Issenman, Betty Kobayashi; Rankin, Catherine (1988b). Ivalu: Traditions Of Inuit Clothing. Montréal: McCord Museum of Canadian History. ISBN 0-7717-0182-9. OCLC 17871781. Insulation and heat conservation: Clothing worn in the Arctic must be warm, especially during the winter, when the polar night phenomenon means the sun never rises and temperatures can drop below −40°C (−40°F) for weeks or months. [6] Inuit garments were designed to provide thermal insulation for the wearer in several ways. Caribou fur is an excellent insulating material: the hollow structure of caribou hairs helps trap warmth within individual hairs, and the air trapped between hairs also retains heat. [18] Each garment was individually tailored to the wearer's body with complex techniques including darts, gussets, gathers, and pleats. [176] Garments were generally bell shaped to retain warm air. [177] Openings were minimized to prevent unwanted heat loss, but in the event of overheating, the hood could be loosed to allow heat to escape. [178] In many places, long, resilient hairs from wolves, dogs, or wolverines was used for hood trim, which reduced wind velocity on the face. [178] [179] Layers were structured so that garments overlapped to reduce drafts. [180] [181] For the warmer weather of spring and summer, where average temperatures can range from −0.8°C (30.6°F) to 11.4°C (52.5°F) in Nunavut, only a single layer of clothing was necessary. [182] [183] Both men and women wore two upper-body layers during the harsher temperatures of winter. The inner layer had fur on the inside against the skin for warmth, and the outer layer had fur facing outward. [10] [20] [184] King, J.C.H.; Pauksztat, Birgit; Storrie, Robert, eds. (2005). Arctic Clothing. Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-3008-9. Although the learning process began in early childhood, fully mastering these skills could take until a woman was into her mid-thirties. [10] [127] Learning to make traditional clothing has always been a process of acquiring tacit knowledge by observing and learning the sewing process, then creating items independently without explicit verbal directions in what can be characterized as learning-by-doing. [129] Traditionally, young girls practiced by creating dolls and doll clothes from scraps of hide before moving on to small clothing items like mittens intended for actual use. [130]

Schmidt, Anne Lisbeth (2016). "The SkinBase Project: Providing 3D Virtual Access to Indigenous Skin Clothing Collections from the Circumpolar Area". Études/Inuit/Studies. 40 (2): 193–205. doi: 10.7202/1055438ar. ISSN 0701-1008. JSTOR 26578202. Inuit shamans, called angakkuq, [c] usually wore garments like those of laypeople, but which included unique accessories or design elements to differentiate their spiritual status. The intricately designed parka of the angakkuq Qingailisaq, inspired by spiritual visions, is an example of such a garment. It was acquired for the American Museum of Natural History in 1902 and has been studied extensively by scholars of Inuit culture. [261]Belts, which were usually simple strips of skin with the hair removed, had multiple functions. The qaksun-gauti belt secured the child in the amauti. [21] Belts tied at the waist could be used to secure parkas against the wind, and to hold small objects. In an emergency, it could be used for field repairs of broken equipment. [61] Some belts were decorated with beads or toggles carved into attractive shapes. [62] The spiritual, personal and social text stitched into footwear designs are difficult or impossible to understand from objects removed from their makers or wearers. Fienup-Riordan, Ann (1998). "Yup'ik Elders in Museums: Fieldwork Turned on Its Head". Arctic Anthropology. 35 (2): 49–58. ISSN 0066-6939. JSTOR 40316487.

In the western Arctic, particularly among the Inuvialuit and the Copper Inuit, there is another style of women's parka called the "Mother Hubbard", adapted from the European Mother Hubbard dress. [29] [30] [31] The Inuit version is a full-length, long-sleeved cotton dress with a ruffled hem and a fur-trimmed hood. A layer of insulation– either wool duffel cloth or animal fur– is sewn inside for warmth, allowing it to function as winterwear. [31] Although the Mother Hubbard parka only arrived in the late 19th century, it largely eclipsed historical styles of clothing to the point where it is now seen as the traditional women's garment in those areas. [29] Buijs, Cunera; Oosten, Jarich. "Continuity and Change in Arctic Clothing: An Introduction". In Buijs & Oosten (1997), pp.1–10. EMF Protection Hoodie RF Shielding Hoodie Microwave Shielding Hoodie Extremely High Shielding Capacity up to 40 GHz! 100% Cotton and Silver Waterproofing: Making garments waterproof was a major concern for Inuit, especially during the wetter weather of summer. The skin of marine mammals like seals sheds water naturally, but is lightweight and breathable, making it extremely useful for this kind of clothing. Before artificial waterproof materials became available, seal or walrus intestine was commonly used to make raincoats and other wet-weather gear. Skilful sewing using sinews allowed the creation of waterproof seams, particularly useful for footwear. [186] Taylor, Juanita (14 February 2021). " 'Sewing is Therapy': Why This Nunavut Mom Sews Clothes for Her Kids". CBC News . Retrieved 20 April 2022.Farr, Dorothy (Fall 2002). "Amauti: Exploring the Presence of Inuit Women as Subject and as Artist" (PDF). Inuit Art Quarterly. p.47 . Retrieved 24 June 2021. Inuit clothing was traditionally tailored in distinct styles for men and women, generally for functionality, but sometimes for symbolic reasons as well. For example, the shape of the kiniq, the frontal apron-flap of the woman's parka, was a symbolic reference to childbirth. [270] However, there is evidence from oral tradition and archaeological findings that biological sex and gendered clothing was not always aligned. [271] Some clothing worn by male angakkuit, particularly among the Copper Inuit, included design elements generally reserved for women, such as kiniq, symbolically bringing male and female together. [272] [273] In some cases, the gender identity of the shaman could be fluid or non-binary, which was reflected in their clothing through the use of both male and female design elements. [260] You won’t be afraid of the cold inside or out, it is the extra cosy layer of warmth you have always dreamed of. Oakes, Jill (February 1991b). "Environmental Factors Influencing Bird-Skin Clothing Production". Arctic and Alpine Research. 23 (1): 71–79. doi: 10.2307/1551440. ISSN 0004-0851. JSTOR 1551440. Stern, Pamela R. (2010). Daily Life of the Inuit. Santa Barbara: Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-36312-2.

The first stage was the harvesting of the skin from the animal carcass after a successful hunt. Generally, the hunter would cut the skin in such a way that it could be removed in one piece. Skinning and butchering an adult caribou could take an experienced hunter up to an hour. [148] While butchering of caribou was handled by men, butchering of seals was mostly handled by women. [142] [149] Footwear [ edit ] Three layers of winter footwear: short inner slipper, inner boot (fur inwards), outer boot (fur outwards) Oakes, Jill; Wilkins, Heather; etal. (1995). "Comparison of Traditional and Manufactured Cold Weather Ensembles". Climate Research. 5 (1): 83–90. Bibcode: 1995ClRes...5...83O. doi: 10.3354/cr005083. ISSN 0936-577X. JSTOR 24863319. Humidity control: Perspiration eventually leads to the accumulation of moisture in closed garments, which must be managed for the comfort and safety of the wearer. [12] [185] The carefully tailored layers of traditional clothing allowed fresh air to circulate through the outfit during physical exertion, removing air that was saturated with perspiration and keeping both the garments and the body dry. [87] As well, animal skin is relatively porous and allows some moisture to evaporate. [45] When temperatures are low enough for moisture in the air to freeze, it accumulates on the surface of fur as frost crystals that can be brushed or beaten away. Fur ruffs on hoods collect moisture from breath; when it freezes it can be brushed away with one hand. [178] For footwear, animal skin provides greater condensation control than nonporous materials like rubber or plastic, as it allows moisture to escape, keeping the feet drier and warmer for longer. [45] In comparison to skin and fur, woven fibres like wool absorb moisture and hold it against the body; in freezing temperatures, this causes discomfort, limited movement, and eventually, life-threatening heat loss. [12] [23] [185] As children aged, they gradually transitioned into more adult-like garments. Older children wore outfits with separate parkas and trousers, although boots were generally sewn directly to the trousers. [73] [74] Amautis for female children often had small amaut, and they sometimes carried younger siblings in them to assist their mother. [75] [76] Clothing for girls and boys changed at puberty; in eastern Greenland, for example, both received naatsit, or under-breeches, to mark the transition. [7] In general, when girls reached puberty, amauti tails were made longer, and the hood and amaut were enlarged to indicate fertility. [27] Hairstyles for pubescent girls also changed to indicate their new status. [7] [77] Materials [ edit ] Prepared caribou hide, ScandinaviaPetersen, Robert (2003). Settlements, Kinship and Hunting Grounds in Traditional Greenland. Copenhagen: Danish Polar Center. ISBN 978-87-635-1261-9. Increased cultural assimilation and modernization at the beginning of the 20th century led to reduced production of traditional skin garments for everyday use. The introduction of the Canadian Indian residential school system to northern Canada disrupted the cycle of elders passing down knowledge to younger generations informally. [300] [301] Even after the decline of the residential schools, most day schools did not include material on Inuit culture until the 1980s. [302] [303] Plural form sipiniit; the Netsilik Inuit used the word kipijuituq for a similar concept [274] [275]

Historically, European images of Inuit were sourced from the clothing worn by Inuit who travelled to Europe (whether voluntarily or as captives), clothing brought to museums by explorers, and from written accounts of travels to the Arctic. The earliest of these was a series of illustrated broadsides printed after an Inuit mother and child from Labrador were brought to the European Low Countries in 1566. [322] Other paintings and engravings of Inuit and their clothing were created over the following centuries. [323] 19th century techniques such as photography allowed for a wider dissemination of images of Inuit clothing, especially in illustrated magazines. [323] Reed, Fran. "The Poor Man's Raincoat: Alaskan Fish-skin Garments". In King, Pauksztat & Storrie (2005), pp.48–52. Traditional ceremonial and shamanic clothing also incorporated masks made of wood and skin to invoke supernatural abilities, although this practice largely died out after the arrival of Christian missionaries and other outside influences. [268] While Alaskan religious masks were typically elaborate, those of the Canadian Inuit were comparatively simple. [269] Gender expression [ edit ] Group or familial affinity was indicated by aesthetic features such as variations in the patterns made by different colours of fur, the cut of the garment, and the length of fur. [8] [10] [11] In some cases, the styling of a garment could indicate biographical details such as the individual's age, marital status, and specific kin group. [9] [12] The vocabulary for describing individual garments in the Inuit languages is correspondingly extensive, which Issenman noted in Sinews of Survival: [1]Emanuelsen, Kristin (2020). The Importance of Sewing: Perspectives from Inuit Women in Ulukhaktok, NT (Report). Ulukhaktok Community Corporation, Indigenous Services Canada, and University of the Sunshine Coast.