THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF THE STUDY OF TRADITIONAL CLOTHING IN FOREIGN HISTORIOGRAPHY

Abstract

The article is devoted to the theoretical aspects of traditional clothing considered in the latest studies of foreign scholars. Over the last twenty years, traditional dress has become an important object of study in modern foreign historiography, due to the growing interest in cultural, ethnic and social aspects. The main purpose of the article is to review the historiography and some key concepts and terms that have generated controversial views in the study of the relationship between humans, clothing and the human body, as well as a number of concepts related to the emergence of clothing. The article emphasizes the significance of traditional clothing as an important element of national identity, cultural heritage and an indicator of social change. Clothing, as a significant part of the ethnos' life activity system, is considered through its structural and functional nature, being one of the most important forms, tools and channels of these relations in the traditional environment.

When writing the article, we mainly relied on English-language studies. To systematize the theoretical foundations of research on traditional dress, we used the historical and analytical approach, as well as the interdisciplinary method, which combines studies in the field of ethnology, cultural studies, sociology, philosophy, psychology, anthropology and history. In addition, the methods of comparative and discourse analysis were used. The final part of the article specifies directions for future research and highlights understudied aspects of traditional dress.