• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.67-79
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• 2016

The Oroqen (鄂伦春) traditional costume refers to what the nomadic Oroqen people used to wear before they settled into fixed communities. With very limited contact with the outside world and with limited resources, the clothing material was virtually entirely animal hide. With settlement, especially after 1996, animal hide clothing has declined among the Oroqen. As an important part of Oroqen tradition and culture, the Oroqen people keep endevoring to promote costume design through competition and exhibitions. Therefore, this paper seeks to present an insightful understanding of Oroqen culture and the formative features of their general clothing. We explored the formative features of Oroqen animal hide clothing based on an analysis of actual artifacts and literature. As a result, the characteristics of Oroqen hide clothing were found in five types - coats, trousers, hats, shoes, gloves. For the decoration, embroidery and applique were their way of decoration, and Mother Nature was their source of pattern design.