Page | 54Traditional Clothing
In Ulaanbaatar and other Mongolian urban areas, European-style
clothes are now commonly worn, but in rural areas traditional
clothing is still the norm. Most important of these garments is the
del, a loose wool gown with a high collar that is cinched at the
waist with a sash.^288 It is worn by both men and women, with
little difference in style and cut. Men’s dels tend to be wider and
more subdued in color than those of women. The del’s
practicality in Mongolia’s harsh conditions has ensured its
continuing popularity—it serves as a coat, a blanket, and even as
a primitive form of privacy when relieving oneself on the
treeless steppes. In cold times of the year, people commonly
wear a del that is padded with sheepskin or cotton wool.^289
Headwear is another necessity on the Mongolian steppes, and
several varieties are commonly worn. Baseball hats, felt or straw short-brimmed fedoras,
and even Australian-style “cowboy hats” are some of the more recently imported
styles.
290,291, (^292) The traditional Mongol headwear, an ornately decorated spike-topped hat
known as the loovuz, is now generally only seen at holiday and ceremonial events.293,^294
(^288) Daniel Roy, “The Del,” n.d.,
http://danielroy.tripod.com/cgi-bin/alternate/mongolia/clothing.html
(^289) Ministry of Tourism, Government of Mongolia, “Clothing,” Asia-Planet.net, 2002, http://www.asia-
planet.net/mongolia/culture.htm
(^290) Daniel Roy, “Hats and Boots,” n.d., http://danielroy.tripod.com/cgi-bin/alternate/mongolia/clothing.html
(^291) Asia-Insider-Photos.com, “Mongolian Clothes for Men: Functional and Warm,” 2010, http://www.asia-
insider-photos.com/mongolian-clothes-men.html
(^292) Foxlily.com, “Nadaam: The Three Manly Sports,” 2009, http://foxlily.com/2010/04/nadaam-the-three-
manly-sports/
(^293) Daniel Roy, “Hats and Boots,” n.d., http://danielroy.tripod.com/cgi-bin/alternate/mongolia/clothing.html
(^294) Foxlily.com, “Nadaam: The Three Manly Sports,” 2009, http://foxlily.com/2010/04/nadaam-the-three-
manly-sports/