A Type of Clothing Characterized by Formal Qualities: Yarlik

Throughout history, clothes have assumed many different functions by incorporating many elements; in addition to being a basic necessity, clothing has become one of the most important elements that showcase the culture. Although they have common features in general, different dressing styles and cultures have emerged due to factors such as society, identity, belief, customs, manners, gender, and age. Thus, clothing, which is also used as a class indicator, is classified as women s, men s, and children s clothing in terms of gender. Each society pays special attention to the clothes of children, who are the heirs of our future. Children s clothes have had special importance in history, and the factors shaping women s and men s clothing have also been effective in shaping children s clothing. For this reason, children s clothing is reflected in the culture of the society which it belongs to with its many features ranging from usage to, ornamentation, and fabric. It is possible to find clues about the religious, social, cultural, economic, and ethnic structure of his/her family or even the society in which he/she lives from a child s clothing. Therefore, identifying and documenting the unique features of children s clothing, which is one of the cultural values, means revealing many cultural elements and is very important and necessary in terms of culture these days since global culture is dominant over local cultures. Furthermore, among the studies on Turkish traditional clothing, it was observed that children s clothing was overshadowed by women s and men s clothing and the lack of sufficient research was the starting point of the study. The aim of this study was to document and record the formal eigenvalues of the "yarlik," which is a piece of children s clothing belonging to the village Ocakli of Afyonkarahisar province, Dinar district, which differs from other clothes in terms of usage and formal characteristics. In the study, field research was conducted by using the interview and observation form prepared by researchers (clothing examination form), and a piece of children s clothing named "yarlik," which is known to date back to approximately three generations. Photographs of the "yarlik" were taken, its formal drawing was made, the form, cutting, sewing, ornamentation, material, and functional characteristics, as well as the formal characteristics of the clothing and meanings ascribed to the clothing, were systematically examined as required by the field, and the findings reached were interpreted according to the information obtained from the sources. As a result of this study, in children s clothing, which has an important place in Turkish traditional clothing, it was determined that the "yarlik" is different from the other pieces of clothing with its formal and usage characteristics, and it has gained function and meaning with these characteristics.