Stitching Tradition and Fashion: The Evolution of Ottoman Women’s Ferâces, from the Sixteenth to the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

This study explores the evolution of ferâces, traditional outer garments worn by both Muslim and non-Muslim women in the Ottoman Empire from the sixteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Analyzing sources such as archival records, visual depictions, memoirs, travel accounts, and surviving ferâces, it examines ferâces’ sartorial characteristics (e.g., form, fabric, and color) across different groups and locations over three centuries. The study reveals the interplay between tradition and fashion, demonstrating how ferâces evolved in response to economic shifts and cultural exchanges, including the influence of Western fashion trends. It highlights the similarities and differences in ferâces, reflecting inter-religious and inter-ethnic interactions within Ottoman society. The study also shows how these garments served as mediums of expression, resistance, and conformity to sumptuary laws and societal norms. Thus, it contributes to the scholarship on Ottoman women’s dress and fashion, as well as to studies of fashion and dress history beyond Eurocentric narratives.