The Complete Handbook of Traditional Clothing Accessories

Chapter 1: Understanding Traditional Clothing Accessories

The phrase "traditional clothing accessory" covers a vast and often confusing set of items. It includes a Scottish kilt pin, a Japanese netsuke, a Navajo silver concho belt, a Moroccan leather babouche, a Guatemalan woven hair ribbon, and a Victorian jet mourning brooch. At first glance, these objects have little in common. They are made from different materials, worn in different parts of the world, and serve different functions. However, defining them as a single category is practically useful, not just academically neat. Once you stop thinking about what these items look like and instead consider what they do and how they are made, a clear pattern emerges. This pattern is the foundation of the practical knowledge this book provides.

To work with these items professionally, a precise definition is needed. A traditional clothing accessory is a functional or symbolic item worn on the body, attached to clothing, or carried in the hand, that is produced using methods and materials that have been established for several generations within a specific cultural context. This definition has three critical pillars. The first is that the item is worn or carried. A ceremonial textile that is hung on a wall is not an accessory, even if it is traditional. The second pillar is the established method and material. A mass-produced, acrylic-and-plastic version of an Irish Aran sweater pocket is not a traditional accessory, even if it copies the shape. The final pillar is the cultural context,