Tajik national dress: A history of its development in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods

This thesis traces the historical development of the concept of women's "national dress" (libosi milli) in Tajikistan during the Soviet period and the period of national independence. It explores changes in these garments' form and meaning that took place over this approximately hundred-year period, including the roles played by religion and nationalism. It examines the presence, absence, and representation of Tajik and other Central Asian clothing in museums. The choices that go into the making and wearing of libosi milli by Tajik women in independence-era Tajikistan are also discussed. The thesis incorporates both historical and ethnographic research and includes a translation of sections of contemporary Islamic literature on the subject of Tajik women's dress as an appendix.