Clothing: Deel vs. Chupa

We wear both Mongolian Deels and Tibetan Chupas (aka chuba), but what does that mean?

A Mongolian deel is still commonly worn by both men and women outside major towns, especially by herders. In urban areas, deels are mostly only worn by elderly people, or on festive occasions. The deel appears similar to a caftan or an old European folded tunic. Deels typically reach to below the wearer's knees and fan out at the bottom and are commonly blue, olive, or burgundy, though there are deels in a variety of other colors.

The deel looks like a large overcoat when not worn. Instead of buttoning together in the middle, the sides are pulled against the wearer's body, the right flap close to the body with the left covering. On the right side of the wearer are typically 5 or 6 clasps to hold the top flap in place. There is one clasp below the armpit, three at the shoulder, and either one or two at the neckline.

Deel design varies to a certain degree among cultures and ethnic groups, and has varied across time periods. There are even distinct variations among different Mongol tribes mostly on the design of the upper chest opening edges. For instance, the Khalkha Mongol deel opening edges are round, while a Buryat deel's is square. It can also vary among other tribes such as Chakhar, Torguud, and Uzemchin. Deels are designed for different occasions and environments. The design also varies due to function. There are deels for ceremonies like weddings and holidays and deels for daily wear. Deels for special occasions have their outer layer made of silk while the common deels are usually made of wool, cotton and other relatively inexpensive materials.

We're still working on our sewing skills, so if you are interested in purchasing a deel, or many of the Mongolian items we'll be talking about, Mongulai is a great store to shop, though a bit pricey. 

A deel is traditionally worn with a large sash, usually made of silk or leather belts with large, ornate buckles have become more common in the modern era. The area between the flaps and above the belt creates a large pocket in which the wearer can store objects; Mongolian men will occasionally even carry a silver bowl or cup, or even a snuff box in their deel. Though there is no major difference in material or outline between male and female deels, females tend to wear the "pocket" closer (that is, women often prefer a more snug-fitting deel), while males' may have both larger pockets, looser fit, and wider sleeves. The length of the hem gets longer the closer to modern times; what you see above is from the 14th century, but the hem today falls at just above the ankle (basically anywhere in that realm is fine).

A Tibetan chupa is a type of sleeveless top/vest that is combined with a skirt and over-coat. A chupa was traditionally a warm ankle-length robe that was bound around the waist by a long sash, leaving the upper portion to become a large pocket for everything from money to bowls.

In the past, chupas were made from strips of hand-woven woolen cloth; they were originally the un-dyed white color of the sheep's wool from Tibet. More recently, black or brown dyes have been used. On trading trips to Tibet, people often wore sheep skin chupas, jackets or pants. Folkwear has a pattern and blog post you can read/buy here or you can go on Etsy and order one made for you (same for the deel). 

The overcoat for the chupa can be worn a few different ways (see video below) including with one arm off. You'll notice in the over-coats, that one sleeve is longer than the other. this allows for a built in hand muffler while leaving the hand able to still do work. 

Personally, I find a very long one a bit cumbersome to operate, but if you are in cold regions, it might work out if you are just going to walk around looking pretty. It's a pain when cooking though.

If you look close, you'll see one of the key differences between the two styles is how the top shirt falls. While both are asymmetrical wrap tops, the chupa has a fold over that helps lock the shirt in place.

With the deel, you don't need to do this, so I normally just wear a tank top or t-shirt depending on my needs and the weather. Pants, dark leggings, etc. are worn underneath. Just wear what feels comfortable. I have thick padded Chinese-styled harem pants for winter, black leggings for spring, and thin cotton pants for summer. Under the skirt/deel, you really can't see them, especially if you wear boots, which I'll talk about in a different post. I'm big on being able to walk freely and sit where I want to, so I almost always have pants on under them, but non-rip leggings work well too.