex tricks of wrapping around the body and at the end it has a koma , a kind of elaborately crafted pin to hold the end of the fabric. Usually the Kira is accompanied by a blouse, which is worn over it, called wonju and finally a coat with complex and richly decorated patterns called teogo . Nowadays there are kiras that are easier to wear in everyday life, but these are also very common.

Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume

The art of weaving is greatly admired in the country and has been passed down from generation to generation as a very important part of the country's culture and identity. There is even a Bhutan Weaving Museum that is well worth a visit and that helps you understand the society while admiring beautiful fabrics.

Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume

In addition to all this, there is the art of scarves, which are very important in defining hierarchies in society, as well as job positions. The men's scarf is called kabney and the women's rachu , both are wrapped around the torso and elegantly let fall over the left shoulder. They are normally only worn on special occasions or ceremonies, for example the King wears the color yellow and orange underneath, while the common citizen wears white.

Daring Explorer - Bhutan Costume
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