Abstract/Hauptbeschreibung (Englisch)

Fashion is often presented with its national features, specific to different countries. It depends on the traditions, lifestyle and forms of culture. The national Bulgarian costume is a valuable source of creative inspiration for designers working in the field of artistic clothing design. It is especially important to find the connection of the modern Bulgarian costume with traditions not only in decorative, but also in constructive terms. The basis of the geometric structure of the folk costume is both a rectangle and a trapezoid widened at the bottom, which emphasize the straight or trapezoidal silhouette of the costume. The structure of the shirt, sukman, saya, yamurluk, etc. is built on the basis of simple ratios between the elements. Fully woven fabrics are used for the front and back. The width of the fabric of the home-made cloth is approximately equal to the width of the back at the shoulders, as well as the length from the shoulder to the elbow and from the elbow to the beginning of the fingers. The sleeve is formed by folding the fabric in half width wise. From the waist down, the clothes are widened by inserted wedges. Similar rectangles, triangles, squares, as well as trapezoidal shapes are noticeable in all samples of folk clothing. The rhythm of the details and the ornamentation reveal the aesthetic expressiveness of the forms. Keywords: national women’s costume, transition, contemporary women’s dresses