Shirt or sorochitsa was the main part of the costume of the peasants and townspeople, men and women, rich and poor. In the classic version was sorochitsa underwear shirt. In men, it can reach up to the knees, worn untucked her, belting a narrow belt or lace fabrics. In women, it can be long and up to a foot, her arms were going to fold at the wrist and restrained by straps. Gate such a shirt, as a rule, was low to the neck remained bare. At first it was just a cut, which took place when equipped Head. The cut ties with clasps or appear later. Buttoned at the gates of a small button that could be a bone, and wood, and bronze. Particularly elegant sorochitsy had low-collars small stands that are trimmed with ornaments of gold threads.
The ancient Russian costume was very multi-layered. If sorochitsa were put on at the beginning, then cover completes the composition. This top coat was the warmest layer for its finishes used goat and sheep skins. Enclosures were both women and men. Rich covers were made of a soft, well-tanned leather, embroidered with pearls and decorated with precious patches of rich fabrics. In the testament of Ivan Kalita (1339) can be found such descriptions: "housing cherleny zhenchyuzhny", "yellow jacket robbing," two "casing with Alhama with zhenchyugom." Skin for this outfit painted in different colors, but most often used a red "cover chermnichny", "cover cherlenny." People easier wore shrouds of rough tanned skin.
Generally, items such as costume capes in ancient Russia were quite popular. One of them was korzno - long, reaching almost to toe cloak buttoned on the right or left shoulder cufflink with tabs or precious buckle. It was a princely garment, as evidenced, for example, its relative high cost - it was worth sewing hryvnia. Sometimes korzno could be not only a cloak, but a shoulder swing clothes sewn with side seams. Hardly, this cape was comfortable clothes - long-skirted coat, covering half of the body, hardly able to give the necessary freedom of movement, particularly in the military campaigns, so that it served, rather, an indicator of status and was put on "on occasion".
