I just added this stunning 1960's Afghan velvet patchwork vest to the etsy shop. The braided ribbon embroidery you see is an example of Pashtun embroidery.
I found the following article about Pashtun embroidery here:
http://www.texdress.nl/de.afemb.014.html
"There are various groups of Pashtun, each with their own style of embroidery. There is also a difference between Pashtun urban embroidery and Pashtun nomadic embroidery.
The Pashtun living in the Wardak region, for example, are noted for multi-coloured silk embroideries on a monochrome cotton or silk ground. The embroideries are worked in satin stitch in complex geometric designs that radiate out from a central motif, such as a star.
Mangal Pashtun, from eastern Afghanistan, often use satin stitch to create lozenges that cover the whole embroidered surface. The difference is in the accent, worked in holbein and back stitches in black and white, so contrasting with the colour of the rest of the embroidery. The designs do not follow the grain, but instead form diagonal lines that accentuate the lozenge designs.
Waistcoats for Pashtun men are often decorated with gold or silver coloured braids, which are sewn in intricate, geometric designs onto the ground material, such as red velvet. This type of embroidery is also used for women's dresses."
These vests also became hugely popular during the hippie movement of the 1960's. They scattered the shops of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, and helped create the landscape of Woodstock during 1969.
I picture it over a black tank and black skinny jeans- how would you wear it?
Purchase it here.
