What sort of clothes do Mongolians wear?

[question from Annabel & Henry]

Young people in the cities wear the same type of clothes that we do in England. However, they take a long time choosing what to wear, so everyone looks very fashionable. Most people will wear the latest clothes, and will want to look beautiful. Even though new clothes can be expensive, and most Mongolians do not have much money, they all buy the newest clothes. When I first came to Mongolia I thought everyone was rich, as they all looked so nice in their new clothes! However, one quickly discovers that whilst they have nice clothes, they may not have money for other things (for example, many families live in one room together – they cannot afford a house with separate rooms).

Elderly people and people who live in the countryside wear traditional clothes. The most popular type of clothing is called a ‘deel’. A deel is a type of large overcoat that covers most of the body. It is very long, so the whole of the arms are covered (you don’t need gloves when wearing a deel!). It’s quite baggy, so it’s quite easy to wear a deel and do physical work or ride a horse. People wear a deel with large boots, and men usually put a hat on when leaving their house. Mongolians also wear a belt with their deel, which is either made from leather or from cloth. Deels can be many different colours and can be made from different materials. Most people would have a winter and summer deel, with different amounts of padding inside (a winter deel has lots of padding to keep the wearer warm during the very cold winters). Younger people in the cities only really wear deels on special occasions, such as Mongolian New Year or on their wedding day.